Hillary, Bernie, and Campaign 2016. Hate, Assumptions, and the Human Condition.
This isn’t an article about who you should or shouldn’t vote for. That’s up to you. This is an article about balance. About dignity. About opinions. About the future. About knowing what’s at stake. About remembering that you can still be friends with someone even if you disagree with them. It’s ok. It really is. You can agree to disagree. You don’t have to “win”. You can “discuss”. You can debate. You can hug. You can argue. You can admit that you have differences. What kind of world would this be if we all believed the same exact way anyway?
So why am I writing this? Because I’m tired. I’m tired of the hate and the Hillary bashing. I’m tired of it. I’m tired of others spinning facts to make Hillary look bad, when truly, she’s doing the best she can with what she’s got, no matter how much mud is slung her way. And so much of it is SPIN, leveraged by cleverly crafted sound bytes. There is so much spin and insinuation, I came up with a new word, inSPINuation. That’s what they’re doing. They’re inSPINuating. And it’s crossed the line. Not only of hatred and vitriol, but of a mob mentality culture. I would expect that from “the other side”, but what really bothers me is when I hear it from those who would likely support her if she is the candidate, yet are so quick to accuse. Yes, ask questions, but not everything is suspicious. Yes, I get the passion behind supporting Bernie, but what concerns me is the unnecessary bashing, assumptions, and being downright dismissive of Hillary’s skills, experience, and readiness. If Hillary is the candidate, we need to pull together on both sides of the democratic debate (and I would say the same thing about Bernie). My concern is that Bernie has cultivated a great divide. Based on the numbers, he will likely need to bring it back together. The question is, will he?
This is not to say that I don’t greatly believe and understand that a LOT needs to change in our political system, and I understand that Bernie is speaking to that. But I’m concerned that Bernie’s rhetoric is shortsighted and creating problems for the general election, resulting in a certain amount of his supporters who are so cemented to his campaign and his campaign only, that they may not move over to Hillary in the general. YES, this has happened before, as in 2008, but ultimately most did come around. This feels more divided though, and that’s why it’s so important that if Bernie concedes, that he compel his followers to support Hillary.
I was at the Democratic National Convention in Denver in 2008 when Hillary released her delegates to support Obama. That was no easy speech, and I was there to hear it. I was attending the convention and selling my handmade pins. I designed a pin that said, “Hillary Supporter for Obama”, so the Hillary camp could support Obama while still showing the world where their hearts were. It was one of my most popular pins ever. Hillary’s team saw the pins and invited me in to hear Hillary’s speech, which was truly heartfelt, truly humbling, and quite representative of the maturity of a candidate who knows and understands the importance of the bigger picture. There were only a few hundred people in that room and it was filled with the emotion and dignity appropriate for the day. I only hope that Bernie would do the same, and compel his supporters to support Hillary in the general election. This is crucial. And yes, should things go the other way, I think the evidence is there that Hillary indeed would to the same for Bernie.
I realize there are also those who bash Bernie, and I’m here to say I don’t like that either. BUT, clearly it’s way more in the other direction. My personal feeling about Bernie is that I like him just fine, I will support him immensely should he be the nominee, but I just don’t see how what he talks about will get done. Yes, who wouldn’t want free college tuition, and universal healthcare? But who will pay for it? Is free really free? If it were me, instead of promising the moon with free tuition, I’d be going after the question of why are college costs so high in the first place? The seemingly runaway train of skyrocketing college costs has had no limit in the last 30+ years and there appears to be no oversight. I don’t see an equitable outcome for the costs, so where is the money going? That’s something to investigate in my humble, (which the NY Times did last year) but I digress. I do like that there is newfound enthusiasm for the political process, especially among young voters, but I also believe there is much critical thinking to be done in the face of all Bernie is espousing, and Hillary too for that matter. Sure, Hillary has baggage. Guess what. Who doesn’t? She also has stood up against every dagger thrown her way and has come out strong and resilient. And I’m REALLY tired of people assuming they know who she is. Guess what. YOU DON’T. Walk a mile in her shoes. Go be Secretary of State for four years, US Senator for eight years, first lady for eight years, lawyer, mother, grandmother, and subject of the most intense scrutiny, and guess what? She’s standing TALL. That telling picture of her after 11 hours of Senate hearings said it all. She was unflappable.
THAT is who I want for my next president.
She DOES fight for us. She HAS fought for us. And she WILL fight for us.
She has the know how and knows how.
PART TWO
I love social media, but I’m tired of it fanning the flames of hatred. What I’m really REALLY tired of are the assumptions and the blatant decisions people make about disliking or HATING someone they don’t know without really knowing the person, the facts, or the reasons behind whatever it is that they THINK they know. Human nature being what it is, it’s easy to “hate” from afar, such as behind the windshield of a car, or on a Facebook wall. The interesting thing is that the platforms aren’t anonymous, yet people behave as if they are. What gets me is that if/when someone has the chance to meet their “nemesis” face to face, most crumble in the moment and don’t have the gall to say to their face what they’ve said repeatedly behind their back, often realizing by golly, there is actually a human being behind all of the assumptions. I dare to say the hater may have a wake up call and change their mind. I’ve seen it happen.
I have further thoughts on this topic that go past politicians and over to pop stars, media icons, actors and actresses, sports figures, and so on. Those who know me know I occasionally say, “I wonder what the sociologists will say about such and such years from now.” I often find myself wondering what they would think about human behavior that can so easily turn to a mob mentality.
This time I’m saying it about hate, assumptions, and the human condition. Why is it seemingly more common than ever before? The easy answer is social media, and the unprecedented ability for everyone and anyone to have their very own soapbox. But it’s not exclusive to social media. Think about conversations at a party, in a line at the grocery store, with your friends and family and coworkers. Yup, someone hated on someone, and it was likely directed at a pop artist or media icon, not to mention presidential candidates. People assume. They make stuff up. But guess what. They don’t know that person. SURPRISE! They really REALLY don’t know that person. They may not believe EVERYTHING they hear, but they can be quick to believe what is easy and what is convenient.
Take Taylor Swift for example. I personally love Taylor Swift and have great respect for her not only as a musician and songwriter, but also as a savvy businesswoman. And I won’t apologize for it. Why should I? Just because someone else THINKS they know her? Taylor wasn’t created by a record company, one of the many zillions of assumptions about her. She’s been singing and writing songs since she was a little girl. She begged her parents to take her to Nashville, and by 14 years old, the family relocated there. She began her music career that very year with her first development deal, and has been her own boss ever since. Meanwhile, she has haters. Why? Because they can. But Taylor is just fine. She’s found a beautiful way to deflect. She writes songs about it. As a fellow songwriter, that really hits home with me. With over one BILLION (with a B) views on YouTube, Taylor Swift’s “SHAKE IT OFF” pushes back in song and I hope she’s laughing all the way to the bank. In another tune inspired by real life tune, Taylor wrote an anthem that transitioned to an anti-bullying movement. The song “MEAN” sounds like it’s about a bully, and it is. It’s about a mean music critic who took what had been technical difficulties during a concert and twisted it with a negative review about Taylor. I could watch that video over and over again, imagining how many people it may have helped with Taylor’s message of empowerment and not being bullied.
She took it back. That’s what she did. Taking the words of hate, throwing it back and banking on helping many others to stand up against hate and bullying. Sure, a young, incredibly successful musician like Taylor certainly doesn’t need me to defend her, it’s just that I thoroughly respect who she is, where she is, and how she got there. And despite the haters, she’s risen above it all time and time again. Reminds me of Hillary. No matter how many times they knock her down, no matter what mud they try to sling, she rises above, and keeps going. THAT is the kind of person I want representing me and the United States around the world.
Someone who is incredibly resilient, smart, productive, tenacious, and PREPARED.
Don’t encourage the hate. Encourage the smart. We’re all in this together.
(Content © LisaBeth Weber. All rights reserved. Please contact LisaBeth for information.)
LisaBeth Weber is a Creative Communicator, Copywriter, Consultant, and Connector, who uses her skills in creativity and business to get the message out for her clients, from freelance writing, copywriting, and content marketing to social media, public relations, and public speaking. Her background as a professional musician and artist brings a unique perspective, skill set, and approach to her work, to the benefit of her clientele.
