The outcome of the Democratic primaries has Bernie Sanders supporters everywhere sending frown emojis left and right. Hillary Clinton will be the Democratic nominee for President. I wasn’t too happy about this at first because she does have her flaws and I don’t agree with her on as many policy issues as I did with Bernie. Still, I hope that the majority of Democrats are going to vote for whichever candidate isn’t Donald Trump. I like her well enough as a candidate, and my vote is going to Clinton. On the other hand, some voters are so opposed to the former Secretary of State that they are considering either voting for Trump, whom they previously disliked or not voting at all. Here are 10 reasons voters should rethink that.
1. Clinton believes in the very real threat of climate change.
Her record of supporting oil drilling has earned her a bad reputation in the environmental department, but it seems she has since learned from these mistakes and is devoted to promoting clean energy sources in the U.S. She at least recognizes that climate change is an issue and doesn't think that it was made up by the Chinese, like a certain GOP candidate. The League of Conservation Voters, an environmentally-centered political group, gives her an 82 percent rating. Not too shabby.
2. She cares about K-12 and early childhood education.
Clinton has said that she promotes universal preschool and wants to increase funding for early childhood education. She seems to be pro-teacher and has voted in favor of hiring more of them. The largest teachers' union in the United States, the National Education Association, endorses Clinton for president.
3. She’s in support of the Affordable Care Act...
Clinton wants to uphold President Obama's Affordable Care Act, a program that works toward making healthcare available for every American, regardless of income. She does, however, want to revise it as well.
4. …and women’s reproductive rights.
She strongly supports women's rights to a safe and legal abortion, as well as their access to birth control. Clinton is the candidate endorsed by Planned Parenthood and they say that she has a "strong track record" of supporting reproductive health.
5. She supports LGBT rights.
Notably, Clinton had a shaky start with LGBT rights, but this stance has evolved dramatically over the years. She began officially endorsing LGBT rights in 2013, and has supported them since. Thankfully, her stance has changed with public opinion in favor of this particular branch of civil rights.
6. She wants to make college affordable.
Clinton's plans for college affordability include greatly reducing college debt and ensuring that colleges don't raise their tuition too high. She doesn't want free college for everybody, but she wants it to be accessible. Her and Bernie's plans have similar goals, but hers are less radical. Overall, she's made financial access to college one of her priorities.
7. She recognizes the existence of racism and the need to take action.
Her website lists racial justice as one of the issues she will target through policies like prison reform (ending mass incarceration) and protecting the rights of immigrants. Although I definitely wouldn't call her the most racially sensitive politician I've seen, she has a great record compared to Trump, whose campaign thrives on his continuous negativity toward people of color and Muslims.
8. Her economic plan prioritizes American working families.
Clinton has an investment plan that includes clean energy, infrastructure, scientific and medical research, all of which could help create jobs. Her tax plan also includes tax relief for working families.
9. She has other unique goals for the nation.
Among the major issues she addresses, her website also lists concern for the rights of disabled Americans, animal rights and finding the cure for Alzheimer’s.
10. She. Is. Not. Donald. Trump.
