Sunday, April 12, 2015

Hillary Clinton: “When Families Flourish Communities and Nations Do as Well” ~ Bejing, China 1995



For the record, the process of the Democratic Party in a presidential election is to write a Democratic Platform that all Democrats will support over the following four years. Juxtaposed with the constraints of Congress, anyone who thinks any Democratic candidate is going to be radically different from any other Democratic candidate is mistaken. Democrats would be wise to accept that and back a candidate with a high probability of winning. As a result, I support Hillary -- if she's a go!

Having said that, I am not going to advocate for her here, really ~

I am just going to ask Democrats giver her the courtesy of doing their homework and I am going to add to that ask that she and all she has done and does be considered through the lens of what I believe I have learned about her over the years ~ 

She is a supporter of an American Value and Principle called: The Common Good, constitutionally codified as the General Welfare, who understands the personal is political in the context of the health and welfare of the nation which, of course, is us.

Then using your own informed judgment -- decide…

First, Hillary snip of her at the Fourth Women's Conference in Bejing, China, 1995:

Provided by the Clinton Presidential Library, the video is approximately 20 minutes, linked here .

Second, Hillary snip of her at an It Takes A Village interview on C-SPAN, 1966:

Provided by C-SPAN's Booknotes, the video is approximately 60 minutes,
 linked here.

Third,  fast forward to Hillary as United States Secretary of State, 2009:

 There has been some discussion as to just what Hillary did or did not accomplish as Secretary of State and there will be more of that so I am going to give you a copy of the text of the The 2010 Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review (QDDR): Leading Through Civilian Power document created under her leadership as an example of the foundation of her work in implementing President Obama's foreign policy here, followed by a more easy to digest video of  Dr. Anne Marie Slaughter, Director of Policy Planning at the U.S. Department of State, presenting key points of it.  


Dr. Slaughter snip of her discussing Hillary's QDDR, 2011:



Provided by Chatham House, the video is approximately 60 minutes, 
linked here.

And, last but not least fast forward to today and the new and updated epilogue to her latest book "Hard Choices":



As I read the epilogue, I was reminded of something I think about often -- how dedicated our public servants are and how badly they are treated by so many ... It's quite shameful. No matter what Hillary decides about the 2016 race, it is my hope that all Democrats will treat her with the respect all of our public servants deserve because, more often than not, it is love of country and/or love of her people that motivates them and not the bottom line and they deserve that.
We may not all agree with her and that's fine but the GOP will bring enough hate to the table and we shouldn't help them with that....

"Hillary Clinton
 'Hard Choices'; Former U.S. Secretary of State

A New Chapter

Posted: 04/10/2015 8:17 am EDT Updated: 04/10/2015 8:59 am EDT"

... I have always believed that every child should have the chance to live up to his or her God-given potential. That principle has animated my entire career, from my earliest days as a young attorney with the Children's Defense Fund straight through to my service in the Senate and as Secretary of State. Now that I'm a grandmother, I believe it even more passionately. Unfortunately, too few of the children born in the United States and around the world today will grow up with the same opportunities as Charlotte. You shouldn't have to be the granddaughter of a President or a Secretary of State to receive excellent health care, education, enrichment, and all the support and advantages that will one day lead to a good job and a successful life. That's what we want for all our kids. And this isn't just idealism. It's a recipe for broadly-shared prosperity and a healthy democracy. The notion of equal opportunity has been at the heart of the American experiment since the very beginning. It's part of what made the United States exceptional and it attracted generations of immigrants determined to work hard and provide their families with that same chance at success. I'm more convinced than ever that our future in the 21st century depends on our ability to ensure that a child born in the hills of Appalachia or the Mississippi Delta or the Rio Grande Valley grows up with the same shot at success that Charlotte will.

Becoming a grandmother has made me think deeply about the responsibility we all share as stewards of the world we inherit and will one day pass on. Rather than make me want to slow down, it has spurred me to speed up. As Margaret Mead said, children keep our imaginations fresh and our hearts young, and they drive us to work for a better future. I've also returned again and again to this question of universality - how much we all have in common even if the circumstances of our lives may be different. As you've seen throughout this book, one of the defining themes of my time as Secretary of State was our increasing global interdependence. Despite all the division and discord in the world, which sometimes can seem overwhelming, the basic fact of the 21st century is that we're more connected than ever. If the United States continues to lead the world in the years ahead, as I believe it can and must, it will be because we have learned how to define the terms of our interdependence to promote more cooperation and shared prosperity and less conflict and inequality. As we've seen since the first edition of this book was published in June 2014, the negative side of interdependence remains potent -- whether it was the spread of virulent new strands of extremism in the Middle East or old-style nationalism in Europe or a deadly epidemic in Africa. Our job is to build up the positive side. The United States and the other great democracies have to redouble our efforts to empower moderates and marginalize extremists everywhere, and to stand firmly and united in pursuit of a more just, free, and peaceful world. That's the world I want for Charlotte and for all our kids. ...  (Linked above.)

Or course there is much,much more material to be found on Hillary but it is my hope these snippets into her work will encourage you to pay very close attention as you are deciding if you think she should be the next President of the United States ~ or not ...



G., aka Partisan Democrat























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