Hillary Clinton is a pragmatist, not a capitalist. I’m writing this in response to some comments on Facebook. Those comments accuse her of spearheading America’s problem with unrestrained capitalism. They point to her support for Obama’s TPP and her highly-paid speeches to the banking industry as evidence that she’s part of America’s addiction to money and willingness to have it control nearly everything.
Note: I don’t know Hillary personally. For those who have negative thoughts about her and capitalism, I’m suggesting a different way of looking at her that still seems accurate, but has less problems .
Hillary opposed gay marriage, and then she was for it. She was for the Iraq war, and then was against it. She has compromised with Bernie on lots of issues. She has worked closely with President Obama, even though she wants changes.
Hillary is NOT an idealist. She’s a good woman and a politician. I use the term “woman” intentionally. Studies indicate that these feminine leadership virtues are desired by people:
- Expressive
- Plans for future
- Reasonable
- Loyal
- Flexible
- Patient
- Intuitive
- Collaborative
- Empathetic
- Vulnerable
Hillary Clinton changes with the times
Some accuse Hillary of flip-flopping. The three issues I’ve heard about are: The Iraq War, Gay Marriage, and Consumer Credit Protection. But in each of these issues, she changed her tune along with, or just ahead of, the American people and the prevailing ethos of the time. She learns and adapts, and these are good things.
Like Hillary, I was for gay unions, and wanted gay partners to have the same rights as spouses. I was only against gay marriage because it seemed unnecessarily upsetting to a majority of Americans. And I figured after 10-20 years of allowing civil unions and rights for gays, society would more easily take the next step.
Then America changed. More people realized their prejudice was based on superstition. Television and movies seemed to show more and more gays. And gays started being more vocal about their wanting to be married just like everyone else. We began accepting it. I realized my solution might not be as attractive as I thought. And then the courts weighed in on the side of allowing gay marriage. Most of America was ready, or almost ready.
Hillary and the Iraq War
Unlike Hillary, I was always against the Iraq War. But my closest advisor, my wife, is an accomplished student of history. She knew that Iraq was a powder keg. When Bush asked Congress for funds for a military build-up, I was conflicted. While it was a stupid idea to plunge Iraq into war, it was a brilliant idea to force Saddam to allow the inspectors full access to the country. And it worked! Soon after Congress granted the money, Saddam agreed.
But that wasn’t enough for Bush. He went to war anyway. The mistake was not in declaring war. The mistake was in trusting Bush. Even the war could have been successful. Saddam could have been deposed without disturbing his government. We could have worked with the Sunnis to keep their government running more openly and more peacefully with the West. Plus we could have worked to create a 10-20-year plan to create a true democracy. But Bush was committed to acting without thinking.
Still, Bush was supported hugely by the conservative half of American voters. And the Iraq War vote passed the House with 69% voting for it and the Senate with 77% support.
Hillary will do what’s right
Hillary Clinton wants what’s best for America. If America wants many of Bernie’s solutions, Hillary will not just deliver them, but she’ll do it in a way that reflects what America wants. We’ll make progress, but not as radically as Bernie might give us. That’s okay.
Hillary will be a great president. She’ll be an empathetic leader advocating for what The People want, plus a pragmatic and effective administrator. But only if we let her. If the right continues to demonize her, the next 4-8 years could easily continue today’s mess.
Mainly, we need to improve Congress. We need the Democrats and Republicans to represent their citizens, not just their parties. For that, we’ll need you to participate in PeopleCount.org. Please add your name to our announcement list.