Saturday, June 28, 2008

Not a laughing matter - Hillary Clinton's Presidential Candidacy

I recently spoke with my 81 year old father who asked me how I was doing.

I told him I was disappointed that we would not have a female president for the next four years.

My father laughed.

I do not feel that was an appropriate response. It was disrespectful. It was unsympathetic. It was tasteless.

My father is supporting John McCain. I respect my father's right to vote for the candidate that he feels will be best.

If and when John McCain loses the presidential election, I am sure my father will be disappointed. When we talk again after that event, my father might express his disappointment that a fine and noble man who served his country honorably in Viet Nam and was a POW for more than five years will not become president.

I will not laugh at that. I will say that, yes, it is disappointing that someone who suffered so much for his country was not judged by the majority of Americans to be the best person to be president.

I respect John McCain. I respect his contribution to his country. I respect his patriotism. It is my personal judgment that he is not the right person to be president of the U.S. But I will not laugh at those who think he is.

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