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| (Photo Source: Hillary Clinton Facebook) |
I've been waiting for this moment for years. 2008 was the first year I could vote in a presidential election--and I voted for Hillary in the primaries. Eight years later, after electing our first African American President, it's time to make history again.
Hillary's passion throughout her life has always been fighting for women and children. On the campaign trail, whenever you hear her talking about expanding access to education, helping those in need and making sure struggling families have the same opportunities in life as everyone else, you can trace the roots of that passion to her work with the Children's Defense Fund. After graduating law school, Hillary joined this non-profit organization that does so much good in this country, especially for disadvantaged kids. The work that she and others did helped get legislation passed requiring schools to educate children with disabilities.
That passion never left her. As First Lady of Arkansas, she put her position to good use by fighting for expanded access to health care, as well as making sure progress was being made on education standards.
[More: Democratic National Convention Night 4: Hillary Clinton Accepts the Nomination]
She didn't back down on these fronts after moving into the White House as First Lady of the United States. She was a forceful leader in support of health care reform. Of course, Republicans did what they do best: they rejected a bill that would have helped millions of Americans. Hillary (and Americans without health insurance) may have been knocked down by this defeat, but she wasn't knocked out. So what did she do? She formed a bipartisan coalition in Congress to pass a bill, called the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), that delivered health care to over 8 million children.
Hillary is a champion of women's rights and has a history of empowering women and girls not just here in the United States, but around the world as well. One of the most consequential speeches ever given by a political figure came on September 5, 1995, in Beijing, China, at the UN Fourth World Conference on Women. In this speech, Hillary delivered a line that continues to reverberate in a strong and meaningful way to this day: "Women's rights are human rights and human rights are women's rights."
A statement like that, a speech like this one, shouldn't be seen as controversial or new or radical or something to dismiss, whether in China or in the United States, but at the time, it was groundbreaking. The basic fundamentals of that line are still in the spotlight even now, when we see leaders trying to deny basic rights that men have freely enjoyed and taken advantage of since the beginning of time. Whether it's education or health care or a whole host of other issues, Hillary has led the way and has been a fighter for women and girls, for children, for poor people, for everyday Americans of all backgrounds.
When Hillary served in the Senate, she worked across the aisle by teaming up with both Democrats and Republicans to make progress in this country. That bipartisan mentality seems to be missing in today's Congress. But Hillary has a history of working with those she disagrees with--and she'll do it again as President. As a Senator from New York, she stepped up after September 11, 2001, and secured health care funding for 9/11 first responders.
As Secretary of State, she restored our standing in the world, employed a "smart power" strategy (always use diplomacy first), brokered a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, advised President Obama to take out Osama bin Laden and made LGBT rights a priority at the State Department and around the world, all while continuing her passion of empowering women and children.
[More: Guest Blog--Hillary Clinton: A Proven and Compassionate Leader]
Hillary will bring this wealth of experience and accomplishments with her into the Oval Office. If you care about the direction of the Supreme Court; acting on climate change, campaign finance reform, criminal justice reform, immigration reform, college affordability and gun control; protecting LGBT rights, women's rights and voting rights; protecting and improving the Affordable Care Act; making the wealthy pay their fair share--the list goes on and on--then Hillary is your candidate.
Hillary is without a doubt the most qualified candidate running for President, and one of the most inspirational politicians I've ever seen. I wholeheartedly believe in her. She admits to her mistakes when she's wrong and she never quits, no matter what obstacles are thrown her way. Things aren't going to magically be perfect once she's President, but that's why we need someone who is willing to put in the hard work that's necessary to take on those challenges, someone who's been there and who knows how to work with both parties, who knows how to bring people together, who knows how to find common ground to get things done. We need someone with a vision to lead this country and that person is Hillary.
And it's finally time to shatter that "highest, hardest glass ceiling" by electing our first female President. People have been trying to tear her down for years--the not-so-subtle hints of sexism have been on full display. And while that won't go away when she's elected, her presidency sends a strong message that can't and shouldn't be ignored.
Hillary's not running for President for any of the reasons her critics think; she's doing it to continue the passion she's held with her throughout her life--helping women and children. We need a President who is passionate about helping others. That's the Hillary Clinton I know--and that's the Hillary Clinton we'll have as our President.
Follow Me on Twitter: @HillaryIn2016 & @TheJeffDodge
Follow Me on Instagram: @HillaryIn2016 & @TheJeffDodge
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