The Pros And Cons Of Hillary Clinton

The 2016 Presidential Election is often referred to as a turning point in American politics. On one end, a businessman with a trail of scandals and an army of frenzied supporters despite his lack of experience holding public office. On the other, a former Secretary of State, Senator, and First Lady of the United States, with the potential to make history as the first female President—she would later lose her bid for office. Hillary Clinton’s defeat shocked the American public. On paper, she was the ideal candidate, spending her whole life in the political world not only during her own terms but also through her husband’s. Donald Trump was quite the opposite— unconventional does not even begin to describe his candidacy. Of course, practically

The Clintons’ image as one of the most powerful couples in American history was shattered, as their marriage was now tenuous and loveless. Hillary Clinton was highly criticized for staying with Bill even after he was so unfaithful. This backlash intensified when she, on top of remaining in this unhappy marriage, defended the President, stating that his affair with Lewinsky was not “an abuse of power” because “she was an adult” (Powell). Her statements of support provided an easy attack point for her opponents, even more than 20 years later during the 2016 Election. In 2015, for example, Trump’s response to allegations of sexism against Hillary Clinton and other female candidates was to describe Bill Clinton as “one of the great abusers in the world.” Of course, this “tremendous abuse” was unrelated to the topic at hand, but his argument was that he “had no choice” but to “hit her back” by reminding the public of how complacent she was in the situation (“Trump: Bill Clinton 'One of the Great Abusers'”). This refutation is exemplary of how her husband’s history made Hillary Clinton a target. She received such disapproval due to her personal involvement in the scandal, not because of any political ramifications, and certainly not as a result of her position as a Democrat. Leonard hyper-focuses on Clinton’s liberal views deterring Republican supporters, but completely overlooks how her history, independent from the Democratic Party, caused a decrease in support from both sides of the political spectrum and eventually led to her loss in the