I shook Bill Clinton's hand on Sunday, November 4th, 2007, in the Student Union building on the University of Utah campus. I was not alone. My wife shook his hand as did hundreds of other people. That ended what was a truly remarkable experience for me.
I used to live in Arkansas and always thought that I would meet a Clinton there. When I moved out to Utah I had resigned myself to being perpetually surrounded by Republicans living out my life separated from "my people." Yeah, that's right, I'm a Democrat, get over it. (On a side note, I had to introduce myself to a class in diversity that I was taking to finish my Masters of Education and said I was a "western Democrat" which I defined as a liberal who owns guns... the most dangerous kind of liberal). So I was thrilled, as was my wife, to learn that Bill Clinton would swing through the state to fundraise for Hillary.
Many have spoken about how captivating a speaker he is. He is natural, comfortable, smart as hell, and a joy to listen to. So I won't get into that. What I will get into is how he convinced me to become a Hillary Clinton supporter in a year where I feel like our party has a deep bench and I have no problem voting for Hillary Barak Edwards. Namely, I'll strongly support whoever we nominate.
Here is why Hillary must be the next President of the United States:
1. The war in Iraq. Duh! And I know that everyone is going to try to end this mindless endeavor. But the issue is not when or how, but rather, how do we do it in such a way that civil war doesn't break out in Iraq and we can work on repairing our reputation in the region? To me the answer is simple, Hillary not only is well connected around the globe, she is experienced in being in the White House, etc. Besides that she's married to one of the best foreign diplomats we have. Additionally, you can't discount the people that another Clinton administration can bring in to work with her administration. As much as "change" sounds like a great idea, we need some status quo to get the job done of rebuilding all that has been destroyed by the current administration.
2. Our global reputation sucks. We need someone who can rebuild it and fast. Obama and Edwards may be able to do this. But I believe that Hillary can do it faster. See the explanation above. I also believe that Obama and Edwards are not as well connected and it would take them longer to accomplish their goals. However, I believe either one of them would make an excellent President as well.
3. It's the economy, stupid. When Bush #1 left office, the economy sucked. Then we had the Bill Clinton for 8 years and handed a strong economy, a budget surplus, and a peaceful nation to the current clowns. The Clintons know how to balance a budget, inspire the economy, and bring peace.
While some are fearful of a possibility of another 8 years of the Clintons, I have to ask just what the hell you're afraid of? Peace? A strong economy? A balanced budget? Good rapport with other nations?
