It's been an interesting election season, to say the least. I don't know that we've ever had two candidates who were so widely disliked among the United States population. I'll admit that neither candidate is perfect, but then again, to quote the Hannah Montana song (this seems relevant since our pop culture and political worlds seem to be aligning), nobody's perfect. Not you, not me, not Hillary Clinton, not Donald Trump.
Trump has revealed his flaws, and Clinton has revealed some of hers, but what really bothers me is when people say they don't know which is worse -- that Clinton is "just as bad" as Trump. That just isn't the case. And here's why...
1. She doesn't insult people on a daily basis.
Here are some of Trump's insults that The New York Times documented within a two-month time span this summer:
He called Martin O'Malley "a clown," and referred to Bernie Sanders as a "wacko." Not only that, he asked, "Did Bernie go home and go to sleep?" (blatant ageism). He called Debbie Wasserman Schultz "highly neurotic," and has repeated over and over again that Megyn Kelly is "crazy." These are two instances of clear sexism. When are men ever called neurotic or crazy? And according to Trump, Willie Geist is "uncomfortable looking," Arianna Huffington is "a dummy," and Anderson Cooper is "a waste."
For these quotes and more, click here.
2. She admits when she's wrong.
That being said, Hillary Clinton also makes mistakes, though hers are usually not belligerent or an effort to hurt people. In the first presidential debate, when Clinton was asked about her email controversy, she responded, "I made a mistake using a private email... I'm not going to make any excuses. It was a mistake, and I take responsibility for that."
Meanwhile, when Trump was asked about many of the controversial comments that he has said in the media, he denied almost all of it. An example is when Clinton voiced that Trump believes climate change is a hoax. Trump replied, "I did not -- I did not say that," when in fact, he did say that on December 30, 2015, according to National Public Radio's lead political editor, Domenico Montanaro. Not only that but when Lester Holt asked Trump about his inappropriate comment about Clinton not having a "presidential look," he backpedaled and tried to claim that he had meant she doesn't have the stamina to be president.
I don't know about you, but I prefer a mature adult who is willing to apologize and admit to mistakes as opposed to someone who acts like a 2-year-old and refuses to acknowledge wrongfulness.
3. She has a tremendous amount of experience in government.
Clinton spent a large part of her earlier years studying, teaching and practicing law. She has experience as a United States Senator, where she worked and compromised with other members of Congress. Most recently, Clinton served as Secretary of State, which means she has experience routinely communicating and negotiating with foreign diplomats. She has also worked for multiple funds, including the Children's Defense Fund. Clinton was the first lady of the United States from 1992 to 2000, during which she helped lead the effort to provide Americans with affordable healthcare. She has been a part of U.S. government since the mid-1970s.
Trump, on the other hand, lacks experience in government. Instead, he has experience in the business world, which is great for a businessman, but not for a president. Trump has experience with plazas, casinos, hotels and parks. He has experience in pop culture -- on television, thanks to his reality show, The Apprentice. And we can't forget about all of his experience with bankruptcy -- six of them, to be exact. NBC News quoted bankruptcy lawyer Ted Connolly who confirmed that "[The six bankruptcies] were separate and distinct." He might not have the legislative and executive branches covered, but he's got some experience in the judicial branch, thanks to the 3,500 lawsuits he's been involved in over the past 30 years. Fortune magazine revealed that this boils down to "an average of over 116 lawsuits annually."
Sure, Trump understands negotiations and investments, but he doesn't know foreign affairs and Congress, and arguably, I think he doesn't know what exactly what the presidency entails. Clinton spent eight years in the White House, both leading and observing, and many more being heavily involved in the daily decisions and practices that go into being President of the United States.
She knows what she's signed up for.