Nancy Giles: When chicks rule
Commentary by "Sunday Morning" contributor Nancy Giles:
Full disclosure: I'm a registered Democrat. More full disclosure: I am all-in with my support of Hillary Clinton for President of the United States.
But between you, me, and the lamppost: First lady Michelle Obama? We gotta get you in the Presidential mix! Take whatever break you need, but know that I'm saving a seat for you. You are so smart, so classy, so diplomatic and just plain groovy -- so much so that (you might have heard) even Melania Trump gave you a shout-out in two very specific passages of her introductory convention speech (except for the fact that Melania forgot the "shout-out to you" part). Did you see that, Michelle? Do you think that was the GOP's attempt at African-American outreach? I'm just saying!
But I digress.
Hillary Clinton's experience, dedication, compassion, and work ethic simply can't be denied. As a student activist, community leader, first lady of Arkansas, first lady of the United States, United States Senator from the state of New York, as a tough presidential candidate, and then Secretary of State, Hillary worked. And worked. And I knew that, but I was still a bit ambivalent -- I was more excited about Elizabeth Warren, for starters. And it felt weird that a spouse was seeking the Presidency after the other spouse already was President, for two terms.
But then last October, after what was the 21st Congressional hearing on the Benghazi attack (to put this in perspective, Congress had 22 hearings on the original 9/11 attacks), I watched the former Secretary of State sit for 11 more hours of questions, accusations, innuendos and insults, and she just hung in there and dealt with each one, with the patience of Job. And then last month there were more Congressional hearings on Clinton's emails: Classified? Deleted? Improperly stored or shared? Did they originate from the proper server?
Was it worthy of this much time and expense and attention, with so many other important issues facing our country? Something in me snapped.
I watched the Democratic convention, and President Obama's description of his former rival and her tenacity in the primaries in 2008: "She was doing everything I was doing, but just like Ginger Rogers, it was backwards in heels." (And I, not good in heels at all, thought, "Yeah! That takes a lot of work!") And I was amazed that after winning the election the President asked -- and Hillary Clinton accepted -- the job of Secretary of State. She wanted to work, and was right there next to the President: listening, negotiating, dealing with complex international issues, searching for solutions and common ground.
In the end, it does "take a village" to get things accomplished, as she explained in her acceptance speech:
"None of us can raise a family, build a business, heal a community, or lift a country totally alone."
I think she's right, and that this country is stronger when we at least try to work together.
So, I'm with her. I'm all in for that woman to be President of these United States.
It's about time.
- Hillary Clinton's long march to the Democratic nomination
- How did Republicans react to Hillary Clinton's convention speech?
And led by Hillary Clinton, I want more women's voices heard, like the Mothers of the Movement, mothers who lost children from gun violence or police action. Watching those women fight through their tears and pain to stand in front of the convention and urge us all to get involved. Their words hit me like a ton of bricks.
As Lucia McBath said, Hillary Clinton "isn't afraid to sit at a table with grieving mothers and bear the full force of our anguish. ...
"She doesn't build walls around her heart. Not only did she listen to our problems, she invited us to become a part of the solution. And that's what we're going to do.
"We're going to keep building a future where police officers and communities of color work together in mutual respect to keep children ... safe. Because the majority of police officers are good people doing a good job. And we're going to keep using our voices and our votes to support leaders like Hillary Clinton who will help us protect one another so that this club of heartbroken mothers stops growing."
- "Mothers of the Movement" deliver emotional plea for Hillary Clinton
- Reaction to "Mothers of the Movement" and social justice at DNC
I'm a woman, and I want Hillary Clinton at the top of the ticket. I want this country's diversity to continue to spread from the top down. It is thrilling and gratifying and historic! Watching the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia I saw a room that would welcome someone who looks like me -- not a room that resembles a country club that could confuse me with the wait-staff if I was wearing the wrong color blouse.
I want to be hopeful, not afraid. And I keep coming back to what Michelle Obama said about Hillary Clinton earlier this week:
"I wake up every morning in a house that was built by slaves. And I watch my daughters, two beautiful, intelligent, black young women, playing with their dogs on the White House lawn. And because of Hillary Clinton, my daughters -- and all our sons and daughters -- now take for granted that a woman can be president of the United States."
Yeah. What Michelle said. This is history in the making. I'm with Hillary.
More commentaries from Nancy Giles:
- "Would you like a very, very, very long receipt?
- Nancy Giles to voters: Don't flunk the midterms
- Let's sue Congress!
- NFL's defense weak on domestic violence
- On when we assume
- Nancy Giles offers some support for bras
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