This Race Should Not Be A Close One

As we’ve seen all along, the presidential race is between a bigoted, temperamental businessman who lacks political knowledge and an experienced woman who understands politics, policy, and diplomacy. This election isn’t a typical Republican vs. Democrat race like it was in 2008 with John McCain or 2012 with Mitt Romney. This is a battle between sanity and complete instability. It shouldn’t be close.

Trump has preyed upon fear and anger, emotions that rise up even in the best of us. People are upset that they’re working hard and barely getting by. They’re scared of terrorism and threats from across the world. They’ve lived through administration after administration and they feel that their situations haven’t changed. But Trump’s anger is misdirected. Our country hasn't been ruined by immigrants or Muslims or beauty queens who got too “fat.” In fact, it hasn't been ruined at all. And it sure won’t be made great again by an unstable character with his hands on the nuclear codes.

This race has been dominated by disbelief over Trump’s bombast, but when I walk into the voting booth, I’ll be proud to cast my vote for Hillary Clinton completely apart from who is on the other side.

As President Obama said in his DNC speech, evoking Teddy Roosevelt, Hillary has been the “man in the arena.” Since Bill Clinton was President, she has defied the norms surrounding First Ladies and jumped into Health Care policy, a subject she was passionate about since becoming an attorney with the Children’s Defense Fund. Today, she holds true to the values she exemplified when first coming onto the political scene. She has been a public servant who fights for those who need a voice or a helping hand.

As an educated American, I know that lawful immigrants can be a great benefit to this country. I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for a person who believed in the American dream and a country that welcomed him/her, and neither would most of you (newsflash: our ancestors were all immigrants). As someone who has close LGBT friends and family, I know they deserve equal protection under the law. As a woman who wants to work in a place where she is valued, I know how important it is for women to receive equal pay and equal respect. And as someone has grown up in an economically privileged, mostly Trump-supporting area, I somehow have been raised to realize that others deserve to have a shot at the same opportunities that have been granted to me. Those are the values that Hillary Clinton stands for and those are the values that make me proud to identify as a Democrat.

We made history in 2008 and again in 2012. It’s time to stand behind Hillary Clinton and make history for the third time in a row. I'm tired of trying to explain myself when I say I'm with her and not Trump. I am tired of people telling me I'm stupid for supporting Hillary Clinton when they are simply uneducated. I am tired of feeling like I can't say I support Hillary simply because if I do, I will have Trump supporters cram false information down my throat. I'm done sitting back and watching. This race should not be a close one. It should be clear who we should vote for on November 8th.