With many people in the U.S. prepared to bomb the fictional land of Agrabah, plus a full-on conservative war against women, the Affordable Care Act under siege and a fragile economy, America needs Hillary Clinton to be the next president.
The former senator and secretary of state has her priorities straight. During Sunday night’s debate, she said that her first 100 days in office would be dedicated to promoting equal pay for women and men, increasing the minimum wage, and getting health care premiums down. By promoting the wealth and health of all Americans, these goals, if achieved, could have a profoundly positive impact on the nation’s economy and well-being.
Clinton also has detailed plans available for how she would lead America and where the money would come from to fund expanded or new services — raising the capital gains tax, closing credits for people who earn $250,000 or more, and raising taxes for the wealthy. Check them out at her campaign website.
What about Bernie?
I like a lot of what presidential candidate and Vermont senator Bernie Sanders has to say. He believes the big banks and hedge funds that are too big to fail need to be broken up into smaller businesses, a little of the old Teddy Roosevelt trust busting. And this makes me want to shout, Feel the Bern!
I also believe that if elected Sanders would produce meaningful campaign finance reform and put thicker barriers between corporate money and Washington influence. Removing big money from government is something just about every American wants to see and while many politicians say they are for reform, their war chests prove otherwise. Not Sanders. He’s rejected donations seeking to purchase his influence. He has no Super PAC.
This is the one thing that gives me pause about supporting Clinton over Sanders. I don’t get the sense that Sanders would rest until meaningful finance reform was reached, but I think Clinton would move on more quickly from this fight. On Sunday, Jan 17., during the Democratic debate Sanders said that nothing in America will be improved until we get Citizens v. United, the Supreme Court decision that led to the formulation of Super PACs and mountains of dark money in politics, tossed and campaign finance reform tackled. He’s right. No matter how advanced America becomes, if corporate money is allowed to keep its stranglehold on the government and our elections, inequality and injustice will flourish.
Sanders wants to go after the root of America’s problems: our messed up capitalist economic structure. He wants pharmaceutical companies to bear some responsibility for the opioid epidemic and big banks to pay for how they collapsed the economy in 2008. Listening to him debate gets me all fired up. I have a Bernie Sanders-Liz Warren dreamteam in my head in which the two join forces to free Americans from the yoke of this economy rigged for the rich. It could happen.
I’m with Sanders on many issues, but as soon as he starts in about the need to move to a single-payer health care system, in which the government provides insurance to all like they do in Canada, he loses me and my vote. I want a single-payer health care system. I think the health insurance system we have now, which forces citizens to enroll or face fines, is a big sloppy, wet kiss to insurance companies. But the Democrats tried to pass single-payer legislation when they had control of Congress and the presidency during Obama’s first term. They couldn’t get the votes together then. There’s no way they’d get them now. I don’t want a president tilting at windmills on the public dime.
But here’s my real problem with Sanders: He’s a straight, white man bent on revolution. He wants a revolution in campaign finance, in healthcare with a single payer plan, and in education with free college for all.
I love all these ideas, but one thing history has taught us time and again is that white, male revolution leaves behind women, people of color, and children. White men in charge have a history of drafting laws that benefit themselves and the people they know and assuming the effect will be the same on all members of society. Trickle down economics, anyone? How about the war on drugs and “Just Say No”? Restricted access to abortion, redlining, and no funding for gun violence research? These are all policies white guys drafted that didn’t take into account how anyone who faces bias, has a financial hardship or is from a different cultural background could be affected.
It’s time for a new kind of revolution. President Obama started it and Hilary Clinton can continue it. Having diverse commanders in chief will bring new ideas and fresh perspectives to Washington that are desperately needed, and rarely heard.
Clinton has the bona fides to be president. Is there any doubt Madame Secretary can handle the job? The fact that her competency is hurting her public image underlines the reasons America needs to elect her. Clinton wants immigration reform that includes a pathway to citizenship, equal pay for women and men, expansion of Obamacare to insure the 29 million people still without health insurance. She wants to raise the minimum wage to $15 and make sure students are graduating colleges and universities without debt.
Not everyone at the Advocate is with me on Clinton being the best pick for president. There’s plenty of room for debate ahead of the primaries, the first of which is held in Iowa on Feb. 1. Massachusetts’ primary will be held on March 1.
Sanders wants a revolution. I do, too. A real one. That’s why my vote will go to a smart, determined, strong woman who knows better than any straight, white man could that it’s hard out here without the “right” complexion and sex organs. Voting for Clinton is the revolution, a revolution of diversity and new ideas that America truly needs.•
Contact Kristin Palpini at editor@valleyadvocate.com.
