This past week was a turning point for the Democratic and Republican parties. The democratic national convention showed us a side of several political leaders that we've never seen before, including: Bernie Sanders, Barack Obama, Michelle Obama and Bill Clinton to just name a few.
In the beginning of the elections, I was a huge Bernie Sanders supporter. In fact, I still am because to me, Sander's radical thinking and calls for abrupt change are what this country needs in this time of uprising. Unfortunately, Bernie did not get the nomination and I was deeply disappointed because he was what I wanted to look up to as president – I saw the potential he had, even though he didn't have as much experience as Clinton, and, to me, he is authentic and real.
For a while now, I have been struggling with the idea of Hillary Clinton: who she is and what she has to offer as a potential president. Donald Trump aside, I'm not sure if I agree with everything Hillary advocates for and I'm not sure if she would do a great job as she claims she would... But after hearing Barack Obama's moving speech at the convention, I realized a lot about Clinton. First, she isn't perfect. She does not have a squeaky clean track record, but people make mistakes, don't we? Clinton learned from those mistakes and she continues to fight for the seat in the Oval Office and that shows me that she never gives up. Even though people continue to bring up the email leaks, her past as an attorney, etc., she doesn't let that hinder her race to presidency, which also shows me that she looks to the future and doesn't let the past interfere with her plans, and that, to me, is important.
I can safely say that I am with her now because I see a passion for change in her, but there are some things that I still think she needs to work on. I think she needs to work on being more transparent about her values and needs to come to grips with her white privilege and white feminism. I am also not a huge fan of her VP pick Tim Kaine because I think he's too moderate to help Clinton advocate for real change. Again, Kaine is experienced and has a good head on his shoulders, but I'm still on the edge with him.
"Don't boo. Vote!" -- Obama
That quote is huge for me because we can sit here and complain about Donald Trump all we want, but that won't stop him from continuing his fight for the seat in the Oval Office. We need to come together and vote for someone that cares about the 99 percent, immigrants, people of color, etc., and that is Hillary Clinton. Donald Trump says he'll run this country like he runs his businesses -- I don't know about you, but I don't want to be treated like a dollar bill. I want to be treated like an equal human being and I feel that Hillary Clinton would do that best.
So yes, there are things about Hillary Clinton that I don't necessarily like, but I believe that her experience, passion and determination is what this country needs. So she has my vote.
