Monday, January 28, 2008

...and here's another female endorsement NOT going to Hillary.

...and this does not really surprise me, especially given Hillary's initial comments about MLK/LBJ/JFK. Here's what Hillary said, with the parts relevant to this post italicized.
I would point to the fact that that Dr. King's dream began to be realized when President Johnson passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964, when he was able to get through Congress something that President Kennedy was hopeful to do. The president before had not even tried, but it took a president to get it done. That dream became a reality, the power of that dream became a reality in peoples lives because we had a president who said we are going to do it, and actually got it accomplished.
(emphasis added).

Caroline Kennedy endorsed Obama via an op-ed piece in Sunday's New York Times. Beside the fact that she is JFK's daughter, I find it most interesting that here is another woman who is not endorsing Hillary.

In my first post about Hillary's MLK/LBJ/JFK comments, I said the following:
Some people have opined that Hillary was comparing Obama to JFK--the president who, according to Hillary, only hoped to do something but never even tried. I believe such an interpretation is wrong, but even if it is correct, it still shows stupidity by Hillary. Whether still deserved or not, JFK is considered by many Democrats as the American political equivalent of a saint. So, if this interpretation is correct, Hillary just called the Democratic party icon a mere talker who did not actually do anything. Now there's a smooth move.
Maybe I'm wrong, but could it be possible that JFK's daughter took issue with Hillary's description? In any event, Caroline Kennedy's op-ed left little doubt about why she has chosen to endorse Obama. And whether her words also show why she is NOT supporting Hillary, I am going to use them to reiterate points I have been making.

Before showing the first excerpt from the op-ed, remember that in this post and this post I detailed how Hillary has shown--through her own words--that she thinks inspiration is overrated and unnecessary. With that in mind, consider these words from Caroline Kennedy:
My reasons are patriotic, political and personal, and the three are intertwined. All my life, people have told me that my father changed their lives, that they got involved in public service or politics because he asked them to. And the generation he inspired has passed that spirit on to its children. I meet young people who were born long after John F. Kennedy was president, yet who ask me how to live out his ideals.

Sometimes it takes a while to recognize that someone has a special ability to get us to believe in ourselves, to tie that belief to our highest ideals and imagine that together we can do great things. In those rare moments, when such a person comes along, we need to put aside our plans and reach for what we know is possible.

We have that kind of opportunity with Senator Obama.
(emphasis added). So, she thinks that inspiration is very important. That sounds to me like a direct shot at Hillary.

Try this on for size...
It isn’t that the other candidates are not experienced or knowledgeable. But this year, that may not be enough. We need a change in the leadership of this country — just as we did in 1960.
What has been the basis of and almost the exclusive theme of Hillary's campaign? Experience. And here is Caroline Kennedy specifically saying that experience is not enough. Part of what is needed is leadership that can inspire people. I have already suggested that Hillary is stressing experience over inspiration because she has nothing in the way of inspiration or hope to offer.

And though the op-ed does not specifically address Hillary, this excerpt gets to the core of why I am against Hillary:
Most of us would prefer to base our voting decision on policy differences. However, the candidates’ goals are similar. They have all laid out detailed plans on everything from strengthening our middle class to investing in early childhood education. So qualities of leadership, character and judgment play a larger role than usual.
Bingo. As I said on September 18, 2007,
Listen folks--this is not about focusing on one substantive issue while ignoring Hillary's other experience and abilities. This is about her personality and character.
*******
For me, this election is not just about issues. It is not just about specific plans for health care, taxes, foreign policy, etc. It is about who has the temperament, personality, and character to be an effective President at this time.
And every other post I have written about Hillary shows why I say she utterly lacks the necessary character to be President.

Caroline Kennedy concluded her op-ed with the following:
I have never had a president who inspired me the way people tell me that my father inspired them. But for the first time, I believe I have found the man who could be that president — not just for me, but for a new generation of Americans.
That's pretty strong stuff. And that conclusion is another reason why I think Hillary's stated marginalization of JFK as the President who only hoped and did not even try to do anything about civil rights might have cost her the support of Caroline Kennedy. Like I said, smooth move.

However, even if I am incorrect in that opinion, I think it is clear that Hillary simply does not comprehend the fact that we as a nation are in need of inspiration. Instead, Hillary truly believes she is right and everyone else is wrong, and thus her self-perceived experience is all this nation needs. That combination of arrogance and ignorance is most decidedly what we do NOT need in a President.

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