Well Hillary has finally gotten her true “first.” Secretary Clinton is the first woman to ever be the presidential nominee of one of the two major political parties in America. While Clinton has had an accomplished career, she never had her true first. Sure Hillary was the first first lady to be elected to the Senate, but that was a mouthful and other women had been elected to the Senate long before her.
Why are firsts important? They usually usher in a new state of the world; a change in perceptions. Barack Obama winning the nomination in 2008 was historic. Winning the presidential election in November cemented Obama as one of the most famous presidents ever. Just like Kennedy when he became the first Catholic president.
Hillary should be proud and celebratory, but there is still the ultimate prize; the presidency itself. While one glass ceiling has been broken, Hillary knows that the ultimate one remains, a woman leading the United States. The only thing standing in her way is Donald Trump. While many of you may say don’t be ridiculous, I say not so fast.
Trump’s scapegoating rhetoric has appealed to the baser instincts of those in America who have been left behind in the global economy. Many are looking for someone to blame. That’s why the wall on the U.S. southern border is so appealing. Keep out the Mexicans who are stealing our jobs. Or stop free trade agreements, they are the reason Maytag shut down the plant in our town.
For Hillary to break the final glass ceiling in America, she needs to take these frustrations of mainly white blue collar men seriously. Are these folks in mining and manufacturing simply going to be a lost generation or will she have a solution? No small task.
Hillary can’t simply hope that Donald steps on it. He has done it countless times and his supporters really seem not to care. Donald is not the Teflon candidate, he seems to be one of those newfangled titanium pans in which you can scramble eggs with a mixer and not damage the pan.
So we all need to vote in November. Maybe we will make history again.
Stampp Corbin
Publisher
San Diego LGBT Weekly
