Lo Castro's Lowdown: Getting the Lowdown on the Presidential Trail of Tears

Jenna Lo Castro

Hate Hillary Clinton? I did too...Until she cried in New Hampshire

Up until two weeks ago, some people were convinced Hillary Clinton might be a man. Then something inexplicable happened last week in New Hampshire while she was on her campaign trail.

She cried.

She cried, and every person who once believed that she was the one who wore the pants in her and Bill’s marriage threw their assumptions out the window.

Welcome to the presidential race ’08, ladies and gentlemen. It’s the only parade of campaigning canoodling where you can find float after float of white geriatric men, a whimpering androgynous woman and a biracial man who has been criticized for having apparent ties to Al-Qaeda because his estranged father is Muslim.
Or at least, this is what the public’s own brain has mustered to whip up. I for one, am fine with personal opinions, especially those relating to political stances and beliefs.

However, what I have trouble stomaching are all the standard cliché jabs that common Americans make against candidates they don’t support. They do this either because they’re ignorant (yes, I said it) or so set in their own personal ways that they fail to grant a little bit of dignity to opposing candidates.

Maybe it’s the fact that I was barely 18 years old in the last election that hindered me from hearing massive smack talk. But, now in my ripe old age, I’m beginning to cringe at people taking personal offense to what candidates say or do.

OK, so let’s pretend you’re a middle-aged truck-driving, born- again Christian from Arkansas and you’re hog-wild for Huckabee. (Can I get a hallelujah?) Good for you. But honestly, your 20-minute spiel about how Clinton shouldn’t be able to run because she’s a woman and has “feelings” is the biggest crock I’ve heard since the O.J. Simpson verdict.

OK, so she got a little verklempt in New Hampshire—but at least she knows how to pronounce words like “nuclear” and doesn’t say things like,“We need an energy bill that encourages consumption.” (And yes, he really did say that.)

If society is going to have an opinion about a certain topic, it should be one that can be supported by legitimate, intelligent and factually true information.

And if you’re going to gripe about a candidate, please criticize one of their policies or platforms, not a personal aspect like their gender or race.

To all the right wingers out there, (and yes, I know you’re out there), don’t think of this lowdown as a stab at yourselves—I’m just giving some real life examples based off my experiences.

For the first time in history, our nation is witnessing an unusual turn of events in the political playbooks—a competitive race filled with a large, diverse number of candidates. And rather than have qualms about this diversity, I think it’s something that we as a society should embrace.

In fact, I think we should all develop a mantra similar to the words spoken by John Edwards after losing the Nevada primary: “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.” I’m not saying to forget about the election, get drunk, go to a strip club and gamble all your money –just relax a little when it comes to judging a candidate.
(S)He might just be your next president.