I have been planning to write this diary since a couple of responses to my previous one expressed surprise that I focused more on specific policy reasons for my support of Hillary Clinton than on how she resonates with me personally as a candidate. As it turns out, teacherken published an excellent diary (that I suggest you read!) that explored a Washington Post article concerning Hillary’s resonance with many of her voters. The people interviewed in that article were inspired by Hillary for many of the same reasons I am, but I wanted to do this post anyway to get beyond specific issues and explain why Hillary really speaks to me as a voter.
I came into this election cycle inclined to support Hillary Clinton because I believed she was the best-qualified presidential candidate. I knew about her early career as an activist and trail-blazing attorney, her time as First Lady of Arkansas and then the United States, her service as a Senator, and her tenure as President Obama’s Secretary of State, during which she worked to repair the damage done to our international reputation by George W. Bush and the rest of the GOP motley crew.
Then, being the politics enthusiast I am, I drilled down on my candidate. I watched every speech, read her policy papers, and devoured every article on Hillary that I could get my hands on. The more I learned, the more I realized that Hillary wasn’t just the best candidate in terms of experience and qualifications—she truly inspired me.
I believe President Obama will be recognized as one of the greatest presidents in our history, and he inspires me for the same reasons that I have come to find Hillary truly inspirational—he is a whip-smart, results-oriented progressive with a passion for details. He does not pander. President Obama articulates his vision and explains each step of how he plans to get there. He acknowledges the interests of different stakeholder groups, and admits that any policy change has winners and losers. As far as I can tell, he almost always chooses results over making a point or stoking anger. At a time when so many voters (including me) crave honesty from their public servants, I view President Obama as an especially honest, compassionate, and results-oriented politician and I am inspired by his approach to politics.
I see the same qualities in Hillary Clinton. I love that she has a progressive vision for the country, and a phenomenally well-designed road map of how to realize that vision. I love watching her listen to people pour their hearts out (as with amazing activists such as the Mothers of the Movement) and then incorporate their concerns into intelligent, detailed plans for solving these problems. I am moved by her courage in admitting to coal industry workers that fighting climate change means moving beyond the coal industry, and her positive engagement with this reality in the form of a plan to reinvest in these workers and help them transition to new careers. Her forthrightness is on display even behind closed-doors, such as at her meeting with Black Lives Matter activists, in which she honestly described her conception of how change happens (whether one agrees or disagrees with it).
That Hillary Clinton possesses these qualities is clear to me. I am attracted to her willingness to learn and admit mistakes, and what I see as her commitment to being well-briefed and hyper-prepared on a wide spectrum of issues. A good president must be a generalist, and Hillary seems to me like a perfect fit—comfortable on virtually every issue, and willing to put in the work of becoming an expert on any one of them at the drop of a hat. Her commitment to results over spectacle, which mirrors President Obama’s, is also one that I share.
The more I learned, the more I thrilled over every fact-stuffed, detailed, Hillary Clinton speech. Listening to her identify her vision and the exact path she plans to get there conveys to me that she really, deeply cares about the vulnerable people hurt by the issues she identifies, and that she understands exactly what it will take to help them. The clear, precise descriptions of problems and solutions, similar to those from President Obama, make me feel spoken to as an equal, rather than pandered to. I am excited and moved by her candidacy and the good things I believe a Hillary presidency could produce in the same way I was excited by Obama.
Just two more things. I like that Hillary, amid her discussion of serious problems, takes the time to acknowledge what we do right in this county. We need major changes, but I appreciate the acknowledgment that we should improve what we have rather than throwing the whole thing out. And to be honest, I am excited as hell about shattering the biggest glass ceiling and finally electing our first female president. It should be clear from what I’ve written that this is far from the only reason for my support of Hillary, who I believe is far and away the best candidate. But it is the 21st century, and this kind of representation matters to me. I think it’s time to see a woman in the most powerful position on Planet Earth. I’m just thankful that the woman with that opportunity is this amazing, intelligent, effective, and compassionate woman.