By Madeleine Freundlich, '17 Staff Writer
The people tweeting #WhyI’mnotvotingforHillary have many complaints about the presidential candidate, many of them accompanied by unflattering photographs, political cartoons and caricatures. Some complaints aired include: “Because she believes in dependency on government & not individual freedom!”; “Because I don't think helping your husband smear women he slept with for political gain is empowering of women,” and “Hillary has a long history of unethical behavior.”.
My skepticism about Hillary is not because of her values, character, or even her ability to get things done. I’m concerned that she doesn’t prioritize protection of the environment highly enough, and much more importantly, I’m worried that if she wins the Democratic primary, her Republican opponent will be able to beat her in November.
As a very open liberal and a registered Democrat, I find myself choosing the left over the right in nearly every election. But the fact of the matter is that Hillary has too many enemies to ensure that she is electable. There are far too many people who absolutely detest Hillary Clinton, stating there is “no chance” they would vote for her if elected. There are also people who oppose the presence of Bill Clinton in the White House, or have “Clinton Fatigue Syndrome”. And obviously, Republicans certainly don’t like Hillary. For these reasons, I think that a GOP candidate would not have a hard time beating Hillary, and I am worried about the direction this nation would move in with a Republican-controlled executive accompanying Congress.
While it seems unlikely right now, I sincerely hope that another viable candidate emerges from the Democrats. Barack Obama was nowhere near a household name before his presidential run, but ultimately, that did not set back his campaign. I believe that with the speed of modern media, a brand new face would be able to publicize his or her campaign very effectively, and I think that newcomer would genuinely have a better shot of winning.
However, if Hillary does win the nomination, I will vote for her in the general elections. In her campaign video, she acknowledges that middle and lower-class families are struggling economically. Furthermore, she does have an impressive amount of government experience. And if current Supreme Court Justices retire or die while in office, I am confident that Hillary would appoint individuals whose values align with mine. I am just fearful that she will not get the chance to do so, and that if a Republican candidate is up against her, they will easily win the election.