Hillary's Dream

Hillary's Dream - By Alex Hammer

In a general sense, it is important to have a dream. As we know, dreams keep us truly (i.e. most fully) alive. They provide the spark and juice of life, keeping us motivated amongst the winds and tides of opposition that we all face in a challenging world.

But what about when dreams go amiss?

Dreams that reside on the back of driving personal ambition can be, potentially, dangerous when unchecked. Dangerous to anyone who "gets in the way" and ultimately self-defeating as well.

Human beings become pawns in an elaborate (and when thwarted even desperate) attempt to reach the goal in an ends justifies the means type of approach.

From where does this single minded win-at-all costs mentality and approach arise? Well, one can speculate. In Hillary' case, certainly she has waited considerable time - and sacrificed and endured much!! - to have an opportunity to now be so close to reaching her power dream. Certainly she is an individual of immense talent, intelligence, determination and drive. And within her ruthless pragmatism is, I believe, a refined and devoted idealism that provides the spark for her to wage such aggressive war.

But what is she becoming? And what are we becoming when we allow her to reach this point?

I am a Barack supporter but I do believe that he is somewhat naive. He is, to my mind, being run around the flagpole by Senator Clinton, and if he takes this same easygoing approach to our adversaries across the world, which, disturbingly, he has indicated a willingness to do, he could have his lunch handed to him.

Except that as our President it would be our lunch as well.

Why, too often in American politics, do we need to choose between a Jimmy Carter and a George Bush II? An ineffective idealist versus a cowboy diplomacy warmonger. Where is the happy medium in the toughness/let's get along dimension? (Why. also, in a separate question, do we need to choose between the ethics of Bill Clinton and Richard Nixon?)

Not that we haven't had some good Presidents overall.

Our freedoms for difference of will before we eventually (essentially) come together is what makes this country great and strong, and allows us to endure crises, including constitutional crises, that might have put less strong nations asunder. From the contested 2000 Presidential election ultimately decided by the Supreme Court to the Civil War (and you could easily, I'm sure, think of your own additional examples). Somehow this nation has had the bend but don't break type of composition that has allowed us to take discord and strife and still ultimately integrate it (sometimes more effectively than others) and move on.

In Hillary's case, we must not mistake toughness, including raw ambition, for strength. If we do then we will have learned essentially nothing from that similar general category of shortcoming (although not in the same manner expressed) of the take no prisoners (and do what you want and the ends justify the means also) approach of the current administration.

They say that one receives the government one deserves. Just as an alcoholic might in some cases need to hit rock bottom before meaningful life change is made, so we cannot collectively alter our path until our collective political will is - infused by a rebellion against suffering - enlightened and strong. And we need an alternative. At the level of the Presidency, we need an individual who is strong as opposed to tough. One who will go the full measure of needed opposition to that which needs to be opposed, but no further.

For Barack to show that type of strength he must take on Hillary more forcefully. He is not finishing the contest because he is allowing her to hang on. And now a portion of the tide is beginning to swing back in her favor (power, and the world, abhors a leadership vacuum). The American people have essentially (but not definitively yet) spoken in the Democratic Presidential primary. But something is missing.

A closer.

Barack is a visionary, but he is 10% too optimistic and 10% unrealistic. Time for Barack Obama to tell the American people what they already know and are (I believe) waiting to hear from him if he is capable.

Hillary's dream is rapidly descending into our national nightmare.

Alex Hammer was a 2006 Independent candidate for Governor of Maine. His recently released book, This Great State, researches the political careers, activities and influence of prominent Maine politicians such as William Cohen, John Baldacci, Susan Collins, and George Mitchell.

Sphere: Related Content