Jon Bear Journal: Why I'm Voting For Hillary Clinton

This coming Tuesday, November 8th will be the United States Presidential Election.  I am a registered Independent and I have been heavily politically invested as a viewer and reader for over a year now.  Therefore I have a much more intimate understanding and exposure to this years race then many Americans who tend not to follow the electoral race until much further along in the process.  For a lot of Americans this election is an election of discontent, apathy and fear, particularly from the most extreme sides of the electorate.

Like it or not the United States standing in the world means that our election has a ripple effect across the globe.  So not only should this race be important to American citizens but it should matter to people of other nations as well.  I realize that there are concerns about Hillary Clinton for a lot of voters.  I understand those concerns and I do not think they are entirely baseless.  I do however believe that they are overblown.  I think that there has been a demonization of Hillary Clinton.  I think that the demonization of here is largely driven by the mess that is the Republican Party in the United States today.  The Democratic Party used to be, for a few decades that party that did not have it's act together.  It still is a work in progress and is not as organized as it could be, but the Republican Party is splitting in my opinion.  I think that as a whole the American Public from a social standpoint is moving to the left.  From a fiscal standpoint is where a lot of traditional Republican voters still hold on to the Republican Party of Ronald Reagan.  I don't think anything is wrong with the voters whom still prescribe to things like small government, less taxes and the like.  It is not something that aligns with my own beliefs, but I can appreciate it.

The problem is that the Republican Party has been slower to move in its social views then the public has been.  As such it has gotten caught in the past, and the most extreme members of the Republican Party have gotten a strong foothold in the party because of it.  Those people are the people running the Donald Trump campaign.  The less extreme members of the party have become political eunuchs who are so afraid to yield control to the Democrats that have essentially lain waste to their own social standards and behavioral standards for political efficacy.  The thing that even many Republican voters do not seem to realize is that the people running the Donald Trump campaign (I bring up those in charge because I view Trump himself as nothing more then an easily manipulated puppet) hate one thing more then the Democratic Party... and that one thing is... the Republican Party.  The Trump campaign is actually being run as a Third Party IMO.

Now the idea of a third party is appealing to many Americans because the Democrats and Republicans have stone walled each other for so long and become so divisive in their rhetoric.  Donald Trumps "outsider" status is refreshing to many because it represents are departure from the status quo.  A status quo that many are tired of.  Hillary Clinton as a political lifer represents the status quo.

I can appreciate why people feel the way they do.  I just think the Donald Trump is the WRONG candidate to choose as an outsider to Washington.  I think he is the wrong candidate because he can be easily manipulated by others and the others who are pulling the puppet strings on Donald Trump are people from the "Alt Right".  A faction of people who function much more like Fascists then they do like Patriots. These are VERY VERY dangerous people.  It's seriously frightening.

Hillary Clinton has years of working together with both Republicans and Democrats to pass bi-partison legislation.  Many of the Republican members of Congress who have come out against her publicly during the electoral race are people who have complimented her and often times publicly stated how adept, knowledgable and dedicated she is to working at passing legislation with political compromise, a give and take, where both parties can take some satisfaction.

She has a plan to try and decrease taxes on the majority of working class Americans while increasing taxes on those who represent the top 10 percent.  She wants to have sensible gun legislation that allows people to enjoy their second amendment rights but also restrict access to the kinds of weapons that are used to commit mass murders in our country.  She wants to FIX the issues with the Affordable Care Act that are causing high rate and deductible increases this November.  A lot of people do not understand that.  They think she wants to keep the Affordable Care Act just as it is.  That is NOT the truth.  Whom ever gets elected President, Democrat or Republican, you can rest assured that there will be changes made to the Affordable Care Act.  It might be rough on families for a year or two here, but it will get fixed for the better.  She wants to protect the rights of people who are looking for a path to American citizenship and contributing positively to our communities, not throw them out of the country as Trump has suggested. She wants to increase the Federal Minimum Wage to a true Living Wage across the country.  $7.50 or whatever it is not is PITIFUL.  The effort to get the minimum wage to $15.00 Federally is extremely important and something the Democrats do a poor job of selling to the American people.  It's baffling to me how some of the people in our poorest states.  THE SAME PEOPLE WHO BENEFIT MOST from Democratic Party sponsored programs, like Welfare and Social Security, are often times the people who vote against their own interests and their families interests.  She wants equal pay for equal work for Woman and Minorities.  She wants to change the poor trade agreements that are causing many American Businesses to outsource their work to other countries.   The Obama administration already has one of the toughest stances on Immigration of any U.S. administration.  Terrorists DO NOT get into the United States... the ones who are here are born here, they don't come here from elsewhere.  It is extremely hard to get into this country without a thorough vetting of your past. She has a real plan for taking on and defeating ISIS.

I am your White Anglo Saxon Protestant.  I am the guy that the Trump campaign depends upon to rally and support their efforts.  How?  By making me think that America is not great, not great because our jobs are being taken away by people who don't look like me. The truth is that the policies are taking away your jobs, not the people.  Hillary realizes that there have been mistakes in some of these policies and they need to be changed.  They did not have the originally desired effect.  She has made some mistakes in her support of past trade agreements, but she acknowledges that.  The way to fix a mistake (and we all make them) is by being able to say you made a mistake and that you are willing to work to fix it. Donald Trump can not admit to any mistakes, so rest assured that when he makes one, and trust me he will, he will be far too short sighted and too conceited to admit responsibility and do anything to fix it.  No, in all likely hood he will compound the mistake and make it worse.  

I implore our American readers with all my heart to get out and Vote this coming November 8th.  I have tried to make my case for Hillary Clinton here.  I realize that there are people who will not agree with it.  I do not have any ill will towards people who choose to vote for Donald Trump. I get that they are frustrated and I get that they want change.  I just think that the Trump campaign is playing on that frustration and is not truly invested in their best interests.  If there are any undecided voters who are reading this, I hope that I might have been able to persuade you to vote for Hillary Clinton.  Most importantly vote though.  Make your voice heard.

I do not think that majority of Americans support the Alt Right movement.  I think a vote for Donald Trump is a vote for the Alt Right, and NOT a vote for the Republican Party.  If you wish to vote Republican, vote for a TRUE Republican in Evan Mcmullen.  Or write in Ted Cruz or Mitt Romney.

Or vote for Hillary Clinton as I will this November 8th.  I think she is going to make a good U.S. President if she is given the chance and if Congress does not look to try and Impeach her over some nonsensically manufactured controversy.  The F.B.I.'s recent partisan decisions are also scaring the living Bejesus out of me, but that's another story.

I'm With Her (image link)