Col Owens: The case for Hillary Clinton for President; why Democrats should unite with eyes on November

It is not a state secret that I support Hillary Clinton for President.

There are many reasons why.

I first encountered her in college when I dated a friend of hers at Wellesley.

When I first worked for Legal Services in the late 1970’s she was chair of the board of the national Legal Services Corporation, where she did an exemplary job during the Carter Administration. She also, as is more widely known, worked for the Children’s Defense Fund.

In both these capacities she demonstrated her deep concern for families, women and children, which have characterized her life ever since.

Hillary is a multi-talented woman, and eventually worked for the Rose law firm in Little Rock, Arkansas, while husband Bill served as Governor.

This is where the Republican attack machine started to train its guns on her seriously, with the alleged Whitewater scandal. They knew a threat when they saw one, and they wanted to nip both Bill and Hillary in the bud. From that beginning grew the “vast right-wing conspiracy” that has dogged Hillary since.

Throughout her career, as First Lady of Arkansas, First Lady of the United States. U.S. Senator from New York (twice), and Secretary of State – chosen by the very man she ran hard against in the primary, demonstrating his confidence in her – she exemplified, in my view, the traits that we want in our leaders- boldness tempered with pragmatism, competence coupled with caring, and always with a vision of what would be good for the country, the whole country.

What is difficult for me is to see so many people for whom I have a great deal of respect, admiration, and affection, echoing the lies of the Republican conspiracy as if they were true.

This is not an attack on people who support Bernie. There are many good reasons to do so, and many of my friends and family do so. But supporting Bernie for his positions on issues is one thing; buying into and repeating the lies of the Republican attack machine is something else again.

Nobody should be fooled to think that actions don’t have consequences, that saying these things is not only unjust because untrue, but also deeply injurious to our chances to elect a Democratic President in the fall.

I have no problem with Bernie going forward, for all kinds of reasons.

But I hope that he, and his followers, will cease the personal attacks on Hillary and focus on why we need to defeat Donald Trump and elect a Democratic President in November. Whichever Democratic candidate it is.

There is much too much at stake.

Col Owens is a retired attorney from Ft. Mitchell and the chair of the Kenton County Democratic Party. His position is a personal statement and not a position of the Democratic Party.