Posted on by AR

a brave campaign

photo-1423882503395-8571951e45ccTake note of the following recent headlines: (Don’t read anything into these. I am attempting to make a point…)

  • The Hillary Show
  • America Needs Hillary
  • Here Comes Hillary
  • Clinton Begins Campaign, and It’s a Toss-Up
  • Why Clinton Campaign Will Be Trainwreck
  • Hillary Clinton, Reinvented
  • Hillary Clinton’s Quest to Prove Her Populist Edge
  • Hillary Clinton’s “Inevitable” Problem
  • Everyone Knows Clinton Is the Candidate of Wall St.
  • Clinton’s Truman Show Campaign
  • Memo to Hillary: Bitch Is Still the New Black
  • Hillary Is the Plastic Candidate with the AstroTurf Campaign

  • Clinton Lifts Populist Spirits
  • Hillary’s Fake Populism is a Hit
  • Hillary’s Liz Warren Impression Not Going Well
  • Hillary Clinton: Out of Sync With the Times
  • Hillary Clinton’s Joyless Ride
  • Hillary’s Real Opponent: Obama
  • For Better/Worse, Hillary Runs for Obama 3rd Term
  • Hillary Tries to Recast Ties to Obama
  • Jeepers! Hillary’s Campaign Is Even Creepier Than You Think
  • Hillary Clinton Is a Survivor
  • Why Hillary Clinton Will Likely Lose
  • Clinton Is Everything Dems Say They Oppose
  • Can Hillary Clinton Really Change?
  • Can Hillary Overcome Her Weaknesses?
  • Clinton Is the Democrats’ Romney
  • Grandmother-in-Chief
  • Clinton Fatigue Returns
  • The Selling of Hillary, 2016

Each of the above 30 headlines came from a prominent national publication last week. From a fairly flippant perusal, it’s easy to see that many already have an opinion on Hillary — on who she is and on the running of her campaign.

Let me quickly offer two quick caveats: (1) the Intramuralist cannot and will not spend the next 18 months talking about any one person. And (2) there’s no need to pick on Hillary.

Hillary Clinton (like most candidates) has been actively crafting a campaign that makes her look good, sound good, and appear to be the most desirable candidate. Let’s be clear: the goal of the campaign is to secure the most votes. One of the greatest impurities of the American election process (which again, affects all candidates) is that campaigns are crafted to get desired people elected; they are not designed to share the most accurate reflections of a person’s ability, beliefs, nor character. For all those running on all partisan sides, that makes me sad.

I’d instead prefer what I”d like to call a “Brave Campaign.” Follow me here… In recents months, I’ve been unable to get Sara Bareilles’s “Brave” song out of my head (…for which those in close physical proximity to me, are so incredibly thankful). The lyrics go as follows:

Say what you wanna say

And let the words fall out

Honestly I wanna see you be brave

With what you want to say

And let the words fall out

Honestly I wanna see you be brave

I just wanna see you

I just wanna see you

I just wanna see you

I wanna see you be brave

That’s what I want from each person running for president. I don’t want carefully crafted campaigns no matter the “D” or “R” next to the name. I want them to say what they wanna say… say what they really think… “I just wanna see” them for who they really are. I “just wanna see them” be brave.

Respectfully…

AR