Head Tale

It feels somewhat wrong and somehow right to post this list on International Women’s Day.  But as she does with so many other things, Hillary Clinton has made her gender an integral part of her campaign (which, in turn, has polarized female voters around the issue of gender) so is there a better time?

For that reason, here’s my list of 10 reasons I don’t think Hillary Clinton should be the Democratic Party nominee for President…

1. Her Self-Serving Nature
   I expect public servants to…serve the public.  Ms. Clinton has been a public servant in a variety of roles for nearly 30 years.  But she’s also clearly used that public service to raise her profile which has helped greatly enrich herself and her family.  A big part of this is the general unseemliness of her raising millions of dollars giving private hour-long speeches to corporations at $200,000+/pop in her few months between being a Secretary of State (when it would be illegal to do so) and declaring herself a candidate for President of the United States (when it is once again illegal to profit in this way.)  On top of that, unlike others who’ve gone on to lucrative careers on the rubber chicken circuit after leaving politics, few had little doubt that Clinton would run for President, no matter what she claimed herself.
2. She’s the 1%
   Building on that last point, I highly doubt that a person who’s worth $48 million (and probably into the hundreds of millions when her assets are combined with her husband’s) really understands the plight of the common person.  She said her and Bill were “dead broke” after leaving the White House and yet they had more than one million dollar mansion, incredible connections and quickly built up a nest egg of tens of millions of dollars via book deals and speaking engagements.
3. American Dynasty?
   We just did the same thing in Canada and I hated it just as much.  There’s no rule against it but it seems ridiculous when the wife/son/other family member of a famous existing leader gets an automatic huge head start when they run to be leader of whatever country.  I think it speaks very poorly of our democracy when, out of 30 or 300 million people, the best choice is someone closely connected to a previous leader.  Or, for Americans in 2016, they face being governed by a member of one of two families for all but eight years (Thanks Obama!) since 1992 with the prospect of (at least) four more years if Hillary wins (and with assorted other Bushes/Clintons either having run this year or waiting in the wings.)
4. Scandals…Everywhere!
   At some point, it’s not just the right wing conspiracy theories for one person to be connected to so many scandals, many of which, like her use of a personal e-mail server as Secretary of State, speak to a general lack of judgement as well as an inclination towards thinking she’s above the law or the rules don’t apply to her. (With the Michigan Primary happening today, I was reminded how in 2008, the Michigan Democratic Party was censured for not following the rules and all candidates – except Hillary – pulled their names off the ballot.  Hillary not only left hers on but then tried to claim she won all the state delegates!)
5. Flip-Flop, Flip-Flop
   Her flip-flopping on virtually every major issue depending on which way public opinion is going is stunning.  A related part of this is how she tends to follow trends (gay marriage, Iraq war, etc.) rather than show leadership on important issues which is what you’d expect from someone running for the highest office in the land.
6. Liar, Liar, Pantsuit on Fire
   Related to that last point, her loose affiliation with the truth is well known with her claim that she landed under sniper fire in Bosnia being the most infamous example. (I also find it interesting that she regularly waves these errors away as “mistakes” like her current “explanation” for using a private e-mail server.  She also has an irritating habit of laughing when challenged.)
7. (Un)favourability Ratings
   I posted this the other day but it’s one of the most damning pieces of evidence about the chances for Hillary as a Presidential candidate I’ve seen…
   
   
8. She’s a Hawk
   Clinton is well-known for being one of the most hawkish Democrats which I’ve often thought is some sort of way to “make up” for being a female in a male-dominated world of politics.  Even if my theory is true, that’s unfortunate that her war-mongering actually ends up incriminating her more by revealing a lack of good judgement and empathy over and over again.
9. Civil Hillaries
   Hillary is a well-known opponent of civil liberties including voting for the Patriot Act, being against flag burning and voicing opposition to Wikileaks and Edward Snowden whom she suggested was guilty of treason.
10. Vagina Monologues
    With apologies for the pregnancy metaphor, the United States is long overdue for a female President.  Unfortunately, a candidate who rides in, in large part on her husband’s name and legacy, who regularly makes thinly veiled sexist attacks against male opponents, and who pits females of different generations against each other, shouldn’t be the first woman to be President.