I am voting for Hillary Clinton every day!
Yes, I know that voting is a singular act. I’m saying that this year especially, I feel compelled to do something every day toward the election of Hillary Rodham Clinton for President of the United States.
I’ve been an activist all my life, and every time I walk in a protest march, or into a community center, or a rotary club, or a Union hall, I’m casting a vote that is made of shoe leather, and handshakes, and hugs, and human energy.
As a child I walked precincts on the North Side of Tulsa, Oklahoma with my parents, to help get out the vote. I didn’t fully realize at the time how new and hard-won those votes were, but I found out, and that’s why I’m still showing up, and phone banking, canvassing, and registering voters, and urging participation in our democracy.
Let me be clear. HRC is my choice because she is unquestionably the best, most qualified candidate for the job. It’s not just that she is prepared, and has great breadth of experience. Nor is it just that she has the temperament and intellect that the job requires. Nor is it just because she’s a woman. But, ain’t that sweet! It’s all of those reasons and more. She’s simply the best choice. It’s not even close.
This is a race between a highly qualified, intellectually formidable, tough, balanced, nimble, seasoned politician…and a breathtakingly unqualified candidate who is as ready to be the President of the United States as a broken clock is ready to keep accurate time. Although to be fair, a broken clock is right twice a day, which is far more often than Donald Trump is right.
If elected, he will not fix the corrupting influence of corporate money in our politics, because he literally would not know where, or how, to start. For a guy who constantly claims that everything is “rigged,” how can we expect him to see clearly the injustice/imbalance/systemic racism built into our nation? Or how can we expect someone to fight for transparency if he won’t be straight with us about how and where he made his money?
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On the other hand, Hillary Clinton knows a great deal about how to address the increasing corruption in our politics, and I am confident that she will, for example, put forward Supreme Court nominees who will address the catastrophic Citizens United decision, which has done so much damage to the way decisions get made in Washington. And once she’s elected, we can count on her administration to implement reforms that will restore the faith of the American people in the political process, no matter what state, or party, they belong to.
Winston Churchill once said that Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all of the others. He was right. It is messy and maddening, and unpredictable, but I believe in the Democratic process, precisely because of how vulnerable it is. It requires participation, tolerance, compromise, and patience. It especially requires vigilance.
In so many ways Donald Trump is an insult to Democracy. But I’m almost grateful for his presence in this election, because he has energized millions of Americans, of every political persuasion, to take a position and participate. On election day the people will have spoken.
These are extraordinary times, and Hillary Clinton is an extraordinary candidate. Donald Trump was right when even he had to recognize at the end of the second debate that she would never quit. She has steadfastly stood up and delivered for women and children her entire career. That’s why I’m Standing With Her.
As our 45th Commander In Chief, Hillary will protect the hard won progress President Obama has achieved and she will keep moving women forward to opportunity and income equality. When you move women forward, the whole family moves forward. Our families are made up of all races, all genders, all persuasions and our particular preferences, all arriving to this great American Experiment at different times.
Hillary recognizes that we are the American family, in an abundance of flavors. That’s what makes us strong. And when you move Family forward, you move the Nation forward. Throughout this race, I’ve been voting for her with my voice, my activism, and my faith, and on election day, with great joy, I will vote for her with my ballot. Come on, No Sistah left behind!
Join me!
– Alfre Woodard
#WhyImWithHer is a series of essays in support of Hillary Clinton written by Alfre Woodard, Tracee Ellis Ross, America Ferrera, Constance Wu, Michelle Williams, Uzo Aduba and Zoe Kazan. This is a project of EMILY’s List, the nation’s largest organization dedicated to changing the face of power by electing pro-choice Democratic women to office at all levels. Read more at www.emilyslist.org/WhyImWithHer.