From the Ideas section of Time Magazine came an opinion article written by Frank Roosevelt, grandson of the late Franklin D. and Eleanor Roosevelt, that touched the core concepts of why Hillary Clinton is the clear champion of the 2016 presidential election season.
Roosevelt begins the article by quoting his grandfather’s most famous line from his inaugural speech on March 4, 1993. As FDR faced a nation filled with uncertainty, the smell of war, and a mangled and devastated economic climate he stated:
“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”
This statement still seems to embody our country during this election season but for slightly different reasons, yet their impact is strikingly reminiscent of the tribulations that faced Roosevelt’s grandfather in the turbulent 1930s. Roosevelt wrote about today’s challenges saying:
“The challenges we face as a nation are big and complicated: a rapidly changing climate, economic uncertainty, and international and homegrown terrorism. Surely these challenges are different from those of my grandfather’s era, but they’re more than enough to make any American uneasy about our future.”
Roosevelt went on to talk about the vital importance of choosing a leader with a steady and firm hand that looks to this country with light and hopefulness. He said:
“I know what true leaders look like because my grandfather was one. Hillary Clinton is a true leader; Donald Trump is not. I choose Clinton.”
There is set point to almost everything that Roosevelt states in his article which all points to the fact that this country needs to be run by someone who still believes we are robust and beautiful; something Trump has repeatedly stated is not the case. On Trump Roosevelt wrote:
“Mr. Trump, on the other hand, constantly calls America a “weak” country that never “wins” anymore. Not only is this not how a leader should talk about his country, it’s not even true. Did he watch any of the Olympics this summer where United States athletes brought home 121 medals, almost double the number won by the closest competitor? Has he not seen American technology out-perform and out-innovate every other country? When it comes down to it, Trump has made clear he does not believe in the biggest asset of America—our people.”
Real leaders see the calm through the howling winds of change in our country, and Roosevelt is confident that the only candidate steady, healthy, and positive enough is Hillary Clinton. He makes one statement in the article about his grandmother, Eleanor Roosevelt, that stands out as a representation of what we need and are looking for this election season:
“True leaders inspire their people to keep going and always do better. In describing my grandmother, Eleanor Roosevelt, Adlai Stevenson once said: “she would rather light a candle than curse the darkness.”
Frank Roosevelt believes that Hillary Clinton is our light in the sea of darkness.
Featured Image Via The Lynn Richter Blog
