Vote For All Of Us

Vote For All Of Us

I’ve been voting in Presidential elections since 1968, not exactly the dawn of time, but long enough for me to get a pretty good idea about how they work, or at least how they are supposed to work. Of course for the first few elections I couldn’t even get another woman to talk about politics. We, good little ladies either went into the voting booth and voted like our husbands told us to or we went into the voting booth and secretly voted for the candidate we had quietly, with little discussion and of course, without the internet, with only the information that was presented on the local television station, decided was the best. Not very informed.

I have always gathered as much information as I could and voted for the person who most closely represented what I thought was the right thing to do. Sometimes it was a Republican, sometimes a Democrat, and occasionally an Independent.  I realized there were profound differences in the platforms of the two major parties but I always thought both parties wanted the country to succeed and that it would survive regardless of which party won the election. So even though I sometimes heard the phrase “the lesser of two evils” I knew it would only be a temporary thing anyway.

I have always believed mightily in the power of Democracy. I have known the disappointment of defeat and the elation of being on the winning side. Either way inauguration day has always been a wondrous day for me. Every time I see the mantel of leadership pass from one regime to another, quietly, solemnly, with the dignity and gravity it deserves, I have been almost overcome with emotion. We are a Democratic Nation. When we the people decide we need a new leader, we can elect him or her, with no war, no coup, not bloodshed. In this world of many governments and many philosophies, ours reigns supreme.

This year we face a challenge I have never faced before. We have two unpopular candidates in the race and their differences are as great as they can possibly be. One is the most gifted, qualified and prepared candidate to ever run for office. The other is completely unqualified, unprepared and unfit. The campaign process has been the longest and the nastiest of any I have witnessed.

I have been researching Hillary Rodham Clinton since she was the First Lady of Arkansas. I have read all the accusations and all about the accusers and the only thing I have learned is that she occasionally makes a bad decision. When she realizes that she picks herself up, reevaluates the problem and changes her strategy. Like the rest of us, she goes on. She fights when she has to, she reasons when she can, she compromises when it works. She has learned to work within a system that was not yet friendly to women and she has succeeded in enacting an impressive number of programs to help women, children, the ill, the elderly and disenfranchised people not just here in our country, but throughout the world.

For 30 years, people on the other side of the aisle have tried to bring her down. I don’t know why. I do know she has survived. I don’t like to hear people use that phrase “the lesser of two evils” right now., because there is a good candidate out there. She isn’t a conservative. She believes in our government even though it needs to be modified and cleaned up. She knows how to get it started. She knows how to bring jobs back and she has a plan. She cares about people and she knows about our strengths and weaknesses and wants to make things work for all of us. 

She has worked with officials from governments around the world and understands foreign policy and diplomacy as well as war and its demands and price. I know she will be a great President of the United States of America. Please vote for all of us. Vote for HRC.

Christa Hedrick