" ... was severely on the fence before this, because I really had big reservations about HRC. But I must admit - while I still have my reservations about HRC..."
Let's stop right there.
You SHOULD have reservations about Clinton.
Even if you're a huge Hillary Clinton fan. You should have reservations.
You should have reservations about Trump -- even if you are a flag-waving gun-humping make-America-great-again Stormtrumper.
Those of you who seem to think Bernie Sanders is perfect and without flaw, you people should have reservations too. If you don't, you're verging on glassy-eyed religious belief -- and that ought to scare the hell out of you.
If you don't have reservations about the people who want to run this country, then you really don't understand what Citizen means. In a healthy democracy, you should have reservations about EVERY potential leader.
As a responsible citizen, you should regard every candidate, especially yours, with -- HEALTHY -- skepticism. And you should know the difference between healthy skepticism and fanatical intransigence, between skepticism and conspiracy theory, and you should be able to adjust your perception based on new data as necessary even if it cuts against your grain.
As a responsible citizen, it is your duty to demand answers to the tough questions at every single opportunity. And you should demand it of your surrogates as well. That -- that right there -- is the entire and only reason for Freedom of the Press as enumerated in the First Amendment. This is something those running modern media seem to have forgotten in large regard. Any politician who is offended and outraged by being questioned in detail by the press is categorically unfit to hold office in our republic.
As a responsible citizen, you should view every promise made by every candidate, ESPECIALLY yours, as probable ******** until proven otherwise by actions. (Note: it is also your duty as citizens to have a realistic grasp of reality and understand when promises can't be kept for pragmatic reasons and not be a goddamned child about it).
As a responsible citizen of the Republic, you should have reservations about your candidates. Every single one. Every single time.You don't owe these people anything else. THEY owe YOU.
As a citizen of the United States of America, your loyalty should be to your fellow citizens, to your nation, to humanity, to civilization, and to the ideals incorporated into the Constitution, not to individuals, not to political parties, not to demagogues of whatever stripe -- this is a republic, not a monarchy.
If you have reservations about somebody who wants to run this country, GOOD, you should.
That's the first step to making this world a better place.
