It is mind-boggling that some people will consider voting against their own best interest because of what they say is 'distrust' of Hillary. I know gay people who will vote for Trump knowing the party whose principles they claimed to support is gone. These few people are hopeless and not even worth trying to convince otherwise. They are willing to vote for the candidate running on the most anti-gay platform ever written. The candidate committed to nominating judges who will vote to take away any gains the LGBT community has made. Supporting a homophobic, xenophobic, sexist, racist, bully says as much about them as the candidate.
Those who I would like to understand better are represented by three young women interviewed by Nicole Wallace for the Today Show last Thursday morning. Three apparently very bright young women, moms, in North Carolina who said they watched the debate and thought Hillary did much better but had not yet made up their minds who to vote for.
One said Donald Trump's health care plan would destroy her ability to get insurance and take care of her child who has diabetes. She is a single mom and said Donald Trump has no idea what life is like for her living from paycheck to paycheck. Wallace asked her what there was about Hillary that she wouldn't commit her vote to her now. Her response was "she didn't quite 'trust' her" and mentioned her emails. She said she hoped to make up her mind before she had to vote but may only decide when actually casting her ballot.
Wallace should have asked her 'what impact Hillary Clinton's private email server had on her family and could any impact compare with losing her and her child's health insurance'? A good question would have been 'Is there anything about electing a highly qualified woman, one who has brought up her own child, and is now a grandmother, that resonates with her'?
Then I would like to question every millennial who says they may vote for a third Party candidate because they 'distrust' Hillary. It would be interesting to ask them how they have come to distrust Hillary so much. Was it 25 years and a billion dollars of Republican attacks? Was it the email server? Then I would ask them the same question, how Hillary's use of the private email server impacted your life?
It could be instructive to ask every millennial to make a list of the issues that concern them? What are their key issues? Is there anything Donald Trump says that meets the needs they have?
If they say they are voting for either Gary Johnson or Jill Stein I would ask if they know their platforms. Do they know the policies they have recommended? Without knowing for sure it would surprise me if most know where those candidates stand on most issues they care about. In many cases the candidates haven't said.
From listening to millennials I know I would want to ask if the candidate they intend to vote for has promised to work towards; making college free for some and debt free for others; lowering interest rates on student loans; raising the minimum wage; rebuilding the nation's infrastructure; toward universal healthcare; or fighting climate change?
This 'distrust' of Hillary has reached epic proportions but what is it really based on. Yes the current email issue is a self-inflicted one which took Hillary too long to apologize for. But she has now and the fact is her use of the private email server has never been shown to have hurt one individual or the nation in any way.
The old so-called 'scandals' which are really ancient history to most millennials; Whitewater, Travelgate, and even accusing her of murdering Vince Foster, have all been investigated and shown Hillary did nothing wrong. So I congratulate the Republican Party for so thoroughly smearing a decent person that now nearly 58% think she isn't trustworthy.
To women and millennials I ask again you take the time to think about all the issues important to you. Those that will impact your life and that of your friends and family. Make that list and check every item off for each candidate. I am 100% positive you will see only Hillary Clinton has worked on all the issues you care about. She has done so successfully in the past and has made a commitment to continue to work on them and has delineated clear policies to make progress.
Don't let some amorphous 'distrust' get you to vote against your own best interests. If you end up helping to elect Donald Trump you will live to regret it.