Up until recently, President Obama had avoided expressing his preference of a candidate in the 2016 primaries. However, according to an article dated 1/25/2016 in the New York Daily News by Adam Edelman, in ‘thinly veiled support’, he leaned toward Secretary Hillary Clinton as his candidate of choice as he showered her with accolades regarding her toughness, experience and readiness to handle the job. Since this is still football season and America is only weeks away from Super Bowl 50, I assume you will not mind if I apply a football metaphor to the president’s recent (apparent) decision to endorse Secretary Clinton. I will put it in the words of the fondly remembered Houston Oilers football coach, Bum Phillips; you gotta dance with the one who brung ya.
I don’t think that the president has anything against Bernie Sanders – who is a good person and statesman, but Senator Sanders is an Independent who caucuses with the Democrats and Secretary Clinton is a Democrat. In addition to that, Secretary Clinton and her husband former president Bill Clinton were very supportive of President Obama during his campaign for president in 2008 and again in 2012. Finally, I think that President Obama sincerely feels that Secretary Clinton stands a better chance of winning the general election than does Senator Sanders.
No matter whom the Democratic and Republican nominees turn out to be or who the next president will be, it is a problem for any serious voter to focus on what really needs to be done to make our country better and who is the best person for that job. It is a problem because of how many of the candidates are gently nudging voters to make a decision based on their darkest fears; some candidates are not gently nudging them but shamelessly shoving them to do so.
This is not just a disappointing situation but it is a freighting one. These are people who are competing to become the President of the United States of America. The President of the United States of America! A diverse nation that is replete with Americans of many different races, colors, creeds, and ethnic backgrounds. The winner of this contest will have to be the president of all of the people; not just the chosen few. A major facet of this person’s job will be to pull people together in a united bond as Americans, not separate them into separate and hateful competing groups.
Even if what these candidates are doing is only political posturing that raises questions as to whether they are worthy to fill this powerful position. America needs someone in this position who is presidential not someone who would put our country in harm’s way on a whim. As voters, we need to take a step back from the situation and seriously assess who and what it is that we are voting for.
Even if President Obama never openly endorses any candidate he has already covertly (kind of) given the nod to Secretary Clinton. He has reached out, taken her hand – and though he might not have looked long and deeply into her eyes when he did so, he has looked directly out into the crowd and said, you gotta dance with the one who brung ya. He endorsed her; at least, in my opinion he did: It’s the same thing.
Depending on your circle of friends and acquaintances, when the time comes for you to make your decision, you too might decide that you need to be covert. But the bottom line is, whether you are a covert, overt, or none of your business kind of person you should still take a step back and make a serious assessment of who it is and what it is that you are voting for.
I am of the opinion that none of us should vote based on his or her most base fears but, instead, vote based on our knowledge of the issues, how you want to see those issues addressed and who you believe will best address them to your satisfaction. But right now, especially if you are among those in the ‘none of your business’ category that I mentioned, my guess is that you are thinking that it’s none of my business who it is that you will vote for or what it is that you will be voting for. Even if that is what you are thinking this article should provide you with excellent food for thought. Now all you have to do is accept the challenge and make the assessment before you vote.
Eulus Dennis