Now is the time to really be ‘with her’: Hillary Clinton should be our next president
Back in February, my stance on voting for Hillary Clinton was like eating a Popeye's biscuit without honey––it’s good enough but it's nowhere near ideal...
Back in February, my stance on voting for Hillary Clinton was like eating a Popeye’s biscuit without honey – it’s good enough, but it’s nowhere near ideal.
I’ll be the first to admit I wasn’t totally convinced she was the the proper candidate for the job despite all her political know-how. Then by the time summer hit, the #GirlIGuessImWithHer trend went viral, so I hopped on board because frankly, I understood that Donald Trump would do more radical damage to America than inspire its greatness, even if I wasn’t buying Clinton’s dominoes-playing, Nae Nae-dancing act.
*Will black Bernie supporters come around for Clinton in November?
Now, however, the indifference toward having her lead our country may be holding us back.
In recent debates, she has risen above Trump’s condescending behavior and proven she is of sound, intelligible mind to be POTUS. Wednesday night was no different. Even as Trump was insulting her as a “nasty woman,” Clinton stood her ground.
She has been, quite literally, the ‘adult in the room.’
Throughout her presidential campaign, she’s shown a commitment to discussing criminal justice reform, how this country can end racial profiling and unfair sentencing laws and policies. She strives toward debt-free college and plans to close the education achievement gap. She also wants to revitalize the economy by creating jobs, removing roadblocks to homeownership and curbing high rental costs. But the bottom line is that some black folks don’t trust that Clinton will make good on her promises to our community.
*Was Hillary Clinton’s Response to the Racial Divide Question Good Enough?
In 1996, yes, she called black youth “superpredators” while speaking in support of the 1994 Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act, which greatly imprisoned African-Americans at a disproportionate rate. She has since apologized for her role and directly thrown her support behind the Black Lives Matter movement, even inviting the Mothers of the Movement to participate in the Democratic National Convention back in July. Hillary has shown considerable growth in regards to understanding the issues of the black community, but is it enough?
Millennials don’t seem to be too enthusiastic about this election. USA Today reports that excitement about voting peaked in March and has steadily dipped fueled in part by Bernie taking a backseat this election year.
*Mary J. Blige Gets the ‘411’ on Hillary Clinton in New Interview for Apple Music
I mean, really, it’s fascinating to what lengths some are going to support anyone but HRC. Here’s a newsflash for those people, though: The third parties don’t have the experience or resources to be effective, and writing Bernie’s name won’t magically put the politician back in play for the White House.
Plus, he’s thrown his support behind Clinton anyway, which we should do as well. Because the thing is, it’s our responsibility to hold Clinton responsible in the event she takes the next presidential seat.
Yes, at first, the sole purpose for voting Clinton was to keep Trump from becoming president at all costs. Hell, that’s still the mission. However, in these next 21 days, it’s time to bear down and support Clinton wholeheartedly for her willingness to mature throughout her campaign.
While some may see this as bogus pandering for black votes, how’s she gonna prove it if we don’t give her a real shot?
Let’s be clear: Trump’s America is a racist, misogynistic land that is only suited for middle-aged white male bigots. If you are anything besides that, you’d be a fool to throw support behind him.
Look, if Michelle Obama, who we all secretly hope runs in 2020, can endorse Clinton so spiritedly, we too can stop spreading doubt and giving these on-the-fence voters a reason to opt out.
Seriously, Clinton needs all the votes she can acquire.
Obama has left huge shoes to fill, and come Nov. 8, we must ensure America moves in the same progressive direction by voting for the candidate who doesn’t emphatically berate women, encourage rape-y behavior and throw public tantrums like a toddler.
To put it plainly, anyone not voting for Hillary come Election Day is just begging for Trump to take the Oval Office. At this point, it’s just plain dumb and ridiculous not to fully support Clinton, because the alternative is quite literally life-threatening.
Niki McGloster is a Maryland-based writer and co-founder of her sweat. She has written for ESSENCE, Genius, Billboard, VIBE and Teen Vogue. Follow her on Twitter @missjournalism.
