The most regrettable part of this election is that our first female president will not win against a worthy opponent, as Hillary Rodham Clinton is qualified to do. She, instead, is a part of a viscous and farcical election season where there are no other viable candidates any rational person could want. Secretary of State and former Senator Hillary Clinton will make a better president because of the unmatched years of political experience she has over Donald Trump. She has also garnered enormous personal experience from her years working in service of middle class and struggling children and families–a cause she truly believes in, as she was doing it long before she was in the public eye or stood to “gain” anything from it. At the same time, Trump has done everything possible to slight those beneath him just for his own personal benefit, such as not paying people he had contracted with to do jobs, and not paying income taxes. In addition, Senator Clinton has proved numerous times throughout this election that she will make for a better president once elected, due to her cooler head and professionalism compared to her opponent’s lack thereof, and her integrity in fighting for the underdog rather than demeaning and exploiting people such as women, those with disabilities and Mexicans like her opponent.
The unparalleled four and eight years Hillary has accumulated as both the Secretary of State and State Senator, respectively, has granted her the edge not just over Trump and his zero years of political experience, but most presidential candidates historically. This advantage is a result of the aggregated political knowledge she gained through her diverse high-level political experiences. Secretary Clinton, who married Bill Clinton in 1975, has a collective 16 years as First Lady, first of Arkansas and then of the United States, and has had much more exposure to a political lifestyle than Trump, a businessman and reality TV star, has had. Although this was the subject of a lot of criticism about the (Bill) Clinton White House, Hillary was well known to be among her husband’s closest advisors during his time as President. She spearheaded policy as First Lady, attempting through the Clinton health care plan of 1993 to achieve much of what “Obamacare” would later attain.
All longstanding politicians make errors at some time in their careers, and it is debatable as to whether or not every decisions made by Clinton was the best possible option, markedly her vote in 2002 in approval of the Iraq Resolution, giving President Bush the go ahead to go to war. Her vote was the principal reason she lost the Democratic nomination to Obama six years later and a major part of why eight years after that, Bernie Sanders hoped she’d again lose the same contest to him. Hillary has now stated multiple times her regret in approving the proposal. Yet, she has also justified her action at the time, claiming she voted the way she did in the interest of diplomacy, but that President Bush went back on his word, invading prematurely. Like most long-term politicians who have changed their views as American values have evolved and progressed, Clinton has been accused of flip-flopping; for example, in 2004, Senator Clinton stated that she believed “marriage is not just a bond, but a sacred bond between a man and a woman,” (Perticone). but in 2015 she vocalized her support for marriage equality, saying she is “proud to celebrate a historic victory for marriage equality–and the courage and determination of LGBT Americans who made it possible.” (Gilman). Most people can see that Clinton’s views evolved as the nation’s consciousness evolved: many Americans were against gay marriage a decade or two ago, whereas now the country overwhelmingly supports it. This can as easily be called “keeping an open mind” or “progress” as it can be called flip-flopping, and history books will likely indicate that Clinton ended up on the right side of this historic move towards marriage equality, and to hold fast to her original position would have been discriminatory in an outdated way.
The criticism over Clinton’s alleged flip-flopping is typical of the Right’s portrayal of her. Donald Trump and conservative America use her as their scapegoat whenever things have gone awry. Seen through the lens of the Right, Clinton’s 30 years of experience translates as her being to blame for ISIS; her single vote was the cause of the ill-advised Iraq war; her changing of opinion for the greater good of the LGBT community makes her unreliable. In reality, open-minded people who are committed to the greater good are capable of learning from their mistakes, and these flaws add on to Clinton’s experience, only making her a smarter candidate. Whether it be acknowledging her mistake in approving war with Iraq or supporting the marriage equality of LGBT Americans, Hillary has always grown in favor of progress and being on the right side of history, unlike many Republicans who remain entrenched in beliefs that the majority of Americans disagree with, such as trying to deny marriage rights to gay couples or denying a woman’s right to choose. Clinton has proven that she is not only capable of growth but that she is willing to examine her own views and shift them when they are not in the best interest of the American people or reflective of increased information and progress in human rights.
Hillary Clinton has been a lifelong public servant with the best interest of struggling and middle class children and families at the forefront of her values. In 1970, Clinton spent the summer working for Marian Wright Edelman, founder of the Children’s Defense Fund, and she returned to law school with a growing commitment toward helping poor and disadvantaged children. Their work led to a federal law assuring access to public school education for children with disabilities. Secretary Clinton spent nearly 20 years with them, remaining on the board until 1991, crediting the Children’s Defense Fund for helping her find the cause that would later become her life’s mission. In 1977, Hillary founded the Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families, a nonprofit advocacy organization that encourages public policy in Arkansas in benefit of children and their families. Even before her involvement in politics, she always worked in favor of disadvantaged youth and their families, thus demonstrating her sincere belief in this cause. Through the Clinton Foundation, she has worked to provide disaster relief following the Indian Ocean Earthquake and Hurricane Katrina, and the foundation has been extensively involved in Haiti both before and after the events of the 2010 earthquake. Clinton will do whatever it takes to support those struggling worldwide and does not confine her principles only to American citizens. Yet she and the Foundation have been criticized heavily for their lack of transparency, which can be a problematic quality in a presidential candidate. The George W. Bush Presidency lacked transparency and Barack Obama promised to change that but his administration has hardly been a model in this regard either; now, Hillary seems to also come up lacking in this regard. Anti-Clinton groups claim the foundation is nothing but a front for unethical and corrupt activity, which is clearly preposterous given all the good the foundation has done across the globe, but doing good does not mean that the Foundation has not also been guilty of unethical activities or secret-keeping. Clinton has been accused of capitalizing on the disadvantages of those in need to boost her popularity, but given the scope of her lifelong mission with children and families, there is little to indicate that her life’s passion is some kind of shame. Whatever errors in judgment she may have made in individual instances, Hillary Clinton has historically, time after time, devoted her professional life to helping others, which is certainly more than Donald Trump can say. Trump has donated the majority of his life to the acquisition of personal wealth, new wives, and celebrity appearances on TV.
One example of Clinton’s vital commitment to struggling families is her long-time advocacy of raising the minimum wage. She stated that she “will work as hard as I can to raise the minimum wage.” (CNN). Detractors claim that Clinton’s position on the minimum wage has wavered, as she formerly stated she wanted it federally raised to $12 an hour, but later joined the “Fight for 15” bandwagon. Her motives in wanting to raise the minimum wage yet further may indeed be an appeal to Senator Sanders’ followers, however this would only be an improvement for the better, as Clinton consistently shows herself capable of. Regardless of the specific dollar amount, she has still been a long-time advocate of raising the minimum wage, unlike her opponent Donald Trump, who said he’d support raising it to $10 an hour only after receiving scrutiny for his comments claiming it was already “too high”.
Lastly, Secretary Clinton will make for a better president due to the fact that once elected, she actually has the ability to take on the responsibilities necessary for running this country. Trump would prove a disastrous president for myriad reasons from his lack of experience, his hot head as exemplified by Twitter posts and his preposterous and borderline-treasonous comments about Putin and Russia, and his complete lack of empathy for the common American. Clinton has the experience–and then some–expected of a presidential candidate. Her political interest developed by the age of 13, and although she was canvassing for then-presidential-hopeful conservative Richard Nixon, she was already demonstrating a deep-seated attraction to politics. This is more than Trump can say for his political career that started when his campaign did: in June. While Clinton was working on the Children’s Defense Fund, Trump was getting sued by justice department for discrimination in his apartment buildings. While she was working to reform schools in Arkansas, he was borrowing money from his dad to start his self-serving businesses. While she was defending human rights as women’s rights and women’s rights as humans rights, he was name-calling a former Miss Universe, and while she was playing a critical role in the United States government’s triumphant elimination of Osama bin Laden, he was hosting the Celebrity Apprentice. Throughout all the incredible controversies, criticisms and investigations directed at Hillary and Bill Clinton, Hillary has remained poised. Critics argue that if elected, Hillary will become another cog in the political machine: the walking, talking definition of a political “prostitute,” controlled completely by special interests, private organizations and the parallel US government. This assumption is unfounded and illogical, as she has justified all of her political decisions and has reasoned her actions, and has proven herself to be as tenacious and determined in her own views and mission as any politician in history. Undeterred by her critics, Clinton has collected many admirers around the world for her staunch support for and commitment to women and children’s issues globally. She has clearly been driven by consistent goals and philosophies throughout her lifetime of service, above and beyond special interests or donors. Trump, on the other hand, has curious ties to Russia, and certainly seems to be a puppet of the NRA. He has also changed so many of his (previously progressive) views, such as on abortion and even in fact his one-time support of the Clintons (!), that the American people surely would have whiplash if they were paying attention. Trump seems more than game to take on any viewpoint that will help him advance personally.
If elected, Trump will run this country into the ground, as he has with his past business endeavors. He believes that belittling, assaulting and disparaging women makes him a bigger man, that everyone is either a “winner” or a “loser,” and that sarcastic quips are the solution to the world’s problems. He won’t commit to supporting the outcome of the election; he won’t condemn Vladimir Putin, and he won’t defend American democracy. Yet, he believes he has the potential to be President of the United States. Hillary believes “human rights are women’s rights, and women’s rights are human rights,” (Chozick). that everyone is equal, and that rational conversations are the most effective ones. She isn’t incited by Twitter comments; she doesn’t succumb to criticism and resort to juvenile displays of anger, and she doesn’t pathologically lie to garner the support of potential voters. Trump does not have the experience, mindset, dedication or ability to be the President of the United States. Hillary Clinton does: she has 30 years of experience; she has a level head towards her critics; she has positivity and optimism for our country; she has a lifelong dedication to public service; and she has the best interest of the American people, regardless of their sexual orientation, economic standing, ethnicity, gender, at the forefront of her values. The next four years will establish that Hillary Clinton is not only qualified to beat Donald Trump, which is a minor achievement (or should be in a less sexist culture), but also qualified to distinguish herself as a president who moves progressively forward and helps the less fortunate have opportunities that should be a part of the American Dream.