April 13th: The People's Candidate

After months (ok, maybe years) of speculation and preparation, Hillary Clinton has finally announced her candidacy for President of the United States. In a video shared on social media on Sunday, Clinton featured many Americans of every age, gender, race, and sexual orientation, discussing the challenges and opportunities in their lives. Some face economic difficulties, some run small businesses, others are excited to finally get married. When Clinton finally takes to the camera, she acknowledges that she too has goals. She’s running for President.

The most pivotal quote from her speech was: “Everyday Americans need a champion. And I want to be that champion.” And she’s absolutely right. The American people need a champion who will look out for their best interests. A candidate who will tell them how it really is, rather than putting spin on every little statement. A candidate who will run on values and purpose, rather than a cutthroat campaign, with winning as the only goal.

A calculated launch of her campaign wasn’t necessarily the best foot to get started on. We all knew she was running. Why did she need to delay, to play games with the public until the timing was absolutely perfect? It is understandable to want to have control over the release of that information, but this presents a huge opportunity for Hillary to stop her political spin right out of the gate and to run a campaign that has the correct focus and dedication to what is truly important.

The last thing we need in America right now is an election wrought with politicking and manipulation. There are so many issues that divide us, and we need to know exactly who we are about to elect, so that we can choose a candidate that best serves our needs. The Democratic Party has frequently referenced that they do not want a “coronation,” an easy, single horse race for the Democratic nomination. My question is: why not? Why not pick a candidate, one good candidate, who can accurately reflect the views, opinions, and direction of her party, and allow her to stay true and honest to her platform, rather than struggling through the in-fighting of a tough primary season?

The Republicans sure won’t have that luxury. Ted Cruz, Rand Paul, and Marco Rubio are the first to throw their hat in the ring, and it doesn’t appear as though that will be the end of it. By the time we are ready to have a Republican primary debate, we might need to hire a carpenter to construct enough podiums. The Republicans will be beating the snot out of each other for months, trying to gain an advantage and to knock their opponent down a peg. Wouldn’t it be nice if the Democrats could have a civil, thoughtful primary campaign that focuses on the issues at hand?

Clinton has already set herself up to be the anti-Republican, especially against the religious right. Her opening video showed a pair of gay couples, and she referenced that “when families are strong, America is strong.” She is setting herself up to be the candidate of the people. Against a Republican party where half of the members have bigotry as their main platform, Hillary can rest easy, knowing that she is going to be the candidate of tolerance and compassion.

In fact, she isn’t speaking like a woman being crowned supreme leader at all. In her video, she specifically says “I hope to earn your vote.” Is that a political move on her part? Sure. That doesn’t mean it isn’t the case. Americans need a candidate who is willing to work hard to earn their votes on their own merit, rather than by bending over backward to say whatever it is that we need to hear to put herself in the Oval Office. This may be America’s opportunity for an election that avoids the political mudslinging and rather focuses on the issues at hand. We can only hope.

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