Only in American politics could Hillary Clinton make history by being the first woman to win a major nomination and be dismissed as a dishonest and corporate when countless other male politicians have played that exact same game without any criticism from the media.
If you know me in any capacity in real life, you will be well aware of my adoration and support for Hillary Rodham Clinton. Whether you support Hillary or are feeling deflated after Bernie Sanders’s resounding loss, there are a few things that you must know as we head towards the presidential election this November.
Public perception of Hillary Clinton has been crafted over twenty-five years of intense scrutiny from her opponents. Never mind her immense success as a lawyer, her work as Secretary of State, the 713 bills she sponsored in the Senate or her lifelong fight for civil rights. Clinton’s achievements are clouded by the public perception of her as the "Lady Macbeth of Little Rock." This less than favorable perception provides a stark contrast to the public’s adoration for Bernie who wrote his master’s thesis about how all women desire to be raped. This thesis has been kept silent partially because Bernie Sander’s lack of presence in the public spotlight and his identity as a white man who is held to significantly lower standards.
Bernie Sanders is able to yell as much as he wants and for it, he deemed as "inspirational" and "impassioned." Clinton, on the other hand, cannot afford the same privilege without being called "aggressive" or "abrasive." This criticism is not unique to Hillary Clinton but affects many women in positions of power. Women are statistically interrupted more; their speech patterns (such as vocal fry and upward inflections) are critiqued in a way that men’s are not, and women are more likely to be seen as “abrasive” and “domineering” when they are being assertive. Sexism in America is no secret, but it becomes particularly apparent when women seek higher positions of power. Before Hillary Clinton ran for president her approval ratings hovered around 84% and in a matter of months after she announced her candidacy they dropped to 40%.
Despite a negative public perception, Hillary Clinton has become one of the most successful politicians in America and has done so without the animal charisma that has worked in the favors of President Obama, Bill Clinton, and even George W. Bush. Hillary Clinton has attained political success in a traditionally more "feminine" way. Clinton built coalitions with the same longtime allies that endorsed Obama over her in 2008. She also spent years building relationships with the entire Democratic Party, and today 208 members of Congress have endorsed Clinton while only eight have endorsed Sanders. Hillary Clinton embodies a resounding psychological and intellectual strength and diplomacy that Bernie Sanders can only dream of. Bernie Sanders mocked the Democratic Party until he decided to run for president. Hillary Clinton's formidable intelligence enabled her to win a seat in a Republican controlled Senate in 2000. These are the same Republicans who destroyed her health care bill and worked to impeach her husband. Clinton built coalitions with many of these people which allowed her to create an elite firewall that swallowed Bernie Sanders's revolution.
The last thing that you should know is that we need Hillary Clinton right now. There has never been anyone more qualified to run for office. As much as Bernie Sanders's ideas have started a lot of very important conversations, his utter lack of diplomacy and polarization of his ideas make his candidacy incredibly improbable (not to mention that he is a foreign policy noob). The Democratic Party needs to come together. Hillary Clinton is not the "lesser of two evils," she is not even comparable to Donald Trump. You can dig your heels into the sand and refuse to vote for Hillary, but civil rights and liberties will no longer be a joke if Donald Trump gets elected.
