In 2008, while I was in high school, I supported Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination. Without being able to recall the exact details, small differences over health care and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq led me to prefer Clinton over President Barack Obama.
Yet, I somehow managed to throw my full support behind Barack Obama when the time came. It's no surprise I cannot remember the seemingly critical distinctions I made between the two candidates just five years ago.
"I'm ready for Hillary." One often hears and sees this pitiful catchphrase among "liberal" friends and on social media — as if the 2008 presidential election was only the first installment in an ongoing Democratic drama.
This mindless slogan should be bothersome for two reasons: One, it insinuates that Clinton is in fact seeking the Democratic nomination in the 2016 election, and two, more disturbingly, it signals a recognition of the supreme dominance of the political class. That is to say, the stage was already set in 2008. The actors have been chosen. Clinton is only one of many who have patiently waited for his or her chance to play the lead. However, this theater company is no meritocracy.
It should be noted that I by no means aim to criticize Hillary Clinton — just those who support her.
Recently, New York Sen. Chuck Schumer "pre-endorsed" Mrs. Clinton for the Democratic nomination. It is both odd and revealing that a senior U.S. senator would feel comfortable endorsing someone who is not yet an official candidate. It signals what we all already know to be true: Hillary is running for president in 2016.
This unfortunate and inevitable fact could not better demonstrate how anti-democratic our election process is.
For one, consider the probability that if Hillary were to be elected, over the course of thirty years, four out of five presidents would belong to two families. If the United States actually embodied democratic values, in a country of more than 300 million people, this trend would be impossible.
However, in the United States, this reality seems all too probable. But this is nothing new: John and John Quincy Adams, the cousins Roosevelt, William Henry Harrison and his grandson Benjamin — the trend continues.
Even with the fact that Clinton is a former first lady aside, her presence as leading contender in 2016 is still disturbing.
As far as I can see, there is no internal criticism of the Democratic platform. Therefore, to support Clinton is a tacit endorsement of the policies of the Obama administration. It is an endorsement for drone warfare, for unwarranted domestic and international spying, for the War on Drugs, for continued unquestioning support for Israel and so on.
There has been no serious debate on these issues within Congress or the White House. Rather, Democrats can easily rally their supporters and usher Clinton into the Oval Office under the simple slogan: "At least we're not Republicans!"
Some may be ready for Hillary, but I'm ready for a debate.
Andrew Pentland is a UF history senior. A version of this guest column ran on page 7 on 11/6/2013 under the headline "I’m ready for a debate about Hillary Clinton, Democratic platform"
