I'm With Her

I had a very interesting conversation tonight with a Navy Chief with whom I used to serve. She was running a meme on her Facebook page that read "I am more disturbed by what Hillary has done than what Donald has said." 

The problem is we are not merely talking about Donald's words-- ugly as they all too often are--but his actions. 

His trail of dirty business dealings over four decades is pretty well documented. He has stiffed company after company who provided products and services in good faith. His behaviors are unconscionable. 

The list of his misdeeds are well known, so forgive me if I do not cover them in great detail.

You can call Mrs. Clinton guarded; some would call her tactics questionable, and some would say she is an opportunist (show me a politician who is not), but there is absolutely no doubt that Trump's corruption is unparalleled. We cannot permit him the seat in the Oval Office.

I am still scratching my head that the Republicans couldn't come with someone better. It may be a fair assessment the Democrats could have done better as well (however, I believe Mrs. Clinton is eminently qualified to be President).

The chief mentioned how much the media loves Mrs. Clinton, something with which I vehemently disagree. Just two years ago, Mrs. Clinton, along with First Lady Obama, sat at the top of the most admired women's list. 

In that time, partially due to her lack of judgment regarding the usage of her email servers and yes, Benghazi, the press has done a pretty good job of putting her through the meat grinder. I find that the media has had a way of building up a candidate and then pulling out the rug.

Today, she polls hardly any better than Mr. Trump.

I will be the first to admit we have two troubling choices this election year. Mrs. Clinton has baggage. Mr. Trump, on the other hand, is wearing concrete boots.

I would have preferred Martin O'Mally and I know others would have preferred Bernie Sanders, but that is not how things played out. It appears we Americans like our drama laced with drama and that is what we got--in spades. 

Again, the Chief tried comparing Donald's tax woes to Clinton's, saying she is no different than Trump. She continued by denigrating the Clinton Foundation. 

Thing is, Mr. and Mrs. Clinton's tax returns are on public record, I believe more than 25 years worth. Trump's? Zilch. Donald recently stood before 84 million Americans and alluded that he is a "smart man" by not paying taxes, which, I guess, makes us average slobs pretty stupid.

The Clinton Foundation has done this world a great deal of good in many third world nations. Due to Clinton's commitments, HIV infections have greatly diminished in Africa and southeast Asia due to the foundation's efforts in getting life-saving drugs to the poor.

The Trump Foundation, in contrast, has been little more than a funnel for Donald's personal bank account, so much so, that in the past week more than 16 states have ordered the Trump Foundation to suspend operations due to questionable, if not illegal proceedings.

And Benghazi? I refuse to place blame for Benghazi at Mrs. Clinton's feet. When a child breaks your favorite vase, you don't blame anyone else but those who did it. The bloodthirsty animals who broke into the American compound are to blame for the carnage they unleashed and for the resulting deaths. 

If you would like to characterize it otherwise, fine. But think of this, if Mrs. Clinton was guilty of dereliction of duty as Secretary of State as the Republicans would like us to believe, where are the indictments? They spent more than eight million dollars trying to bring her down.

The Republicans dragged Hillary through the proverbial coals for more than three years. In the end, they could not find cause to charge nor arrest nor prosecute (but not from a lack of trying).

I don't know where the Chief had gotten the idea about our national debt doubling since President Obama took office, but considering that President Bush's Iraq-Afghan War was not paid for, is it any wonder our national debt has increased? 

From what I have found, the deficit has dropped dramatically and if the national debt is increasing, let's just say that is a fact of life that has existed ever since World War II. But oddly, I thought our conversation was about Clinton and Trump, not President Obama's administration. 

I have always found it amusing how when people have trouble defending their viewpoint, they resort to dragging in extraneous topics. It's called diversion. It's called deflecting the light. It's called changing the subject. I call it disingenuous. 

The Chief offered that Gary Johnson is her only viable choice for her vote. I would counter that neither Jill Stein and Gary Johnson are qualified to serve as president. 

Yes, I would rather we voters have two other candidates from which to choose, but that is not the cards we were dealt and to that, a large part of the blame falls at, we the voters, feet.

I offer this: When the current and last four former living Presidents have made it clear they oppose Donald Trump's election; when every major national newspaper (except for the well-regarded National Enquirer--yes folks, that was sarcasm) is endorsing Mrs. Clinton; when more than 30 high ranking Republicans just today announced they are voting for Mrs. Clinton; when Barbara Bush--and I am not certain, but I think Laura and their daughters have also lined up behind Mrs. Clinton as well, maybe a lot of people who harbor such ill-will toward her might want to examine their views. 

Or maybe, these aforementioned people cannot bring themselves to see a monster like Donald Trump elected. 

Here is a fact of life: we do not have to find our presidential candidates likable (it helps, but it is not prerequisite), but we DO have to find them qualified for the job.

While I respectfully give the Navy Chief her due, I totally disagree with her characterizations of Mrs. Clinton. In the end, however, what I cannot understand is how a Navy Chief, a female no less, can defend Trump's horrible behaviors which are completely contrary to the Navy Core Values we have espoused since the Navy began back in 1775.

No, Mrs. Clinton is not perfect, not by a long shot. Who is? But with 31 days out from the November election, our choices are Donald or Hillary. Personally, I find the choice pretty easy, if not a bit unsettling. 

To vote for Donald Trump is tantamount to turning your back on the Constitution, turning your back on veterans, and turning your back on this country's principles we have held dear for nearly three centuries.

No one who knows me will be surprised, but I'm with her.