FILAMSPEAK: ‘It’s time for a woman president’

The wait is over, and the April 12 announcement did not surprise; it did did not disappoint either. Many people, including Filipino Americans, have been speculating on Hillary Clinton’s moves. It’s the ‘when’ and the ‘how’ that’s keeping the suspense up.

Through email, Twitter, and a video message, the former first lady and former Secretary of State announced she was running for President. Because “everyday Americans need a champion,” she wants to be the “champion” for middle-class families.

Her tweet, viewed by 3 million within an hour of posting, according to a report by Huffington Post, and the two-minute video clip would open the floodgates of attacks from presidential aspirants of the Republican Party. Hillary represents the “failed policies of the past,” said Senator Ted. Cruz. Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush said the Obama-Clinton foreign policy “damaged our relations with our allies and emboldened our enemies.” Hillary is a “part of the Washington machine,” said Sen. Rand Paul.

To Filipino Americans interviewed for this forum, the issues are not sticking yet. Foreign policy, deleted emails, and Benghazi may not even be issues to them at all.

For now, they are imagining Hillary as the first woman president of America, and that appears to be a breathtaking possibility.

Jujo Conol
Shipping Manager

Hillary Clinton’s win for Presidential seat will be a milestone for all women. This is her time. The country is begging for change in her bold and aggressive stance on a lot of issues. She had made some mistakes and we hope she has learned from all those. With her family’s support and former Democratic Presidents behind her, she will be much stronger than ever. We are hungry to end the wars and debts we are now in.

One thing I admire so much about her is standing by her man after a public sex scandal that almost impeached her husband from his job. To be publicly humiliated is difficult to watch but Hillary’s determination to keep her family together for love is admirable. Highly intelligent, ambitious and determined to fight for her cause but with much wisdom and compassion from lifetime experience, as a woman she will be a great President.

Venessa Manzano
Founder, The Filipino School of New York & New Jersey

Watching her video, I felt she captured and represented a diverse group of people, ranging from a couple expecting a baby, to a woman preparing for retirement, a young recent college graduate looking for a job, to a gay couple looking forward to marriage — of all different ages, ethnicities and backgrounds. Now that we’ve already had our first African American president, perhaps this is the time for our first woman president. Her ad seems to resonate a feeling of hope, dreams, and getting ready for change.

Interestingly, her announcement was released via one of the most widely used social media mediums, YouTube. This will definitely reach out to the millennials and others who are more tech-savvy these days.

Ricky Rillera
Managing partner, Lead Consulting Resource Group, LLC

It was no longer a surprise to hear of former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham -Clinton’s declaration to run for the presidency. Everyone expected that — even the Republicans and the Tea Party — knew that all along from the time President Obama was re-elected in 2012. She is qualified and I believe the time is ripe for a woman president. But as always, in politics, there are those who will try to derail her candidacy with all the innuendoes thrown at her. Her critics’ arsenal of “bombshells” is now open and being readied to be released.

She can counter all these by casting her vision of the new world, by appealing to the needs and concerns of the middle class and by continuing to demonstrate that she is a woman of substance — ready to act decisively in all matters.

Roger Santos
Executive Director, ANCOP USA
I believe Hillary Clinton will be an excellent fit to be the first woman president of the United States. Hillary’s foreign policy, particularly in Asia, and her strategy has three parts as stated below. We are practicing robust regional engagement in the Asia-Pacific, we are working to build trust between China and the United States, and we are committed to expanding economic, political, and security cooperation wherever possible.

On government reforms, I like her views on more government transparency and passing more legislation than the current administration. Hillary’s posture on immigration to keep America young and dynamic is also a welcome idea. Young immigrants are the lifeblood of America.