Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump

Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton speaks as Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump listens during the second presidential debate at Washington University in St. Louis, Sunday, Oct. 9, 2016. (Rick T. Wilking/Pool via AP)

(Associated Press)

In just a few weeks, Staten Islanders will join the rest of our nation in electing the 45th president of the United States.

It is doubtful anyone alive today has seen a campaign as fractured, as dirty, as embarrassing or as shocking as the one we are living through now. Which has prompted more than one Staten Islander to tell us they simply will not vote for either of two flawed major party candidates.

Flawed they are, but withholding your vote should not be an option.

Someone will be elected in November and it is every Americans' right and duty to study the candidates and choose the one who will do a better job.

We choose Hillary Rodham Clinton.

This despite our beliefs that we do think Mrs. Clinton has flaws, and that we suspect Staten Island will tilt strongly in favor of her opponent, Donald J. Trump.

So why Mrs. Clinton?

Some cite her government experience. That, they say, is the simplest reason to be comfortable with her taking on the most difficult job on the planet.

For us, experience in government is not the best barometer of success, and in fact might be a detriment.

"More of the same," we hear time and time again about Mrs. Clinton.

After all, Rudy Giuliani had no political experience when he walked into City Hall - said to be the second toughest job in the world. But he was the law and order candidate, and he restored law and order in New York.

The same holds true for Mike Bloomberg. He had vast business experience, but no political experience. He walked into a City Hall within shouting distance of the worst terror attack on United States soil, and took leadership of a city spiraling down financially.

Simply put, Mike Bloomberg saved New York.

So given these success stories, why not businessman Donald J. Trump, who pledges to turn America around - to make it "great again?"

Well, to borrow a theme from a previous election, we have followed Donald J. Trump for many years. Donald Trump is no Mike Bloomberg. Or Rudy Giuliani.

We do not think it will be "more of the same" with Mrs. Clinton and we did not base our choice on "Vote for Hillary Clinton because she is NOT Donald Trump."

Mrs. Clinton has strong attributes that will serve America well.

But in this campaign, it is very difficult not to say "Anyone BUT Trump."

We should not ignore what Donald Trump is. And is not.

In the second presidential debate, Mr. Trump accused Mrs. Clinton of having "hate in her heart." In our book, that goes down as one of the most bizarre accusations in the entire campaign.

If anyone has hate in their heart, it is Mr. Trump.

It is doubtful any voting American is unaware of Mr. Trump's antics during the campaign: Childish name calling -- Little Marco, Lyin' Ted, Low Energy Jeb, Crooked Hillary, Crazy Bernie, Goofy Elizabeth Warren.

He mocked a disabled reporter. Disparaged a federal judge of Mexican heritage. Asserted, with racist undertone, that President Obama was not born in the United States. Suggested that John McCain is not a war hero because he allowed himself to be captured during the Vietnam war. Took delight in throwing people out of his campaign appearances - and then mocking them

We'll admit it. Some of these things caused us to laugh out loud. Most caused us to cringe.

On the simplest level, is this behavior emblematic of the person we want as the model for which America stands?

When it comes to Mr. Trump's policies, we have to have to ask: What policies?

He has created such tumult and confusion with those antics, as well as wild pronouncements with scant facts, that we cannot decipher policy from fantasy. Frankly, we think whatever policies he might have are so uninformed that he needs to create distractions so no one really takes a good look.

Mr. Trump guarantees America will build a wall for which Mexico will pay. We have no clue how that happens, and he offers none beyond "Trust me. They'll pay." Uh huh.

Just as he says United States generals will follow his every illegal order in torturing prisoners, just because he says so: "Trust me, they will." Uh huh.

Mr. Trump seems to have a difficult time differentiating between managing in private industry where he might be king, and working in a democratic system that relies on checks and balances where there are no kings.

We will deport 11 million undocumented immigrants. That idea is so bizarre, and so impossible, it's hard to even discuss the absurdity - or cruelty - of it seriously.

It appears Mr. Trump plans to turn America into a police state.

We will ban all Muslims from entering America "until we figure out what the hell is going on." That plan has morphed into "extreme vetting," something we suspect many would support - if Mr. Trump bothered to explain how, or if, it could be done.

Mr. Trump, when grasping for a way to attack Mrs. Clinton, often turns on her husband. Especially when he knows his attacks on women will be thrown in his face.

We know the details: The Rosie O'Donnell war, the Miss Universe weight fiasco, and now the infamous comments caught on a live microphone about how fame allows him to have his way with any female in whom he has an interest - married or not.

We also know the Bill Clinton details, ranging from exposing himself to Paula Jones in 1991 when he was governor of Arkansas, to a tryst with intern Monica Lewinsky in the Oval Office.

Mr. Trump went as far as to bring several of the women with whom Bill Clinton was accused of having sexual encounters to the second debate Sunday evening.

It is true that Mrs. Clinton defended her husband, questioned the accusers and called the accusations a "right-wing conspiracy."

Perhaps Mrs. Clinton was naive and believed her husband when he told America, "I did not have sex with that woman - Miss Lewisnky."

Perhaps Mrs. Clinton was doing damage control in an effort to preserve the image of the presidency.

Whatever it was, it was not her finest moment.

That said, what do Bill Clinton's sexual peccadilloes have to do with Hillary Clinton's fitness to be president of the United Sates?

In our view, not a thing.

Over the course of her career, Hillary Clinton has proven to be very smart, a savvy negotiator, compassionate when she needs to be - and tough when she must be. Even Mr. Trump admitted that Sunday night.

Mention Clinton foreign policy and detractors will cite Benghazi and the murder of four Americans, as well as Mrs. Clinton's support of the Iraq war and the subsequent savage turmoil in the Mideast.

Benghazi was surely a tragedy that would have been prevented if security warnings had been addressed before the attack. The situation was made worse by an administration that did not acknowledge it was a terrorist attack from the get-go. As Secretary of State, Mrs. Clinton took responsibility for what happened, as she should have.

But we must question if it is fair to lay all this at the feet of the person heading the agency when hundreds worked under her. Indeed, although the secretary of state might be expected to sign off or make ultimate decisions on matters involving life and death, we have no doubt there were many others in the department with a hand in what became a tragedy.

Yes. The "buck stops here." But when dealing with a government as enormous as the United States, some realism has to become part of the conversation.

Of course, all this led to the discovery that Mrs. Clinton used private email to conduct State Department business - another flaw we acknowledge.

Detractors call this bad judgement - it was - but we hold that over her 30-plus year career, her judgement has been far superior to that of her opponent and that the email issue, although a mistake, is grasping at straws in an effort to elevate Mr. Trump.

Her refusal to release thousands of emails - she says they are personal - adds to the distrust. Transparency in government is a good thing, although reasonable people will acknowledge that total transparency is not possible, nor wise.

A missile in Mr. Trump's arsenal against Mrs. Clinton is her family's charitable foundation. We, too, have issues with it.

There is little doubt the foundation has made enormous contributions and a difference in the lives of those suffering around the globe. It has raised and distributed millions and millions of dollars.

How those dollars were raised is our issue. Mrs. Clinton, while secretary of state, appears to have engaged in "pay to play" schemes, meeting with foreign leaders who donated to the family foundation.

There is no evidence anyone gained favor from then-Secretary Clinton but the specter of favoritism does exist. It's the aged argument, does the end justify the means?

There is little doubt Hillary Clinton, as her husband, is an opportunist. Frankly, we have not met many politicians who are not.

What separates Mrs. Clinton from her opponent - certainly an opportunist himself - is her ability to react like a mature and thoughtful adult to bad situations. Perhaps it's an overused term, but Mrs. Clinton appears presidential. Mr. Trump acts like a petulant child.

Mrs. Clinton knows first-hand the devastation of terror as New York's senator during the September 11 attacks and their aftermath. She reacted with calmness and strength.

She fought hard and negotiated well with then-President Bush for benefits for New York and for families who lost loved ones in the attack.

She has a fundamental understanding of fairness, for the rich and for the poor. She worked as First Lady to get health care for millions of children.

She does not want to deport millions but wants a fair and equitable immigration policy where America will still welcome people from around the globe.

Although we seriously question why so many gun advocates balk at issues like assault weapon control, we appreciate Mrs. Clinton's recognition that there is a Second Amendment as she demands stricter background checks and eliminating absurd loopholes that allow just about anyone to buy a weapon at gun shows and online.

We have utmost confidence that we can trust Hillary Clinton to be measured and wise on the world stage, negotiating with, or challenging, foreign leaders for the good of America. We absolutely cannot say that about Mr. Trump.

Mrs. Clinton has put forth a $10 billion plan over 10 years to confront the drug crisis ripping apart families across America - including right here on Staten Island - that has gained support from experts in the field.

Contrast that with Mr. Trump, who calls the epidemic a "tremendous problem" - a description he uses for just about every problem -- and says the wall he proposes blocking Mexico from the United States will halt the flow of drugs because Mexico is "the source" of America's opioid crisis.

It is true that Mexico is a source of drugs in America. But a wall?

This issue alone starkly demonstrates the difference between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. She speaks in specifics over the long-term. He speaks in generalities - often meaningless.

Staten Island has had a "love-hate" relationship with Mrs. Clinton over the years. She lost the borough in her 2000 Senate victory, but won us over in her next election six years later.

She also won the Island over Barack Obama in the 2008 New York State primary. President Clinton won the Island in his second presidential big in 1996.

Mrs. Clinton is no stranger, appearing on Staten Island many times since 2000, from visits to senior centers, to Chamber of Commerce breakfasts, to keynoting a Women in Business forum hosted by the Staten Island Economic Development Corp, to hours-long discussions at several Advance editorial board meetings to keynoting the Staten Island Advance Women of Achievement Luncheon in 2003.

She appeared here over the summer at Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Garden - ironically on the same day Donald Trump appeared at the Hilton Garden Inn.

Mrs. Clinton pledged to return to Staten Island after being elected. We don't recall Mr. Trump doing the same.

But Mrs. Clinton's relationship with Staten Island is hardly a reason for you to cast your vote for her.

Nor is Donald Trump's insistence that he will "make America great again." That takes more than words. We understand why Mr. Trump resonates on Staten Island, and across the country.

People are legitimately fed up with the Washington establishment and a mainstream media that tilts in favor of the Clintons or any liberal-leaning cause or politician.

President Obama promised to bring change to America and heal the racial divide. Instead, simmering racial strife has surfaced in America to the point where there is a war in some communities between the African-American populations and the police. Young blacks are being killed and so are cops.

Fear of terrorism has become part of daily life, no matter how many times our leaders tell you, "Don't let the terrorist win." That's not easy when you see a hooded maniacs chop heads off American citizens.

President Obama has done little to show real force in dealing with these issues overseas. Instead, he spends a good amount of time lecturing us why we need to embrace the Muslim community in America and not hold them responsible for such terrorist acts.

Mr. Obama, we get it. But we need leadership because without it people like Donald Trump with his frightening thought process surface.

Hillary Clinton is a leader.

Vote for Mrs. Clinton because in this election, she alone displays the dignity, the grace, the passion and compassion, the mental acumen, the temperament - and yes, the incredible experience on the national and international level - that will allow America the best opportunity to move forward in how we treat our neighbors here and abroad, and how we will protect ourselves from those neighbors out to not just do us harm, but to destroy our way of life.

Really, there is no other choice.