In terms of competence, experience, and potential to not cause the actual end of the world as we know it, there is obviously no comparison between the quality of Hillary Clinton as a presidential candidate, and the lack of any competence whatsoever when it comes to Donald Trump.
As we’ve seen throughout the campaign, as well as during the run up to and in the aftermath analysis of the first presidential debate, the bar set for Trump is approximately one millimetre out of the dirt. Clinton’s is much higher, primarily because she is a female candidate, so all of the experience and knowledge and policy nerding and competency still won’t necessarily make up for her gender, which is a horrible, but very real situation.
What Clinton is lacking, however, is a vision for America. Big elections need big ideas.
Next to the nihilism of Trump, the obvious thing would be to sell a vision of blinding positivity. Remarkably, Clinton hasn’t been able to do that. During that first debate, Clinton was initially stilted and nervous until halfway through when she began to dig in, taking some great shots at Trump and getting her message across, one of a level of tolerance, fair-mindedness and intelligence. While Trump was exploding next to her, Clinton was calm. Trump rudely interrupted Clinton several times, he flailed around as she stood their politely, and he decided he knew more about her area of expertise than she did and ranted away about it as she just smiled and waited her turn, a situation many women will be familiar with.
There is sexism at the heart of many of the attempts to undermine Clinton or even trying to equate Trump's ability to be president with hers. This campaign should have been over long ago. But considering as a woman Clinton has to work so much harder at being viewed as a viable president, what should have been constructed by her campaign and narrated to the American people was her vision for the country. What is it? We don't really know. We know she's the best qualified presidential candidate ever, but big elections need big ideas. Clinton has spoken a lot about fairness, about economic equality, about gender equality, but presidential elections can make voters vote in an emotional way, and there is not poster with HOPE in Clinton's corner. The vision risks becoming only about stopping Trump.
Clinton is the establishment candidate, Trump is the anti-establishment candidate. We know that. And whether we like it or not, we also know that Trump has a vision. It is a horrific vision, but a vision none the less. Trump’s vision is one of knuckles whitening as they grip guns, of racism as an acceptable national characteristic, it’s a vision of deportations and giant walls blocking off borders, it’s a vision of hate, fear and sexism, it’s a rage-filled, macho, bigoted, get-outta-my-way vision, a vision completely devoid of empathy, rational thought, and intelligence. But, it is a vision. It is a vision that many Americans who are racist or dissatisfied with their lot have latched on to. It is a terrifying vision, but it’s also one that won’t go away if and when Clinton wins. Trump can scream and shout emotionally, but female leaders aren’t allowed have that kind of presence. Because female politicians’ personalities, body language, gestures, “look”, tone and emotional articulations are policed and judged so much, the safe and smart thing to do is to retreat into competence, experience and intelligence. Clinton did that, very understandably. Perhaps it’s also because she’s an old hand at politics. Newcomers have a tendency to offer a vision, those with more experience tend to be pragmatic about what can and will be done.
There is far less judgement and criticism of female leaders in society when they aren't putting themselves forward for election. They they are afforded a little more space. Michelle Obama was the star of the Convention with her rousing, brilliantly written speech. Perhaps Clinton doesn't have the personality to pull off a speech of that nature, but her reluctance to be outwardly passionate or emotional is pretty understandable considering she has spent much of her career being punished by press, politics and society for refusing to be a cookie-baking First Lady and for having a husband who cheated on her. How is Hillary Clinton meant to let us in, when she has been torn apart so many times? America froze her and now complain that she's cold.
“I’m With Her” is a much more gentle slogan than “Make America Great Again”. It’s also difficult to sell a feminist message to a country that clearly still has a lot of hangups about women in politics, women as leaders, women in general. What we do know, is that Clinton is the first woman to do what she’s doing, and therefore there’s a tendency to want her to be all things to everyone. She is not a panacea, she is a person. The next female presidential candidate will be able to expand on the ground that she has claimed, and the next one after that, and the next one after that. That is a vision, but women aren’t meant to talk too loudly about their own progress, are they? Especially when they’re standing next to Trump.