Election 2016 Primer, 3 Up, 3 Down: Hillary Clinton

Special Note: This article is a collaborative effort by writers of The Havok Journal. 

Up: Hillary Clinton has deep political experience. First Lady of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and 1983 to 1992.  First Lady of the United States from 1993 to 2001, Senator from New York for eight years, Secretary of State from 2009 to 2013.  She’s an Ivy League law graduate who’s been an advocate for women’s rights, adoption rights, and a number of social causes.  Her husband may have been the 42nd President but she is accomplished in her own right.  That experience should not be ignored.

Up: Support for the Americans with Disabilities Act.  As of 2015 there were over 1500 veterans with major limb amputations from overseas contingency operations.  Over 30,000 more were classified with severe or moderate brain injuries.  Many of them are between 18 and 25 years old, meaning they have a lot of life left to live.  Meaningful employment without segregation and disability is a worthy cause to stand with, especially if you say you ”

Up: Adversarial stance on Chinese foreign policy.  China’s power in the world grows with each passing year.  Chinese cyber warfare and naval capabilities are key components to their rise. Read about the PRC’s increasingly hard-line approach in Hong Kong and you’ll remind yourself China is not to be handled with kid gloves.

Down: Her penchant for secrecy. She seems so excessively secret and paranoid that she very often causes the scandal which she is attempting to avoid. A lot of the trust problems people have with her are her own fault. Overcoming integrity issues —perceived or real— during the debates may prove a difficult task.

Down: Her overwhelming focus on her opposition candidate.  The 2016 election is unlike anything we’ve seen before, perhaps with a slight comparison to Barry Goldwater’s campaign in 1964.  When a Washington Post contributor and Tufts University PhD states the core statement of your foreign policy speech is “I’m an adult and therefore not Donald Trump,” you know you have a glaring perception and support problem.

Down: Benghazi.  No way around it, this issue, right or wrong, has infected her campaign.  The truth may never come out on this one. The U.S. State Department diplomatic compound in Libya was attacked on September 11, 2012, and United States Ambassador Christopher Stevens was killed along with three other Americans.  Libya remains a failed state.  Regardless of who becomes President, helping Libya back into stability will appropriately honor Ambassador Stevens’ legacy.

The views expressed here are the views of the individual writers.  They do not denote the official positions of The Havok Journal, the Department of Defense, or any public or private organization associated with the writers.