Contrary to the prevailing attitude of the country, there is more than one influential Democrat walking under our spacious sky. Don’t get me wrong, I supported Barack Obama as much as any 17 year old could without actually being able to vote for him, and he was certainly deserving of his party’s nomination and last night’s win. But truth be told, I was always more of a Hillary Clinton guy. I don’t know if it was her pantsuits or her policies, but sometime during her campaign she won me over. So now that Obama has been elected to lead our country into the future, it’s important to remember everything that Clinton has accomplished.
Clinton fought valiantly throughout the Democratic primaries and put “18 million cracks” in the glass ceiling that has stopped many women from even running. For this reason, she is among the most influential candidates in history. She has received wide praise for her efforts — Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi said it best: “Sen. Clinton has advanced the cause of women in government and her candidacy has been a very positive tonic for the country and had a very wholesome effect on the political process.”
After months of fighting and debating, Clinton bowed out of the race as the woman with the largest number of supporters in our country’s history, not to mention the second highest of any Democrat after the nominee himself. This shows the promise and determination Clinton possesses and the millions upon millions of hopes that were placed on her shoulders. It would be a shame if she didn’t give these people another fight.
Unfortunately, the strong and commanding voice for our nation says the chances of another run for the White House are slim. “Probably close to zero,” Clinton said when asked about running for president again. She also gave a similar answer to whether she would want to be nominated to the Supreme Court, saying: “I have no interest in doing that.” However, let me point out that “close to zero” does not mean “zero.” I can only hope that Clinton gives the matter further consideration.
While her White House aspirations seemed to have cooled, her aspirations to help the country are still red hot. “I’m not seeking any other position than to be the best senator from New York that I can be,” Clinton said on “Fox and Friends.”
Nevertheless, while I must respect her decision, I would like to express my hopes that the future will bring about another change in this New York senator. Her courage, voice and character are completely unique and what I feel our country will need in the future. She exemplifies the spirit of our country: never giving up and fighting for what you believe in.
Furthermore, all Clinton supporters, whether men or women, young or old, working class or not, should continue to back her. Under the new leadership of Obama, Clinton will have the opportunity to help our country in more far-reaching and long-lasting ways. By standing behind President Obama as he takes office, Clinton supporters are in turn standing behind the beliefs that were fundamental to her campaign. With the theatrics of this political year finally coming to an end, we all must do what we believe is right for the country. And with her position as a New York senator — she was re-elected in 2006 — Hillary Clinton says she looks forward to working in Congress with an Obama administration.
A senator now and, hopefully — it’s a small hope, but it still exists — a president in the future. I can live with that. Is it time for Hillary to hang up her now infamous pantsuits? I certainly don’t think so. In any case, I would like to be the one to jumpstart her next campaign.
Vote Hillary Rodham Clinton for president in 2016.
Matthew Shutler is an LSA freshman.