By Elijah Lutz, Copy Editor
I will walk into the polling booth to vote in my first presidential election next week. I have every intention of casting my vote for Hillary Clinton, the Democratic nominee. This is why I will be supporting Clinton as the 45th U.S. president.
The New York Times endorsed Clinton based on her willingness and ability to rise to the challenges facing our country, and I could not agree with them more. Clinton has years of public service experience that remain unmatched by any of the other candidates this year. She served as a U.S. senator from New York for eight years, before being named the U.S. Secretary of State for President Barack Obama in 2008. While some may see this as unwanted experience of a career politician, I believe it to be solid experience that has tested and proven her ability to handle the most rigorous positions in American government.
Her work in politics up to the present day has been instrumental to her success. Although not all of her successes are evident at first glance, Clinton works to get things done gradually and effectively, working with players on both sides of the aisle to ensure that what she wants to get done is achieved. Her willingness to work with all people of both parties is admirable, considering that most of her opponents have threatened to do the same to her that has been done to President Obama: allowing no cooperation or full rejection of her policies from the legislative branch.
Aside from her experience, platform and policy will also influence my decision on Election Day. It has been said many times, but the Democratic Party and Hillary Clinton have adopted the most progressive platform in the history of the party. The positions taken by the party this year are ones that are meant to do something that both parties have failed to do in recent years: represent what the party’s base membership wants. According to the Democratic National Committee, this year’s platform includes expanding Social Security, making college debt-free for in-state public universities and reforming our justice system to eliminate social inequalities in our courts.
[perfectpullquote align=”right” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]Although not all of her successes are evident at first glance, Clinton works to get things done gradually and effectively, working with players on both sides of the aisle to ensure that what she wants to get done is achieved.[/perfectpullquote]
Though Clinton has had several prominent controversies plague her candidacy, her ability to serve as president has not changed. Some of her mistakes will need to be addressed — the actions of each candidate must always be called into question, and it is only right that the necessary consequences be executed. However, Clinton has handled her mistakes in a professional manner; she has taken responsibility and apologized for her actions.
Many people say that Hillary Clinton as president will bring the destruction of our country. I fully reject this claim. With over thirty years of dedicated public service, Clinton cares for the American people and wants to make this country a better place for all of us. I believe in the core principles of the Democratic Party: that all people deserve a fair shot, that everyone should give their fair share and that we are stronger when we work together.
The things that unite us as country are far greater than the things that divide us. Rather than focusing on the bad in our people, Clinton focuses on what is good. The message of hope that President Obama shared with us in 2008 is not dead; rather, it is just beginning. With Hillary Clinton, there is hope for a better future.
