Hillary Clinton addresses her party at the Democratic National Convention. (Photo by Kelsey DeGideo/Cronkite News)
PHOENIX — Hillary Clinton is alternately revered and reviled, similar to Donald Trump, her Republican opponent for president. Here is what some Arizona residents – Democrats, Independents and others with no political party affiliation – had to say about the woman seeking to become the next U.S. president.
The verbatim comments, in response to a Public Insight Network query, have been lightly edited for clarity.
Click here to see eight things Arizonans love or loathe about Donald Trump.
“I admire her tenacity, and her ability to work with others toward a common goal. I admire her commitment to children and women. I admire her ability to find real-world solutions that help everyday people. And I especially appreciate her bravery in breaking ground on important issues: health care; women and children’s rights as internationally recognized human rights; gay and transgender rights. She has often blazed a trail that other people comfortably walked decades later.” – Erika O’Dowd, Tucson
“I like nothing about her. I agree with virtually none of her positions, none of which she truly believes in, and all of which she will change in an instant to suit the needs of her campaign or her personal benefit. She has accomplished nothing as either a politician or as Secretary of State, and in fact she damaged this country’s security and our world standing while in that position.” – Richard Kuykendall, Tucson
“She is doing much better with her public image. However, there are many issues to consider when voting for a president. And the decision about whom the vice-president running is also very important to me. Personally, I think the world of Elizabeth Warren (a Democratic senator from Massachusetts) and that ticket of both Clinton and Warren would be incredibly attractive to many who are on the fence. I think she absolutely does represent the Democratic Party and most of the views of its members. I happen to be an independent voter myself and have voted for many Democrats as well as Republicans.” – Cornelius Murphy, Phoenix
“She is too enriched by, entrenched, and beholden to the powers that be in the party and the banking class. She is Nixonian, and self-enriching and self-aggrandizing while cynically playing herself as a champion of certain classes.”
– Larry Ward, Fountain Hills
“From her work with the Children’s Defense Fund to establishing the first rape crisis hotline in Arkansas to trying to “fix” healthcare in 1995 with Health Security Express to her groundbreaking speech in Beijing to her work for NYC’s first responders after 9/11, she represents the very best of the Democratic Party. The middle class, women and families have always been her true north.” – Sue Castner, Scottsdale
“She is part of the problem. And I feel strongly that the election system needs an overhaul. All votes should be counted and all people should be voting. I don’t trust her. And her political views sway with the wind. If the election system were working properly we wouldn’t even be talking about Clinton, we would be talking about (Bernie) Sanders.”
– Kathy Watson, Tucson
“She’s not Trump or any of the other crazy Republicans that were running. She has the most experience and of all the potential candidates, she is the most respected internationally. It’s about time we had a woman president. She’s not my first choice, but the American election cycle is corrupting. We need big money out of politics or things will never get better.” – John Neville, Sedona
“The Clinton family has taken the Democratic Party hostage.This is not a democratic election – it is a coronation. We are a democracy, not a monarchy, and I will not lend my support to it. What the Clinton family has done to the party, alone, should be enough to disqualify her. She should be expected to follow her instincts and do the same to the country as well. We can’t tolerate an expansion of this sickness.” – Daniel Wood, Phoenix
EDITOR’S NOTE: Sources in the Public Insight Network informed the reporting in this story through a partnership with the Cronkite PIN Bureau. To send us a story idea or learn more, click here.