You don’t have to be straight to shoot straight.
I will start this off by saying that Hillary Clinton is not my choice for President. I think she is a very intelligent woman who goes out and get what she wants. She is a strong person and has the ability to be an effective leader. I wouldn’t want to cross her; that is for sure. So you may be asking “so what is the problem”?
My problem with her is twofold. First, I have a problem with people who move just so they can run for a particular office. Second, I think that she would bring out the conservative vote against her. The right wing absolutely hates this woman with a passion and I think that Hillary Clinton may be the only way a Democrat loses in 2008. I don’t see any Republican in the field that will be able to rile up the conservative base more than a Hillary for President bumper sticker will.
That being said, I really think she did a good job at the debate last night. I didn’t get to watch the first few minutes. However, what I did see made her look really good. The comment I thought was the wisest one was the comment on people who are gay serving in the military. She finished her statement by quoting conservative Barry Goldwater by saying “you don’t have to be straight to shoot straight”. Goldwater hit it right on the head and Hillary also did the same thing by bringing up that line.
Other comments about gays in the military where spot on as well. Our men and women who serve our country in Iraq are serving along the side of soldiers from other countries that don’t have our restrictive policies on who can serve. The fact that our soldiers can do an effective job not knowing that the people serving next to them from England might be gay proves that the ban on gays in the military is archaic and needs to be removed. And it is absolutely ridiculous that our military fired Arabic translators who happened to be gay when we had a shortage of translators to begin with. Anyone who believes those people should have been fired does not take national security seriously.
But Hillary, by using the quote of a conservative to back her point and to remind people that she used to be a “Goldwater Girl”, was very wise. Not only was it a very well placed line, but it also goes to show how far the Republican Party has moved from actual conservatism.
She has the lead in the polls and it is really her race to lose. Any other year, that would be a good thing. I think our country is ready for a female president and it would be a huge step in the history of our nation. However, with an aging court and the possibility of having another opening on the Supreme Court any time soon, it is absolutely vital that elect someone who won’t put a conservative judicial activist on the bench. We need to make sure that a Democrat wins and I think we have a better shot with other candidates than we do with her.
If she does get the nomination, I will be supportive of her. But if she does win the nomination, I hope I am wrong about the effect she will have on those conservative voters. I don’t want another 4 more years of suspended habeas corpus, erosion of individual freedoms, and a war that just won’t end.