I do not like Hillary Clinton even a little bit, and it shocked me when I watched the votes roll in on election night how I found myself cheering for Donald Trump. Donald Trump! I won’t go back over what I think of Donald Trump because I’ve committed to trying to show more respect now that he is president, but the choice was something like choosing between West Nile Virus and Lyme Disease. For me, Hillary was the worst. I find her personally repulsive. Her views are offensive on the issues that I care most about. And I am convinced she committed crimes against the security of this nation.
And that’s what I want to talk about.
I love to watch Trey Gowdy interrogate people. Wow, he cuts right through it. I know many in the new Republican Congress are itching for a shot at Mrs. Clinton. And it’s clear to me that the Obama administration got in the middle of things to protect her since she was their frontrunner for the office Donald Trump will assume in January. Loretta Lynch did not distinguish herself as a champion of justice.
So, I make the following personal conclusions.
1. Hillary Clinton did wrong. She did wrong at Benghazi. She did wrong with her private server when she was Secretary of State. She has not been honest about it. The woman done wrong!
2. Justice may very well both authorize and demand that the case is investigated and prosecuted. There are unanswered questions and wrongs that have not been righted.
3. There was quite a bloodlust among the rank and file during the campaign with the “lock her up” chants that were ubiquitous at Trump campaign events.
4. The best thing for the GOP at this point is to LET IT GO. It may not be the popular thing, but for the sake of the country and for their own sake, the very best thing that Republicans can do at this point is to drop the matter.
Hillary Clinton is 69 years old and her health was certainly an object of much speculation during the campaign. She is suffering greatly, I’m sure. For the last couple of decades, she has been driven by the idea that she would be the first woman to be president. First, Barack Obama came out of nowhere and dashed her hopes in the primaries in 2008. This year she was pretty confident, according to reports, that the Oval Office would be hers and was absolutely shocked on election night by her loss. Her lifelong hopes and dreams have been dashed – it’s not like she hasn’t suffered.
But my suggestion is not motivated by sympathy. I’m sure Hitler was pathetic in his final days but had he been captured he would have and should have been prosecuted and punished to the full measure of justice.
1. What is there to be gained by continuing to prosecute Hillary?
I’m sure many would get a rush watching Hillary handcuffed and marched off to jail, but what does the country gain from all of that. Those who believe she is guilty now will continue to believe that and those who defend her will continue to defend her to the end. Other than the satisfaction of some kind of desire to punish Hillary, there is no boon to America from this action.
2. The process will consume time, money, and energy that is needed for other priorities.
The Hillary trials will be a sad spectacle. The effort and money spent on this will not fix healthcare or any of the other problems that face our country. It T
3. It would make Republicans look small and vindictive.
That’s because it would be small and vindictive – there’s little other reason to pursue this than vengeance. America has higher needs and this GOP congress needs to be addressing them, not hounding an old lady into her grave (as it will be seen by many).
4. It could backfire…bigtime.
There’s this little thing in 2018 called an election. When the GOP impeached Bill Clinton the mood of the country turned against them and in the 1998 election the GOP blew a chance to make significant gains. It was expected to be what most off elections are – big gains for the party not in the White House. But the GOP lost sympathy in the country and held even in the Senate, losing seats in the House.
The 2018 election sets up to be a bloody battle and it is expected that the GOP will have likely lose one or both congressional houses. But if they look like vindictive jerks, the bloodbath could get worse.
One of the biggest mistakes that presidents and Congresses make is overestimating their mandate. “We won, we can do as we please.” Overreaching generally leads to by-election bloodbaths.
5. Mercy and grace are godly virtues.
No, we are not demanded by grace to ignore sin. God didn’t do that, but he demanded that our sins be atoned for. But we can, as co-sinful beings, choose to overlook offenses given against us. Forgiveness, grace, mercy – these are Christlike virtues and biblical mandates.
I’m under no illusion that the Republican Party cares a lick about the gospel or about biblical truth. They are about gaining and maintaining power. But we are Christians and so our concern should be godliness.
Here, I believe the godly thing is also the utilitarian thing. The right thing is the best thing.
Let’s let Hillary Clinton fade into the dustbin of history. Her own party is mad at her now and only continued attacks by Republicans in Congress and in the White House can give her image a boost.
Let it go.
