ENOUGH! MY *PATRIOTISM* TRUMPS PARTY LOYALTY!!! [View all]

[IdaBriggs]

This discussion thread was locked as off-topic by LostOne4Ever (a host of the 2016 Postmortem forum).

And yes, I am using ALL CAPS in that subject line, because I have SERIOUSLY had ENOUGH of the snide obnoxious comments coming from certain members of this board who don't want to have any SUBSTANTIVE discussions about HILLARY CLINTON'S JUDGMENT!!!

I am currently a Bernie supporter, but for three decades I have voted for Democratic presidential candidates. I am not stupid. I know Trump is a disaster-waiting-to-happen...

And Hillary Clinton's EPIC BAD DECISION MAKING scares me as much as Donald Trump!!!

She supported the Iraq War, and didn't hold the REPUBLICAN administration accountable for LYING us into it (despite that duty as "loyal opposition in a two party system&quot . She was on the wrong side of marriage equality. The policies she advocated and implemented while Secretary of State created more chaos and death world wide than doing nothing, and that doesn't include planetary environmental concerns created with her promoting "fracking" as a global export.

But it is the "email and private server" situation that has me saying ABSO-FUCKING-LUTELY NO!!! because it demonstrates the CORROSIVE EFFECT her personal beliefs and management style would have on the government transparency necessary for democracy in this country:

Per the spin, Hillary Clinton valued her PRIVACY and (maybe?) CONVENIENCE more than not only POSSIBLE dangers to NATIONAL SECURITY, but also FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT LAWS.

PRIVACY and CONVENIENCE: Those are not the actions of a person I am willing to make "Commander In Chief" of people who have agreed to put their LIVES IN DANGER in service to this country.

IGNORING RULES and COMPLIANCE WITH LAWS: Those are not the actions of a person I am willing to put in charge of the NSA, CIA, FBI and DOJ, where ETHICS AND INTEGRITY are absolute requirements.

THREATENING and IGNORING THOSE WHO SPEAK "TRUTH TO POWER": Those are not the actions of a person I am willing to put in charge of ANYBODY. When subject matter experts are ignored or people FEAR coming forward as whistleblowers or when protections like "Inspector General" positions are intentionally left vacant or when people who catch government officials in wrongdoing either end up in jail or have to flee the country, I want those issues FIXED, and I don't mean by silencing the reports - I mean FIXED so that the next people in line don't decide not to report problems.

LYING: Life is too short to spend time parsing the words of someone whose words can't be trusted. The willingness to sacrifice the loyalty of supporters because of a fear of TRANSPARENCY while avoiding PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY and obfuscating on issues is completely unacceptable. Every Hillary supporter on this board who believed her when she said she was "following the rules" and "everybody else had private servers" is owed an apology from her because believing her lies made them look like idiots.

SERVICE TO OTHERS: This is a Representative Democracy. The people we elect are there in service to others. The "Federal Records Act" and "FOIA" are intended to provide institutional knowledge and historical information. There is no question Hillary Clinton, for unknown personal reasons, was working to make sure the records she and her staff created were not part of that public record. That is a Red Flag they are doing something wrong. Obviously, one needs to double check "ignorance and stupidity" are not involved, but after that, "judgment, ethics and behavior" follow, and FAIL in those categories is written all over this episode.

The State Department is NOT a "PRIVATE BUSINESS" - it is a government department intended to benefit the entire country, and "we the people" are the owners. Every citizen in this country has a right to know what is going on there both currently and historically, with obvious caveats for diplomacy and national security temporarily in place. The same concerns apply to the office of President. Knowledge is Power, and Power in this country belongs to the People.

I am a Democrat, but I am a PATRIOTIC AMERICAN FIRST. I will ALWAYS put the NEEDS of my country over the WANTS of my party, and if "my party" wants me to do anything differently, I will bolt out of the room so fast, it will make your head spin, and then I will take any treasonous bastard who tries to enable such corruption of Democratic principles down as well.

We are currently in "Primary Season" and those of us raising these LEGITIMATE CONCERNS about whether or not ANY CANDIDATE should be allowed the HONOR AND PRIVILEGE of leading this country are doing our PATRIOTIC DUTY AS CITIZENS. It is my privilege to vote, my responsibility to be informed, and my duty to use good judgment.

Hillary or Bernie or Trump or Other: I am not going to support a candidate for President who can't be trusted to safeguard and protect the lives, rights and freedoms of our citizens, our country, and the principles of our democracy.

I am a Democrat. That is what Democrats DO.

And anybody who says differently can go perform inappropriate anatomical acts on themselves.