I’m Not Voting for Hillary Clinton, But As A Woman I Respect Her

In my opinion, Hillary Clinton is a hard woman to love. She seems cold and perpetually dishonest to me and I personally don’t think she has what it takes to be the strong President America is looking for.

Personal opinions aside, Clinton is an extremely successful woman who broke barriers for women around the world. She graduated from Wellesley College with a degree in political science and an impressive resume including a summer internship at the White House. Her time at Yale Law School also did not disappoint, although this time of her life is often overshadowed by the beginning of her relationship with her future presidential husband.

In fact, Bill Clinton’s career has repeatedly overshadowed his wife’s, and yet if it weren’t for her Bill Clinton possibly would never have made it to the White House. In the early 1990’s, according to the New York Times, Bill Clinton was only earning $35,000 a year as the governor of Arkansas. Mrs. Clinton on the other hand, then a lawyer and senior partner in a law firm, happily supported their family with her $92,000 salary.

Furthermore, Hillary did not disappoint while her husband was hard at work in the oval office. Upon Bill’s election, Hillary became the first, First Lady to hold a postgraduate degree and have an office in the West Wing of the White House in order to advise the president. Bill even promised the nation while campaigning that if he was elected president of the United States the American people would get “two [presidents] for the price of one.”

That, however, is not all. Hillary was also the first woman to be elected into the New York senate and she later (although controversially) served as the Secretary of State in the Obama administration

The road to the White House has been a rough one for Hillary Rodham, fraught with heavy criticism, scrutiny and an FBI investigation. Despite her imperfections, Clinton has stood strong and never backed down on her convictions including college affordability, income inequality and workplace policy reform.

So why aren’t I voting for Hillary Clinton? Firstly, she has tasted the power the White House has to offer during the “Billary” presidential years and does not need to serve a conjectural third term. Secondly, there are too many if’s in her campaign. She has lied one too many times to be trusted with the power she will wield over the American government if she is elected in November.

My voting stance, however, does not in any way minimize the respect I have for Hillary Clinton or the respect she deserves. Internet trolls that create memes of the 68-year-old woman stumbling at the 9/11 memorial service in New York due to health issues should be ashamed of themselves. People who continually label her a bitch or make fun of her pantsuits should be embarrassed. And anyone who references Bill Clinton’s indiscretions as an insult to her wifely duties should be chastised.

All I’m saying is you don’t have to like her and you definitely don’t have to vote for her, but you should show Hillary Clinton the respect she deserves.