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Confessions of a Clintonite

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By Maria Machuca
Contributing Columnist

Sure, I have openly declared myself a Clintonite. I voted for Bill Clinton once, but I would have done it twice if I had been a citizen. I passionately spoke against the president’s impeachment. And though my support for the Clintons often translated into mere political heated arguments with friends and acquaintances, I’m proud to say I never walked away from a fight.
So it was no surprise that when the name of the former First Lady came up as a potential candidate for United States president back in 2002, she already had my vote.
What I didn’t anticipate, however, was to see two so-called “minorities” — senators Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama — fiercely competing to win the Democratic nomination.
And with the rich, white man candidate kind of out of the picture (sorry John Edwards), most political commentators are already labeling the 2008 Democratic primaries a race vs. gender election.
I guess they are right, in part.
As a Latino voter, having an African-American run for president could potentially result in a greater political representation of other minorities at the national level, as well. Now, as a woman, most studies show that regardless of our race, we are well behind our male counterparts when it comes to equal pay, positions of power and education.
Deciding between the two candidates was not easy. The pros and the cons tormented my mind. Perhaps race and gender have a lot to do with it, and again, nothing at the same time.
But notwithstanding my obvious bias for the Clintons, my conclusion is that voting for La Dama is like having the better of two worlds.
Gender:
Hillary didn’t always agree with her husband, and she wasn’t afraid to say it out loud and clear. Her critics often accused her of overstepping her boundaries as First Lady. Yet, according to public reports, she’s regarded as the most empowered presidential wife in American history, only rivaled by Eleanor Roosevelt.
Race:
Physically, Hillary looks like the female teachers who during my high school and college years went out of their way to help me learn English. She reminds me of the strong, determined white women who have opened the doors to management, business and education, and then have let others come in.
Gender:
Hillary, in a complex but not always predictable way, re-negotiated the views society had about womanhood. Her role as First Lady, attorney and mother was an inspiring and refreshing example of women of the 20th century. Hillary demonstrated that “women” do get hurt, cry and forgive.
Race:
After former President Bill Clinton’s very public infidelity and recent reports of Hispanic Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villarraigosa’s extra-marital affair, Obama’s skin color and ethnicity has nothing to do with my support for Hillary.
But Hillary Clinton, for many of us, is more than just an outspoken woman and victim of her husband’s insensitivity. She is the accomplished professional, the overachiever, the conservative and the liberal at the same time. But more than anything else, she is the most competent presidential candidate.
For many Hispanics, like Sonia Rodriguez, member of the United Farm Workers Union and married to its president Arturo Rodriguez, Clinton represents a familiar face and longtime supporter.
“I do think that Hispanics are more drawn to Hillary than Obama, not because Hispanics don’t want to vote for an African-American, but Hispanics have some comfort level for Hillary’s experience,” said Rodriguez, who finds Hillary’s very public family and political struggles truly inspiring.
“Of all the amazing things that happened to any American woman as the First Lady in our history, she survived it all. I think it’s an amazing story,” she said.