I think whoever sits in the Oval Office is damned if they do and damned if they don't. Every policy decision is picked apart and ridiculed by the party whose ox is being gored at the moment. I firmly believe that the myth of "trickle down" economics has been thoroughly debunked and if we expect to survive into the unforeseen future, we have to reclaim our economy from those squeezing the working classes the most. The huckster trying last night to sell more of the same as an "agent of change" won't fool a majority of Americans living with the struggles of a working class existence. Decrying the "status quo" while self-servingly trying to maintain a 40 year old and deeply flawed economic theory that has enabled himself to be enriched at the expense of others is comical on it face.
I believe that the media's desire to create the illusion of a horserace after it became apparent that the GOP did not have a credible candidate to offer, has spawned a very dangerous precedent that needs to be confronted vigorously. Hopefully the overt refocus on facts and actual policy positions that occurred last night will spare us in the future from an even more unstable, unqualified, reactionary, self-serving, cult of personality type candidate.
With the melting pot of interests, demographics, classes, religions, etc. present here, we simply aren't like any other country. The days of having the presumption of national unity beyond very symbolic gestures are long gone. We're an increasingly diverse and dynamic society that requires outreach to all of its various demographics. Overly simplistic and reactionary solutions to complex issues just won't cut it in the 21st century. The world is just too complicated.
To me, the main criteria is competence, experience, temperament, diligence and the ability to work with others. There just has to be an effort to reach out and do the people's work instead of just being lackeys for the top 1%.
I only see one candidate in this race possessing those characteristics. Her scandals and possible conflicts of interest pale in comparison to the other major party candidate, if you can even call him that.
Last night proved that aside from the media spectacle and promotion of his candidacy, there just isn't anything even remotely "presidential" there.
Much of the perception about Hillary Clinton has been built by highly organized and deep pocketed public relations companies called into action over 30 years ago by those opposed to progress. I blame much of it on a naive, overly idealistic man who thought he could bring an East Coast/Ivy League educated, liberal, smarty pants feminist with ambition into the deep south and expect her to just sit around at cotillions and tea parties.
I believe that the media's desire to create the illusion of a horserace after it became apparent that the GOP did not have a credible candidate to offer, has spawned a very dangerous precedent that needs to be confronted vigorously. Hopefully the overt refocus on facts and actual policy positions that occurred last night will spare us in the future from an even more unstable, unqualified, reactionary, self-serving, cult of personality type candidate.
With the melting pot of interests, demographics, classes, religions, etc. present here, we simply aren't like any other country. The days of having the presumption of national unity beyond very symbolic gestures are long gone. We're an increasingly diverse and dynamic society that requires outreach to all of its various demographics. Overly simplistic and reactionary solutions to complex issues just won't cut it in the 21st century. The world is just too complicated.
To me, the main criteria is competence, experience, temperament, diligence and the ability to work with others. There just has to be an effort to reach out and do the people's work instead of just being lackeys for the top 1%.
I only see one candidate in this race possessing those characteristics. Her scandals and possible conflicts of interest pale in comparison to the other major party candidate, if you can even call him that.
Last night proved that aside from the media spectacle and promotion of his candidacy, there just isn't anything even remotely "presidential" there.
Much of the perception about Hillary Clinton has been built by highly organized and deep pocketed public relations companies called into action over 30 years ago by those opposed to progress. I blame much of it on a naive, overly idealistic man who thought he could bring an East Coast/Ivy League educated, liberal, smarty pants feminist with ambition into the deep south and expect her to just sit around at cotillions and tea parties.
