Indeed, one can worry about seeing the Clintons back in the White House for far more reasons than Bill’s roving hands or Hillary’s penchant for imposing big government solutions. The Democrats have shifted substantially further to the left over the past seven partisan years than they were during Bill’s tenure. And they come with the Clinton presidential package, too. If people want bigger government and higher taxes, the Democrats, including Hillary, are prepared to provide that.
But the Republicans haven’t proved much better about the size of government if you tote up the spending on their watch (though they were at least better on taxation and regulation, thereby sustaining the economy over the past seven years). As we come down to ‘08 and the choosing of a new American president, we’re going to have to weigh a great many things. None of the candidates, on either side of the ledger, is perfect. But whom we vote for should be driven by more than our petty dislikes or partisan affiliations. We need to look at the world at large and consider where we’re headed.
The senator from New York offers a return to the Clinton years when everything looked calm on the surface but was roiling underneath. On the Republican side, no one has undertaken to share the Bush legacy (he’s too widely reviled by the punditocracy for that). But his policies have not only kept the economy pumping, they’ve kept us safe in the wake of 9/11, when no one ever thought we’d be safe again.
Despite Osama bin Laden’s continuing threats, broadcast from the remotest regions on the Pakistani-Afghan border, the Bush administration’s vigilance and commitment to safeguarding our shores has paid dividends. While we can never afford to let our guard down again, putting it up and keeping it that way has taken courage and vision by an administration faced with an unprecedented campaign to smear its intentions and personal reputations.
The next president, whoever he or she is, will first and foremost have to carry on the Bush legacy of keeping this country safe. The only way you can do that is by taking the battle to those who would destroy us. Will Hillary Clinton be the person to do that job or would we be better off with a Giuliani or a Romney or one of the other GOP hopefuls?
The next election promises to be a critical one, with our choices more unorthodox than ever before. But we have to choose based on what the country needs, not on old grudges or hatreds. Do we want to turn back the clock to another Clinton presidency or turn it forward by choosing a feisty ex-mayor as yet untested on international matters or a businessman turned governor, or one of the many others?
There’s quite a bit riding on this one. It’s a good thing there’s still time to do some serious thinking.