Can You Vote for Hillary Clinton With a Clear Conscience?
As America enters a presidential campaign season with serious implications, we need to engage in an honest, charitable conversation on Hillary Clinton's history and pursuit of the presidency. The stakes are high plus we also have a tendency to forget.
If you've seen the outstanding film, Woman in Gold, a riveting true story starring Academy award winner Helen Mirren as a Holocaust survivor, you'll recall her haunting words, "People forget – especially the young."
Millennials (18-30 year olds), will play a significant part in this election, but were basically children during the Clinton's previous time in the White House. Many view Bill as a kind of' cool Richard Gere-type dude, biting his lip and nodding approvingly in the background. Hillary is the younger Betty White-type grandma trying again.
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Most young people don't really know Bill and Hillary Clinton as probably the most controversial political couple in America's history. Sex scandals… Whitewater…aide Vince Foster's suicide… "slut-shaming" of female accusers.. "vast right wing conspiracy"… "What are you talking about?"
Paula Jones… Juanita Broaddrick… Kathleen Willey… Gennifer Flowers… Monica Lewinsky. "I've only heard of Monica - they said she was a "stalker" and Bill said he "did not have sex with that woman."
"Benghazi...what's that? She said it was a spontaneous reaction to some stupid anti-Muslim video."
"Hillary destroyed 30,000 emails? Big deal! She said it was personal stuff about family and yoga. I do that." (But you're not Secretary of State!)
Surveys show the number one reason why Millennials would vote for Hillary Clinton: "She's a woman!" Go to the "Campus Reform" site and watch interviews with students.
A More In-Depth, Unblemished Look
"Do not judge according to appearance but judge with righteous judgment" (John 7:24). - Jesus
Hillary Rodham Clinton is 67 years old and the wife of former President Bill Clinton. Raised in a Methodist Church she professes to be a Christian. She claimed she was named for the famous conqueror of Mount Everest, Sir Edmund Hillary, but later admitted it was untrue. She also stated her four grandparents were immigrants; it's really only one. She graduated from Wellesley college where she did her thesis on the radical socialist, Saul Alinsky, whose book, "Rules for Radicals" (dedicated to Lucifer) promoted manipulating the masses to achieve goals. She served as Obama's Secretary of State.
In 2008, Hillary presented herself as a strong, assertive leader but her presidential campaign failed. She's done a makeover to a motherly, down-to-earth neighbor who is approachable, warm and relatable. She struggles, especially with financial challenges. "When we left the White House we were not only dead broke but in debt." (A major portion of the debt came from her husband's legal fees defending himself in one of his sex scandals.) She later back-peddled, saying she "misspoke."
Hillary grew up in an affluent family and attended an exclusive private college (annually about $60,000 today). While Bill was governor of Arkansas, Hillary lived in a mansion and was chauffeured in limousines (she hasn't driven a car in 20 years!). Upon leaving the White House, Hillary's book advance was $8 million; as Secretary of State she drew $800,000; their financial disclosure for 2001–12 was $136.5 million (Washington Post); they have two lavish residences as well as income from investments, property, book royalties and speaking.
Arthur Schweizer, president of the Government Accountability Institute, explained in "Clinton Cash: The Untold Story of How and Why Foreign Governments and Businesses Helped Make Bill and Hillary Rich" (Harper Collins) how they've made millions. Bill's speeches brought in $104.9 million (Wash. Post). She also made millions, getting $300,000 from UCLA and $200,000 from University of Nevada to name two examples.
The Clintons have one child, Chelsea. She is married to a Wall Street investment banker and lives in a $10 million Manhattan condo. She was hired by NBC at $600,000 a year. Now she works for her parents' foundation that received $2 billion from 2001-2014. She's also paid for speeches - $75,000 for one on "Diarrhea in the 3rd World."
The Clinton Foundation is under scrutiny because of suspicious activity when Hillary was Secretary of State. Individuals and countries donated megabucks. Contracts, favors and access abounded. Emails were mysteriously deleted. "Newsweek" reports their largest individual donor allegedly had lucrative dealings with Iran during sanctions and her time in office. The Wall Street Journal described this: "Blurred Lines." Folks are asking, "Do we want to go around this Clinton controversy mountain again?"
A Craftily Choreographed Campaign
To establish her "common folk" image in her first week of campaigning, the former First Lady sat in a coffee shop, tried a commercial plane and rode in a van. Interacting with "normal" people (actually Democratic operatives carefully brought in and screened first), Mrs. Clinton later stopped at a fast-food restaurant, but neglected to leave a tip for the lady serving her burrito!
Two liberal analysts commented: "I don't think I've seen a more contrived – appearing campaign ever!" (Rick Unger on MSNBC); "She has gone too far in the opposite direction, presenting herself as a sweet docile granny... Sitting talking to average folks she looks like someone prepped to 'trap a husband' - listen a lot, nod a lot, widen your eyes and act fascinated with everything that's said." (Maureen Dowd-- New York Times).
"Champion for Average Americans"
Mrs. Clinton selected Robbie Mook to be her campaign manager, sending a message she wants to reach youth and gays. He is 35 years old and the first openly gay manager of a major presidential campaign. In her inaugural video announcement, she featured homosexuals celebrating their gay "marriage." After a parade of "average" Americans, Hillary declared she wants to be our "champion."
Mrs. Clinton wants to convince us we're not being treated fairly and she's going to help us. Income inequality has got to go! Time for "redistribution of wealth." The enemies are the upper 1% – the rich... the Republicans...Wall Street "fat cats"... those billionaire CEOs. She'll fix things and provide entitlements. She doesn't mention rich Democrats in the past like the Kennedys and FDR; wealthy politicians like Nancy Pelosi, John Kerry and Harry Reid; liberal CEOs like Tim Cook of Apple and Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook; and, she and Bill who have made tons of money from - guess who - the 1% she now attacks!
The New York Times recently told how Mrs. Clinton met with economists and pointed to a graph saying the economy needs a "toppling" of the wealthiest 1% (income of $8 million plus). Will her "war on the wealthy" mean attacking herself?
The newspaper also ran a scathing indictment of the Clinton's and their foundation on April 23, 2015 branding them as virtually the worst influence peddlers in history while helping Russia in its efforts to corner the uranium market! (The Clintons are also reworking sensitive tax documents in light of what's coming out.) This is shocking coming from the New York Times, the bastion of ultra-liberal journalism
Closing Considerations
A responsible Christian should pray, examine character, check the voting record and positions of the candidate plus study the history of the candidate. Consider some of Hillary's.
* Women - After an avalanche of criticism for their foundation receiving millions from Middle Eastern countries that repress women (Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates gave as much as $40 million to the Clinton Foundation since 2001), the Clintons abruptly changed their policy on receiving monies from them.
* Sanctity of human life - Hillary upholds unfettered abortion as women's "reproductive rights", up until the moment of birth. (Recent surveys show 80% of Americans are against third trimester abortions and God abhors the taking of innocent life.)
* Gay marriage - Mrs. Clinton's original position: "Marriage has got history, religious and moral content that goes back to the beginning of time. I think a marriage is as a marriage has always been between a man and a woman." She now supports "marriage equality" and "hopes the Supreme Court will come down on the side of same-sex couples being guaranteed that constitutional right."
* Education of children - In1996 Hillary's book "It Takes a Village" outlined her vision for raising children. On her first campaign trip she said, "Education is the most important non-family enterprise in the raising of the next generation." Christians believe education is the parents' responsibility, supplemented by the church, not government.
* Transparency and Accessibility to the Press - In the first stage of this presidential campaign season, the three Republican candidates engaged in 20 press interviews while Mrs. Clinton engaged in 0. She cited one word to deflect any attempts to get responses to questions about scandals and controversies in her life: "Distractions." Aides know she bristles at annoying questions so they want to control and shield her.
* Colleagues and Advisers - Besides her husband and daughter, Hilary has her closest advisor and "second daughter" as Human Abedin, wife of disgraced politician, Anthony Weiner. Her father has pro-Sharia ties to Islamist organizations including the Muslim Brotherhood.
Continuing the Clinton Legacy?
The statement quoted at the outset of this commentary was, "People forget – especially the young." I certainly won't forget the Clinton years in the White House, not just because I lived in DC but because of the constant scandals, controversies and embarrassment Americans experienced.
In America's history, only two US Presidents were impeached by our House of Representatives, Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton. Many younger Americans are ignorant of this fact.
As Christians we're called to forgive and be redemptive in our attitude towards others. This applies to former President Clinton as well as Hillary, who I commend for honoring her marriage vows.
We'll soon be faced with considering Hillary Clinton for President. The latest poll cites 54% of US voters say she is not honest or trustworthy. (Quinnipiac University national poll) We must ask: "Is Hillary trustworthy? Is she authentic? Is she competent? Does she have the wisdom, experience and character for the most important position on planet earth?
May we be a generation that looks heavenward, asking God to have mercy on us and enable us to retrace our steps back to the covenant of our forefathers. They envisioned America as a "city on a hill," honoring God and advancing the gospel of Jesus Christ.
