Hillary and the Man in the Arena

From the standpoint of one who voted for and endorsed Barack Obama over Hillary Clinton, there seems to be a question hanging in the air. How could someone who opposed the Clintonian dynasty support Hillary’s bid for the Presidency? Isn’t it a bit hypocritical? Or at least inconsistent with the view previously taken?

This is true for many supporters of Obama. Some on the left cannot support her bid for President.They see many of her acknowledged flaws and conclude she cannot be a viable option. My view comes from watching her over the course of the past eight years, four as the Secretary of State within this Administration.

And having watched the two debate in 2008- Obama vs. Hillary- there can be little question that the divide that separates them on most issues is a small one. Theirs is a centrist left view of the world. On Foreign Policy, I daresay that Hillary would never have worked for Obama had she held wildly opposing views from his own world view.

But the thing that clinches the deal for me is her actions above the rhetoric. So many politicians may say something, but until they back it up with actions, one can never be sure. In her case, she lost the nomination narrowly. Then, with good humor and grace, she worked tirelessly to elect Obama.

It takes guts for her, and for Howard Dean and John Kerry, all losing nominees in the primaries and in the General Election, to concede defeat and continue to work for the greater good of the Democratic cause. That is the deal-clincher. Teddy Roosevelt, one of those leaders that can still inspire devotion, said it best.

            “It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who  knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

Hillary is the man in the arena. Love her or hate her, she will never be among those timid souls who choose to give in to failure. She may be marred by dust, but she will always dare to try. For that reason, she is my choice.