OPPOSING VIEW: David French argues “Why Christians should NOT vote for Hillary”
I like Hillary Clinton. We are personal friends. But that’s not the only reason why I am hoping she becomes our next president. My support for her candidacy is based on the fact that she is brilliantly qualified for the job.
As the first lady of Arkansas, she demonstrated her administrative abilities. She took on the task of improving the state’s school system, and even her political opponents had to admit that she made significant progress in lifting an educational system from the doldrums into respectability. Of course, the huge bureaucracies of the U.S. government are much more complicated than the school system of Arkansas, but this was good training for undertaking the huge task of being the chief operating officer for the mega-agencies in Washington.
Hillary also understands how Congress works–a needed skill since legislative gridlock has characterized Washington over the last several years. Amidst dire problems, the last session of Congress proved to be one of the least productive of any in our nation’s history. It seemed like the White House and those in the Congress were not able to negotiate. But Hillary is a brilliant negotiator. When she was a senator, she demonstrated that she could work across party lines to forge progressive policies that made for a better America.
She was by no means perfect in making policy decisions. After all, she believed Dick Cheney when he told her that Saddam Hussein had developed weapons of mass destruction, and that led her to vote for the second Middle East war. She learned from that experience, and her future carefulness will keep her from making that kind of mistake again. She was, however, honest enough to admit that she regretted her vote, and honesty is something we need in Washington.
As Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton demonstrated her ability to negotiate foreign policy. She joined the two female secretaries of state who held that position previously and–as those on both sides of the political aisle will admit–were outstanding voices representing America’s interests around the world.
Hillary Clinton modeled being a faithful wife and a loving, effective mother at a time when we needed such a model. Many people thought, in the midst of a crisis that would have destroyed most marriages, she showed that the promises she made to her husband on their wedding day were binding through better and worse, that she really meant it. We need a president who keeps her promises.
Tony Campolo is a Christian minister and author who was a former spiritual advisor to President Bill Clinton. – Image courtesy of Tony Campolo
Some of my Evangelical friends raise questions about her views on abortion. But Hillary Clinton is one of the few candidates on the political stage who has a plan for cutting the abortion rate in America by at least 50 percent. She points out that 72 percent of the women who have abortions do so for economic reasons, not because they want to terminate the life of the unborn. When single, economically strapped women, who are working a minimum wage job become pregnant, they have to ask themselves if they have the means to support themselves and assume the additional responsibility of supporting a newborn baby. Furthermore, such women know that if they take time off to give birth they could possibly lose their desperately needed jobs. There are few support systems like daycare for such mothers that will enable them to earn what they need to cover the basic expenses required for raising children. Considering these and other factors, sadly, these women often think abortion is the only viable economic option.
She is committed to addressing each of these problems, and thus diminishing the urgency that drives so many oppressed women into having abortions. [tweetable]As a pro-life Democrat, I am encouraged by the possibility that Hillary could be our next president.[/tweetable] Abortions will not be ended through legislation. We must find ways to keep women who want to give birth from being driven by economic forces into curtailing their pregnancies.
[tweetable]I know Hillary Clinton to be a committed Christian.[/tweetable] As a teenager, Hillary’s religious beliefs were heavily impacted by hearing a sermon by Martin Luther King, Jr. The youth pastor of her Methodist church mentored her through her teenage years into being the kind of holistic Christian who faithfully engages in the spiritual disciplines of Bible study and prayer. As a Senator, Hillary was one of the most faithful attendees of the Senate’s weekly prayer meetings.
Given all that I have stated, I am more than willing to do all I can to help Hillary Clinton get elected. Should she ask me to organize an Evangelicals for Hillary committee, I would be more than willing to do so. I believe in her. And you should too.
Tony Campolo is an evangelical pastor and professor who gained prominence in the 1990’s as a spiritual advisor to President Bill Clinton. He is author of numerous books including “Following Jesus Without Embarrassing God” and “Red Letter Revolution” with Shane Claiborne.
