By Gregory Federov
The Democratic Party’s nominee Hillary Clinton is not a newcomer to politics; she has served served as First Lady from 1993 to 2001, Senator of New York from 2001 to 2009, and Secretary of State from 2009 to 2013. Famed for her push to affordable care legislation as First Lady, Clinton’s supporters believe she is one of the most experienced members of the Democratic Party. They also find her appeal in being a more centrist candidate. Even her Vice-Presidential nominee, Tim Kaine, is a well known pro-life advocate. In the Democratic primaries, Clinton outlasted a surging Bernie Sanders after winning 55.2 percent of the popular vote to his 43.1 percent . Protests at The Democratic National Convention showed that many Sanders supporters have been reluctant to support Clinton.
Clinton’s road to the general election has been rocky. A CNN poll from earlier this year found that 68 percent of Americans think that Clinton isn’t honest and trustworthy. Three major bumps that negatively affected Clinton’s campaign are the email scandal, issues with her health, and her prior approval of military actions. The continued scrutiny of Hillary Clinton has encouraged many undecided voters to support Donald Trump as a lesser of two evils.
The media has heavily covered Clinton’s emails even though most of the legal issues have been sorted out. The conflict started in March 2015 after information was released stating that Clinton used a private email server for official government communications. Many officials and members of Congress have stated that Clinton’s use of private server compromised government security and violated federal regulations.
More recently, Clinton’s health has become a popular point of concern; a video emerged of Clinton stumbling out of a 9/11 memorial service. Her doctor later confirmed that the early exit was due to pneumonia. Her age is also a factor critics have pointed out. If elected, she would be 69 years old, which would tie her as the third oldest President at the time of inauguration with Ronald Reagan.
Clinton has also been criticized for her advocation of military force. In 2002, while she was Senator of New York, Clinton voted for the Iraq Resolution which authorized military actions in Iraq. As Secretary of State, Clinton advocated for the 2011 military intervention in Libya which removed President Muammar Gaddafi from power.
Following the debate on September 27, 2016, a CNN poll found that 62% of those who watched the debate said Clinton won. Many explained that Clinton did a better job of addressing the questions directly.
QUICK FACTS:
Education: Although Clinton’s position on Common core is unknown, she is against No Child Left Behind. Clinton, like Obama, want free community college under what she calls “New College Compact”.
Guns: Similar to most Democrats, Clinton wants to ban certain assault weapons and close loopholes. She has also proposed creating a stronger background check system and hold gun makers accountable in shooting crimes.
Healthcare: Healthcare was one of Clinton’s biggest priorities as First Lady, and as President, she wants to expand on The Affordable Care Act. She does not, however, agree with Sanders’ plan for universal healthcare. Instead, Clinton wants the government to intervene by being able to set insurance rates, and allow the government to block large health insurance price increases.
Immigration: Unlike Trump, Clinton’s view on immigration revolves around welcoming more immigrants. These actions would further Obama’s legacy by expanding on his plan for comprehensive immigration reform; the reform includes a plan for current undocumented immigrants to have a path to citizenship.
Jobs and Wages: Clinton’s plan for improving the economy revolves around a hike in federal spending. The $275 billion stimulus plan focuses on improvements to infrastructure; this should create more jobs. Clinton has also proposed a minimum wage of $12 an hour.
Social Issues: Clinton’s social views focus on women’s issues. Also, she believes in same-sex marriage. Clinton is pro-choice on abortion and believes in other programs such as paid family leave.
Taxes: Clinton is looking to further the graduated tax model by giving tax cuts to the middle class by increasing upper-income tax levels.
Trade: Although Bill Clinton, Hillary’s husband, brought the North American Free Trade Agreement in existence, Hillary has been opposed to large trade deals. She believes the Trans Pacific Partnership will do more harm than good for Americans.
