The enduring legacy of Hillary Rodham Clinton

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IN JUST A few hours after I finished writing and posting my latest blog entry and piece on why I consider Hillary Rodham Clinton one of my feminist heroes alongside former Philippine president Corazon Aquino, here I am finding myself typing another related blog entry about Hillary again, this time, I am writing about her political future and legacy.

According to official press releases and transcripts from both the Philippine and American governments, US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton's recent 2 day-visit to the Philippines serves as an affirmation and renewal of historic ties between the two countries. As a matter of fact, Hillary's visit was timed to commemorate the 60 years of the US-Philippines' Mutual Defense Treaty and Partnership, which was began in 1951 during the time of President Quirino. And at this time when there is so much animosity in the South China Sea (or what we know and call now as West Philippine Sea), Clinton's visit could not be more timelier and significant than ever. First, in the face of growing Chinese political and economic clout, a military boost and moral support from the U.S. is what exactly ill-equipped Philippines badly needs. Second, in view of its diminished standing in the world, exploiting the territorial disputes among Asian neighbors is very much to the advantage of the United States as it seeks to halt the growing influence of China and salvage its struggling star power. In other words, the Clinton visit to the Philippines (and other ASEAN countries like Thailand and Indonesia) is mutually beneficial to all parties involved. And given Hillary Rodham Clinton's global rockstar standing and stature, there is no other American official (not even the now unpopular US President Barack Obama) who can do this job well in renewing America's global leadership than her.

After all, whenever and wherever Hillary Clinton travels the globe, she carries with her not just the name of the United States but also what Americans call her truly American story, which serves as an inspiration to millions of people, women in particular, that she meets around the world. In truth, aside from remarkably performing her official duties and functions as US Secretary of State, Hillary Rodham Clinton also brings with her job her personal advocacy of promoting women's rights and gender equality. In fact, Hillary Clinton has made gender equality and women's rights, aside from the restoration of American power, the cornerstone of her international statecraft diplomatic agenda. Whether she be in the White House, the Senate or the State Department, Hillary will always be a feminist and constant champion of women's rights throughout the world. And since she became secretary of state, she has constantly spoken about emphasizing on the promotion of equality between women and men, especially in the developing world and the battle to end human trafficking, whose victims have always been women and young boys and girls.

As such, I can say that the candidate Hillary Clinton whom I rooted for during the 2008 US presidential primaries is still the same Hillary Clinton the diplomat that she is today. And oftentimes, I am really amazed at how people in other countries receive her as if she is the head of state of her country. Just look at how she was recently received in Manila in the past two days. Many Filipinos, especially young Filipinos and women, were very much thrilled and excited to see and get a glimpse of her. (In my case, as a certified Clintonista, I am really frustrated that I didn't get to see her in person). As I said in my previous blog on her, since her epic quest for the US presidency in 2008 which helped pave the way to elect the US' first African-American president, Barack Obama, she has inspired millions of people everywhere and I count myself among those millions of people she has inspired.

And judging from the questions, queries and remarks made to her by her Filipino audience and fans during her public forum, it is very clear that many still think that she should still run for U.S. president and finally become the first woman president of the United States. However, just like in her other statements, Hillary Clinton has time and again said that she is not anymore seeking the presidency and will definitely retire from politics in 2012. Without a doubt, these constant pronouncements from her very lips have disappointed many Clintonistas both in America and around the world. Some still believe, given the economic and political situation of the United States, that Americans should elect in 2012 the woman they should have elected all along in 2008, in order to get them out of the mess that they are currently in right now. And I am actually one of those fans who are hoping that she would still give the White House a second try if not in 2012 then in 2016 after her party mate President Obama finishes his full-two terms in office. And I am sure, that'll be both exciting and sizzling.

Nonetheless, given Clinton's consistent reluctance, it seems to be a far-fetched possibility and perhaps, a dream that should be bade goodbye for now. Given that, I cannot help myself but feel sad and sorry not just for Hillary but for the United States. I really feel sorry for the prospect that Hillary Rodham Clinton will end his public career without having able to realize her childhood dream of becoming the first woman president of the United States and that America will have the first and the best woman president it never had. 

Somehow, it puzzles me as to how she ended up losing the presidential nomination when she almost had it from the beginning. Was it because of political blunders? Lack of an inspiring message and theme? Poor organization? Negative campaigning? Black propaganda? Or was it simply a case of sexism and chauvinism? As one friend of mine commented, after Hillary conceded and declared her support for Obama, it seems that Americans are more sensitive to racial issues than gender issues and that given its history and psychology with race, Americans are more willing to elect an African-American than a woman for president of the United States. After all, he surmised, America needs to heal its wounds and find a closure to its dark past on race and slavery and at the time, Obama's candidacy was the perfect moment to finally put an end to this haunting saga. 

Perhaps, my friend is correct, after all. Because rather than wallowing in self-pity and bitterness, Hillary Clinton poured all her heart out to ensure Barack Obama's election as the United States of America's first African-American president and thereby showed that race and gender are two issues that go hand-in-hand, which require to also be addressed hand-in-hand and heart-to-heart. That is why somehow, I also I understand why Hillary Clinton is not anymore eager to become president of the United States. I think Hillary Clinton knows deep inside her heart that she has already secured a venerable place in U.S. and world history. And perhaps, she is taking consolation to the fact that if she does not become the first woman president of the United States, whoever becomes the first woman president of America will always look back with gratitude to the historic campaign and quest that she mounted to capture the White House in 2008. And certainly, every  woman who becomes president of the United States from that day onward will always look up to her for gratitude and inspiration. Without a doubt, that would ultimately be her greatest legacy as a woman and as a leader.

Hillary Rodham Clinton, My Feminist Hero

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EVER SINCE I was a kid, I have always looked up to one of America's most popular and powerful political couples: Bill Clinton and Hillary Rodham Clinton. I was amazed at how they were able to pull it together through all the political crises - and personal scandals - they had to face during their time and stay in the White House. In particular, I came to admire the fortitude and steeliness that Hillary Rodham Clinton displayed through all these stuffs. As a matter of fact, alongside our very own and dearly beloved icon of Philippine democracy, President Corazon C. Aquino, then U.S. First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton was one of the women in politics that I looked up to with deep respect and reverence. And as the years went on, from her stay in the White House to her foray into the U.S. Senate, I came to admire Hillary Clinton all the more.

That was why when she declared her intention to seek her Democratic Party's U.S. presidential nomination in 2008, there were no second thoughts on my part on who I would be rooting for in the race for the White House. Even if during the US primary season, many people (including my friends) began to be attracted by the charisma and appeal of the equally formidable and great Democratic candidate Barack Obama (who I later rooted for when he became the nominee against the Republican John McCain), I stuck it out with Hillary Rodham Clinton from the first primary and caucus in Iowa in January 2008 (where she disappointingly placed 3rd) to her first place comeback in New Hampshire and up to her historic and gracious concession speech to Obama in June 2008 at Washington, D.C. 

Though I am not an American or a U.S. immigrant or national, I was very much hooked into the primary race between Clinton and Obama. Although Obama was far more eloquent and oratorical than Clinton, I was more moved by Hillary's clear vision and strong determination to serve her people and restore her country's diminished standing in the world as a result of George W. Bush's 8 year-leadership in Washington. I also liked how she conducted her campaign with courage, perseverance and grace, in spite of all the attacks hurled at her. Most of all, I was very much touched by how Hillary Rodham Clinton's campaign appealed to American women, wives and mothers. Even though at first, she did not want to play the "gender card" during her campaign, millions of American women responded and warmed up to her and canonized her as their crusading Joan of Arc and took it upon themselves to see her elected as America's first woman president to finally break the glass-ceiling against them in U.S. politics, once and for all.

Despite this, Hillary Clinton's campaign received not just criticisms but even unnecessary and uncalled-for sexist, misogynistic, chauvinistic and bigoted remarks and ridicules from different quarters in U.S. society.  As someone born and raised in a country where women are given high esteem and a country that already had two successive women presidents in just a short span of 15 years, I was really appalled and disappointed, and to think, that Hillary is running for president of the United States, the world's most powerful, progressive and liberal country in the world. Her campaign, on the one hand, made me realize that though there have been gains in gender equality throughout the world, discrimination and stereotyping of women are still persistent. It somehow reminded me of stories here at home on how during the 1986 snap presidential election the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos sarcastically dismissed and pejoratively ridiculed then opposition candidate Corazon "Cory" Aquino as a "mere housewife" who had no experience and as a woman whose only place in Philippine society is the bedroom. To which, the saintly heroine Cory Aquino retorted cleverly that it was true that she was just a housewife who had no experience: no experience in killing, stealing, cheating and assassinating political opponents. And like my first and other feminist hero, Cory Aquino, Hillary Clinton also responded with grace and strength to all the attacks, political, sexual and personal, that were hurled against her.

And at the time that Hillary Clinton was running for president, I was also in my last year in college, preparing for my undergraduate thesis. As such, these circumstances that Hillary's campaign faced, coupled with my realization that gender equality is an issue that is so often neglected, overlooked and underestimated, helped me a lot in deciding that my undergraduate thesis shall focus on the condition of women in the workplace. Though it may sound exaggerated for some, I believe that this decision was one of the most important decisions and choices that I ever made in life. That decision to choose gender equality as a topic for my thesis not only opened my eyes to social realities and inequities that were unfolding right before my eyes but also radicalized my view on women's rights and welfare. Ever since then, I have taken and made gender equality my personal cause, advocacy and commitment in life, which some of my friends find unlikely and quite surprising especially since I am a guy. And I am happy to say that in in my current work where I do researches and policy studies on labor and employment, I am able to fulfill this commitment by always making gender equality between women and men very much a part of my research agenda and studies. In a way, I credit both women - Cory Aquino and Hillary Clinton - and their life stories for awakening the male feminist in me.

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And somehow, I know deep down inside my heart that I owe my renewed and full-fledged male feminism to Hillary Rodham Clinton and her historic bid to become America's first woman president. The seeds of feminism in my life were planted in me unconsciously by my mother who told me stories about Cory Aquino and how she inspired millions of Filipinos to liberate themselves. Eventually, these seeds finally grew, sprouted and blossomed when I came to witness and marvel at Hillary Clinton's epic campaign to become the first woman president of the United States. In as much as Cory Aquino's story touched me, Hillary's quest also moved me. 

Looking back, somehow, even if she did not succeed in her quest to become president, I can say that her campaign was a campaign that truly made a difference not just in America but around the world - a truly historic campaign that made an impact not just to women but even men like me, as well. And for that, I will be forever thankful and grateful.