A Bee In My Bonnet...

I have always liked Hillary Clinton, and was ready for her to be the next president of the United States. She is a sharp woman, subject to the double-standard that maligns women for being able to do what it takes to thrive in a male-dominant environment. She holds her own and is deemed unfeminine and unlikable. I like her.

Before Barack Obama officially announced his candidacy, I had my fingers crossed, hoping that he wouldn't. I thought it was too soon for him--that he needed more political experience, and that we didn't know enough about him to be able to trust his judgement should a crisis arise. He announced his candidacy and I cringed. I was alternately told that I should vote for Obama because he is Black, and that I should vote for Clinton because she is a woman. I refused to do either on the strength of those reasons alone, because once the novelty wears off, we need to have a representative that has more to offer than a particular chromosomal makeup.

I waffled a lot before Super Tuesday, and only made a decision then because I HAD to. I looked at ALL the candidates, and it always came back to Clinton vs. Obama. I voted for Hillary Clinton, and felt about 75% sure of my decision.

Fast-forward a couple of months (not even), and the mudslinging is well underway. Some of it is to be expected, after all, it IS politics. But in sitting back and watching the fighting styles of both Clinton and Obama, one thing becomes increasingly clear: Hillary is swinging wildly, grasping at him, throwing whatever she can, red-faced, laboured breathing, she is holding on to the ropes for dear life. Barack appears to be dancing the two step, cool as a cucumber, scarcely breaking a sweat in situations that would have most of us running for the hills.

The Jeremiah Wright situation pissed me off. I heard those comments not long after 9/11, and they were given very little attention. Now they are everywhere, and people are calling for Obama to denounce his pastor. He did nothing of the sort. He denounced the statements, and gave a speech that turned the whole fiasco into a mission statement for race relations in the United States. Bill O'Reilly's comments regarding a potential "lynching party" against Michelle Obama underscore a need for this type of open and honest dialogue.
Obama has been slowly but surely winning me over.

The last straw came when Hillary claimed to have landed in Bosnia under sniper fire in 1996. Okay. She does a LOT of traveling, and I wanted to believe that she got her locales mixed up, but until I see footage showing that she landed somewhere else (anywhere else) under sniper fire and had to run with her head down, I will consider this a big ol' LIE. And this isn't a little one (yes there are little ones, and we all tell them from time to time), this is a tall tale. Let's put it this way: If I reported sniper fire where there was none, I'd be in biiiig trouble. I don't think the rules should be any less stringent for our presidential candidates. I don't expect perfection, but I do NOT expect this kind of nonsense. Children tell these kinds of tall tales, not responsible adults, and certainly not adults who want other people to trust them.

So I'm done with Hillary. And while I recognize that Barack is a human being as well, subject to the same follies and foibles as are we all, his message of hope and change speak louder to me than anything else I'm hearing right now. He may not have the longest track record, but, in implementing change, that could prove to be the greatest asset of all.

--Nicole J. Butler

Comments

[Lonni]

Great post! Very balanced. I usually skip the posts that are acting unrelated but you really said something.

I don't think White america has any idea how common the Jeremiah Wright sentiment is among older black men who lived through the 60's and remember very clearly jobs and housing they were told OUTRIGHT AND PLAINLY that they could NOT have and indignities they suffered REPEATEDLY!!!!! My father, uncles, grandparents, and a HOST of relatives included!!!!

I'm so used to it that when I heard the comments I was like "Whatever... what else is on?" This does not mean I agree with it but the idea that these men should be denounced and disowned peeves the living hell out of me! Are you suggesting I should have no one to turn to in hard times?

Barrack handled it extremely well and I was proud. Especially when he said, "I could no more disown him... than the entire Black community" YOU DAMN RIGHT!!!!

[Nicole J. Butler]

I think we are on the wings of a big change, and as artists, we will be remiss if we don't take notes and allow ourselves to formulate our thoughts and fully feel and express our feelings about the situation.