Dear Senator Clinton, Please Step Down
This is a very hard letter for me to write, so please bear with me.
I'd like to ask you, with all due respect and humility, to step down as a Democratic candidate for president of the United States.
Please understand this is not because I believe you can not or should not lead this nation. Please understand that I find you qualified, capable, and worthy. Please also understand I want nothing more than to see a female as the leader of the free world. I would be pleased and honored if you were that female.
However I am finding, right or wrong, many citizens of this country seem to react to you on an emotional level. Emotional, not practical. They can't seem to see your record. They can't seem to see your policy. They just hear or read "Hillary" and venom or praise spews.
I thought that with your candidacy, would come reason. I thought that you would be able to get a fair shake by mainstream media, by voters, by sexists, and by soccer moms. I thought over time people would begin to see that you really are an effective politician.
I was wrong.
Tonight, I'm typing as I watch you speak in El Paso, Texas. I'm sad. There really is no other way to put it -- I'm sad.
I truly believed you would be the best person for the job, and I had this nagging thought in the back of my mind that is now at the forefront. The thought that drove me on Super Tuesday to Vote for Senator Obama and the thought that is the driving force as I write tonight: Senator Hillary Clinton divides this country.
It's not fair. It's not right. And under just about ANY other circumstance I would go to the mat for you. However we are a wounded and deeply divided nation. We are a nation at war. We are a nation at odds with each-other. It's ugly. I thought you could get people past it. I really did.
When I told myself it was gender that got people going, I refrained from asking and wanting you to step aside. Simply on principle, I wanted to see you run and win because they said it couldn't be done. Because it was my belief, this was all about being a girl.
It's not, and I was wrong.
I firmly believe while the gender issue has given you a handicap I hope we all one day overcome, it is NOT the reason people have a gut reaction to you or your campaign or your legacy.
Enter the Senator from Illinois, and what I think could be your true legacy. If you were to step aside now, shockingly early and shockingly un-Hillary-like, you could galvanize an entire nation behind your party. If you were to throw your weight, and your tremendous political clout behind Senator Obama you could still change the world and make your mark in a way no one would expect and everyone would admire.
I don't want to see you throw in the towel because the fight is too hard or the mountain too tall. I am asking you to throw it in because history is on the line. It is not the history either of us expected, however it is an equally important, momentous, earthshaking change in this country we sorely need.
Do something no one would ever expect. Do something extraordinary. Do something that changes politics as usual and changes history.
I could have never predicted having to chose between what my husband called "the lesser of two goods, not the lesser of two evils" when it came time to cast my vote.
It was agonizing.
But in the end, with no major policy difference and valid reasons on BOTH sides, I had to go with the candidate who I thought could best bring our nation back together. Who could cross party lines and gender lines and racial lines.
I wanted it to be you, but it's not. For some reason you still get people very riled up, and not in the good way.
There is no way around it-it sucks. But after 7 years of nothing but fighting and head shaking and feeling like we're living in two Americas, I can't do it again. Not even if my team is in office.
I really hate asking you to do this, but I want you to please step down and let this nation heal.
We've been too angry for too long and your history and your name brings a suitcase of anger to the White House front door.
With the full weight of the Clinton name, behind the scenes, your true legacy could be written. With the full weight of the Clinton know-how you could help orchestrate the next chapter in American history where an African-American leads our nation.
It is this time in history your nation needs you.
As nations go, ours has never been one to do things the way we predict. Who could have seen when we finally get our first, legitimate, female front runner we'd see our first, legitimate front runner of color?
Our nation and it's people need you to do what is best for this country. We need you to be true to what you say on the stump and bring us back together.
If you firmly believe that there is still time for you to change the hearts and minds of those rude and stubborn Americans who are voting with their gut when they see "Hillary" on the ballot-then please, prove me wrong. I'll be at the Democratic National Convention come August and I'll hold up my Hillary sign loud and proud and fall in line.
But I think you've tried. You tried with everything you had to overcome that Clinton-emotional reaction. Here we are, moving into Texas and Ohio and Pennsylvania-and it's not you winning over hearts and minds, it's the Senator from Illinois.
Let's end the division in this country now. Right now. Let's start with the Democratic Party early and provide a united front against the GOP months ahead of schedule.
Let's take back this country for the people, with you playing a much different role than you envisioned.
Make history. Make us one. Step down now.
Sincerely,
Erin Kotecki Vest
voter, mother, woman, feminist, writer, dreamer, and Hillary fan
Erin also blogs at Queen of Spain blog
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What a thoughtful post. She won't do it, but thank you for stating a great plan. A plan that would turn around her whole legacy. BUT, its too lofty for a Clinton to do the right thing.
This was a great article. I feel pretty much the same way. To be honest though I wouldn't absolve Clinton of all the responsibility for her divisive effect. I wouldn't have said that a month ago. A month ago I thought all the criticism about her being driven by ambition was just sexism and irrational Clinton hatred. However, in the past few weeks she has made many decisions and statements that almost seem like she's trying to reinforce all the stereotypes that the right has made up about her. E.g., trying to change the rules on the Michigan/Florida delegates, agreeing to go on Faux news, and most recently trying to get David Shuster fired. When Shuster first made his "pimping" comment I was right there with Ms. Clinton. I have a daughter about the same age as Chelsea and if someone said that about me my reaction would have been the same. But she couldn't just let it be and be happy with the suspension and get us focused back on talking about the real issues. No, she had to demand that Shuster be fired.
I have to say the more I see of Mrs. Clinton the more afraid I am of what she would do as president. Remember she would be inheriting the most powerful imperial presidency in the history of our republic. I have hope that constitutional lawyer Obama would reverse many of the precedents of the Bush WH. I fear that president Clinton might just pick up where Bush left off and act in a similar high handed imperial manner.
Good Post. I didn't realize she demanded Shuster be fired too. I thought it was extreme for him to get suspended. I am a father and I would do anything to protect my kids. But when you go into the public eye, you should expect that kind of thing. And if you are running to be the president you need to show some sort of restraint when it comes to name calling. If you can't handle a little name calling what can you handle.
I never heard that she wanted David Shuster fired...Bu
If any other civil servant in the public sector including yourself had made this comment about "pimpin" they would have been fired. The victim would have gone to the EEOC and had that individual hauled in for a hearing which most likely he would have resulted in an immediate dismissal. That is the point. He recieved special treatment because he worked for that particular news agency. Trust me,I know for a fact that under sexual harrassment laws this type of language is not tolerated under any circumstance and employees receive training specifically to remind them of every type of action or language which falls under sexual harrassment. Please, it is ludicrous that most of you have forgotten this.
I certainly would not wish for her to step down. She represents the real Democratic party.
And I am pulling for her all the way to knock the pundits on their tooshies once again.
Hillary is a fighter.
And you are an optimist in a way that not even us Obamaphiles can be accused of. She's in a sad, slow death spiral, and the only reason she should stay in now is to get enough donations to pay back her $5million loan.
Obama is the future. Hillary and McCain are the Past.
You aren't optimists, you're cultists. Any news that favors Obama you praise, any news that doesn't you trash. It's all about your hero. Optimism has nothing to do with it. That hope and change nonsense is about desperation, not optimism. Desperate people are ripe for the picking by would-be cult leaders.
Obama's future is 8 years from now. Not today. I for one fear how the republicans will pound a candidate who has 2 years experience, with 1 of those 2 out campaigning
I can tell you from living in NYC that Hillary Clinton has done alot of positives for woman and has been a great senator for New York. WE are talking about the first women to run for the President of the United States. Whether you agree with her or not this in itself is a big positive for women in general.
Let us go through the process we dont all necessarily want to vote for other candidate.
Hillary isn't the first woman to run for president. Check your history. Geraldine Ferraro, Pat Schroeder both ran for prez. Maybe Hillary's the first woman that actually had a chance of winning, but she isn't the first.
She is *not* the first woman to run for the presidency
Shirley Chilsom ran for president way before those other ladies.
I believe the best ticket for America is Clinton/Obama experience and inspiration.
I reject the idea that the hateful right media can take our best candidate away because of their disdain for her. She has done NOTHING to deserve that and we should not allow them to control our Future.
But she doesn't represent the "future", now does she? And there is no way Obama would accept her stain by becoming his running mate -- or allow his campaign to be stained by her by choosing her as his. No, her vaunted "experience" is what is costing her the race. She should go back to the Senate and become a Kennedy-like figure, a 20th century relic.
I think your a real cynic. Your one of those "Barack or nobody" democrats. Well for your sake I hope lots of Hillary supporters don't read your posts. I started out for Edwards and swung to her after he dropped out.
But after reading your post, I wonder how many people who see the Obama supporters "take it or leave it attitude" are simply going to say "I'll leave it, thanks" and watch the party go down in flames.
Be very careful what kind of game you play my friend. The supporters of Hillary , Edwards and Richardson might give you Obama supporters the finger like you've threatened everyone else with, and sit this one out...
it is people in the media that promoted the feel good hype behind mr Obama's campaign and please stop writing ariticles like this let the prcoess finish otherwise we could end up with more inexperience and more issues in this country
This is part of the political debate -- and the articles promoting Sen. Obama's "feel good" (read: optimistic and hopeful) campaign are merely reporting on the very real movement that has sprung up. If Hillary can't handle the election, how are we supposed to think she can handle running the country?
If Obama is crying about the Clinton machine, wait till he gets a whiff of what the republicans have in store for him. Whining doesn't win general elections.
I guess you missed the part that the *process* continuing will create serious devides in the democratic party..
I guess you missed the part that the *process* continuing will create serious divides in the democratic party..
This is a wonderful letter but you're right, it would be very un-Hillary-like to do such a thing.
She's the type that will fight to the death and doesn't care about the future of the democratic party or the nation as a whole.
HRC- 'it's all about me'.
I posted this 02/09:
"Hillary should, after Texas and Ohio and despite delegate count, withdraw from the race, citing party unity as her reason. She should further state that she will support Obama into and beyond November. What this would accomplish:
"1. It would get the party lined up behind the one candidate who can bring in the most new Democratic voters and who has the best chance to beat McCain.
"2. It would set her up as a goddess in the party. She would become the de facto party leader for the rest of her life.
"3. It would get rid of the weaknesses she brings to the November election, including: Bill; race baiting; and the huge anti-Hillary Republican turnout that will, in the end, relegate her to also-ran status."
I stand by my post, except that after Tuesday I believe she should step aside now. If handled well, she would come out of this the grand dame of the party. However, if she continues on and tries to use super delegates to take the nomination (assuming she does not regain the state delegate count - mathematically, almost impossible - and popular vote), she will come out looking like George W Bush circa 2000: an illegitimate winner.
If the pre-Tuesday voting trends stand and 2004 demographic turnout remains true (with a slight boost among African Americans, as has been the trend nationwide), she will need approximately 60% of the white vote here in Texas to break even with Obama statewide. Trending plus momentum make that a Herculean, if not impossible task.
Step aside now, and Hillary becomes more powerful. Stay in and try to steal the nomination, and she becomes less so.
First, Hillary will never step down. She cares more about winning than she does her own party. That's been made clear by her refusal to remove her name from the Michigan ballot and her push to have the delegates from Florida and Michigan seated.
Second, much of what I find wrong with Hillary is absolutely based on her record. She voted to give Bush the authority to invade Iraq without reading the NIE report first. She's not stupid. She knew Bush would invade. So she either voted yes because she was afraid of looking weak on national security or she really did want to invade Iraq. She also has a health care plan that mandates people buy into it, even if they can't afford it. Yesterday, she skipped voting on the Telecom Immunity bill even though she was in DC at the time. That shows she's afraid to make the tough choices. That's the pattern that emerges with Hillary. She's more worried about what's politically safe than what's right.
I'm sure there are people out there who will never vote for her because she's a woman just as I'm sure there are people who will never vote for Obama because he's black. But not me. She could be John Clinton and it wouldn't matter. What does turn me off is that she's played the gender card at various times in this campaign. I would love to see a female president in my lifetime. Just not Hillary Clinton. The big, and unjustified, fear about a woman in charge is that she won't be able to make the tough decisions. Hillary can't, but not because she's a woman. It's because she's like every other politician, calculating what's politically safe for her rather than doing what's right, even if it's not popular.
Oh and we are a nation at war. Part of why is Hillary Clinton. She still can't admit her vote for the war was a mistake. Do we want a president who can't admit their mistakes? Oh wait. We already have one.
What a nice collection of assumptions you've assembled. You sound just like Chris Matthews, all wind and no sails.
Ummm.. the iraq war; not voting for telecommunications when privacy issues needed her; not admitting she was wrong when John Edwards makes it a point to do so; having scandals behind her and her husbands name; not having as the first woman in the oval office one that tolerates a philanderer husband (it would be a bad symbol for many little girls to come); not having a candidate play to the polls (Hillary scrambled straight to El Paso Texas after the primaries. It is disgusting how Hillary is pimping latinos. She can nowhere else, so she scrambles to where the polls tell her to go. I guess she is the calculating type that will do whatever it takes to win)..
and not giving this to the republicans for the fall..
http://onl
These are not assumtions
Hillary can't comprehend reality. She didn't even acknowledge the potomoc results last night during her speech. Now, that's the 51st state denial!
You forgot the fact that she refuses to sign a statement to restore the constitution, see here:
http://www
Scary stuff.
I dodnt see any assumptions, just an analysys of Clinton's record, just like DennyCrane said.
Brilliant post, DC!
These FACTS (not assumptions, as the HillaryBot ascribes) and others, are what drove me away from her. I absolutely would vote for a PROGRESSIVE woman for president, or any other elected office. Heck, I worked for a woman candidate for congress in 2006. ( I'm a guy ).
I want the best, not an automaton spouting vague generalities and parsing their own record.
Generalities? What specifically has Senator Obama said about health care and the economy????
With respect to you, why would she ?
It is not appropriate on your part to suggest that, If you give up that easily you were not really Hillary`s true supporter, but a fair weather one like the so many of the voters.
Go and jump the ship when it is about to sink before it floats back again !
Um, that ship ain't floatin'. It's rolling over. The time to leave is now.
Erin,
You shouldn't speak for all races and genders. I'm an Asian-American man and I don't feel like Obama is reaching out to me. Just as you say gender may be a handicap for her, race is one for Obama and you should not forget that. Come November, there are going to be a large number of folks that voted for Obama who WILL change their votes. Not because they don't like him but because they'll think about trust and experience again (especially with the help of the Republican spin machine). Like it or not, with Obama in the race, the country has been divided again between black and white. Newsflash though: there are other colors and races in the US. Latinos and Asian make up a large percentage of Americans and from my side, even if they go with the "momentum", at the end of the day, us folks of color (whether it is warranted or not) will feel like we aren't even part of the vote process. This has almost exclusively happened because Obama has captured almost 90% + of the black vote everywhere. For other minorities (and some whites), that's seen as blind following (whether that's true or not). There are problems ahead for both candidates. Don't fool yourself to think Clinton is the only one that will be polarizing.
This country is home of muti racial and multi cultural people, and that is the unique part of it. It is not as simple as about Blacks and Whites , there are several shades of Greys and Yellows and Browns in it. But that is only the outside veneer.
At the end of the day, it is about issues.
For me Hillary answers my questions and Obama has remaied vague about what really matters. He has made so many reckless statements before, is what worries me now.
So for me , Hillary it is...
Aslo I have serious doubt about the writer who is calling her to quit before TX and OH.
I agree the writer shouldn't not publish ariticles about telling a candidate to quit
I don't. She makes a compelling point, and her advice should be well-considered. But Hillary doesn't take other people's advice, so the point is moot. She's burning up what little political captial she has left on a doomed campaign.
Hey, this is the Huffington Post, what do you expect them to say when it comes to Hillary Clinton?
Dear Erin,
It will be easier for most readers to react to your post than to consider your stated intent. For that matter, I'm sure you'll receive lots of posts telling you what your actual intentions were. Mind reading is a commonly practiced art in the blogosphere.
Regardless of whether we agree or disagree with your article it addresses two issues that are vital to Progressives. Winning back the White House and building a strong coalition of elected officials and citizens.
Both are necessary if we ever hope to recover the ideal of government actually working for the American people and abandoning the business as usual brand of divisive special interest funded politics.
I've supported Senator Clinton for many years. But willfully refusing to accept her as an incredibly polarizing figure in American politics is counterproductive to our goals.
Disapproval ratings of 44% to 48 % (Times, Gallup) are numbers that will not be ignored by the opposition and should not be ignored by us.
Senator Obama simply does not carry that baggage with him.
It is true that by pledging their support to Senator Obama at this stage in the Campaign the Clintons could forever cement an impression of themselves in the American psyche that defends all they have publicly stated they believe in and have fought for.
Politics being what it is, these ideas are dreams. But I respect you as a voter, mother, woman, feminist, writer, dreamer, and Hillary fan for publishing this piece.
He doesn't carry the baggage with him because he has won one one campign. The republicans will dig stuff up. Just don't be shocked about it.
I think a lot of Obama followers will be shocked that when its all said and done he will be just another politician
I do not support Hillary could never, will never. She voted for this war bush made out of lies without reading the parts of the NIE report that were classified or not classified. She voted for the war based on what she would look like when she ran for president. Not a thought to how many dead and maimed soldiers who would come out of this war because it looks as if she wanted to believe it would be as simple as going into Iraq grabbing the sadamm family father and sons and watching the flowers fly. She in all her inteligence must have never bothered to read any history about Iraq and the different sects and how the middle east treats invaders and people who occupy the countries. The soviets before us could have read like a play book.She has made so many other votes for this same reason. Then she would not has not appologized for this vote as she would have to say I just voted that way to show what I am made of so you would vote for me when I run for president. Also being a female to vote for someone beacuse she is female is insulting to both of us. To vote for someone because of her husband and the perceived wonderful economy her husband had will come back is just as insulting if you know we had the dot coms come to be when Bill was in the oval and it put us in the black. I came to the conclusion Hillary will do whatever it takes for her to become what she expected we would do when she decided to run maybe when she last lived in the white house the queen maybe as she expected it all to be handed over no fight, just her right to be there because of who she is. Just like the war vote she never factored in reality and that we United States citizens expect to vote and decide for ourselves and it just might not be to vote for her.
Did you vote for John Kerry in "04"? Stop repeating the republicans talking point and get some points of your own.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, criticize Hillary for ANYTHING and it's a "republican talking point". That's the kind of crap the Obama people are sick of. If it really resonated, don't you think she would be winning by now?
Yes Hillary, please step down. In a democracy the people should only have one candidate to vote for. The voters of Texas, Pennsylvania, and Ohio have not had their votes matter in past primaries. There's no reason they should get a choice this year. It was a sad day for this country when the primary wasn't decided before the vote in California. Let's not make the same mistake with the states that have not yet voted.
Quite an emotional, almost moving post here Erin. I would like to see you use this column and your feelings at this point in time as a reference point. Then once the nominee has been determined, write an honest follow up.
I'm hoping and praying it would be before the convention begins in which case your very high opinion of HRC probably won't change. But if the nomination has to be determined at the convention, even the most powerful rose-colored glasses won't hide the ugliness that will be revealed, regardless of who you support.
Campaigns are nasty, brutal things and it's unfortunate that the two Democratic campaign-machines are going to be turned on each other, beating each other up, giving delight and ammo to the Republicans.
Erin....Th
Now if only HRC would do it.
amazing? its complete Bullshit
i will never vote for Obama and the more hate you freaks spew the more I will drive more people to McCain
trendy Obama chumps
Remember like two weeks ago when the Clinton people were mad about Obama supporters threatening to vote McCain?
They got all self-righteous and indignant about it.
Funny.
Now THIS week it's all about "If Obama wins I will vote McCain!"
We prefer the term "winners". McCain has no chance. His only purpose is to be able to lose to the Democrats gracefully.
RileysMom,
These are the Biff, Tad and Muffy types who go with the latest trends not substance. They let Uncle Teddy, Paddy and Johnny lead them by the nose and vote for someone without hearing what they really say.
They shoved Kerry down our throats in 2004 and took us down the road to defeat. A lot of them are endorsing Obama for personal gain. If he wins great, if he loses, they can also show pictures next to him when trying to get African American votes when they face re election. I loved Bobby and John Kennedy but Teddy and his son are full of s**t...
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Posted February 12, 2008 | 10:19 PM (EST)