Why I’m Proudly Voting FOR Hillary Clinton, Not Just AGAINST Donald Trump

Democratic Nominee Isn’t Perfect, but No One’s More Experienced or Qualified, and Her Policy Positions are Right Where I Want Them to Be

Sometime in the past few weeks, the presidential election conversation shifted away from “I’m voting for … ” to “I’m voting against … ”

While I’m all for anyone voting against GOP nominee Donald Trump for pretty much any reason — and wow, are there many — I want to shift the conversation back. I’m not just voting against Trump, I’m proudly voting for Hillary Clinton.  

Before we go any further I should tell you that no, I’m not affilliated with the Clinton campaign. Yes, I’ve worked on Democratic campaigns and will probably work on others in the future, but so far, they’ve all been local or statewide races.

This is all me, and I’ll say it again: I’m proudly voting for Hillary Clinton. She’s not just the best candidate for the job in relation to the other possibilities, she’s the best we’ve seen in a long time.  

Right away, more than a few commentors on Facebook are going to start off by saying, “But Hillary wasn’t even for same-sex marriage until a couple of years ago and only because public opinion changed!” Seriously, wait a few hours after this gets posted and go check NCRM’s Facebook page. At least one person’s going to say this. 

Here’s my response: So what? She’s there now. There are lots of folks who were involved in the fight, whether on the ground or at a policy level, who gladly take wins however we can get them.

A win’s a win. She may not have been with us before, but she took the time to listen, learn and act. She’s there now and she’s gone even farther — she’s more pro-LGBT going into the election than any other major party candidate in history.

Literally, there is no other candidate in the history of our country who is or has been more pro-LGBT than Clinton is. She’s talked openly about rights that go far beyond marriage — and she hasn’t been afraid to talk about trans non-discrimination laws. In fact, I kind of love it even more when a politician’s personal views don’t always match their public policy positions because they understand that their responsibility is to their consituents and not to themeselves.

Just this week, everyone’s favorite step-dad and Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Kaine talked about how his Catholic faith guides him in his daily life, but not always in his political life. Isn’t this exactly what we want out of our leaders? People who understand that their religious beliefs are their own, and that their responsibility isn’t to minister to the masses, but to create public policy that works for everyone?

In my book, that’s paramount. Sure, I’d love it if a politician truly matched up with every one of my beliefs, but more than that, I want a politician who firmly believes in my right to live my life according to my personal beliefs, even if those beliefs differ from their own. 

Hillary Clinton is the most pro-reproductve rights candidate we’ve seen in a long, long time. She’s an ardent supporter of access to abortion, birth control, and other reproductive health needs.

In terms of healthcare, she was the pioneer who first brought the idea of universal healthcare to the US. (Seriously, that’s where the seeds of Obamacare were planted.) She’s for paid family leave — for the whole family, not just the person who gave birth, because she’s smart enough to know that the not only do adoptive parents matter just as much as biological parents, she understands the powerful bonding that happens with the non-birth parent during the first few weeks of life. 

There are so many other issues where the Clinton campaign is right where I want them to be: gun control, climate change, racial justice, worker’s rights — for me, the list goes on. And, sure, there are some issues where Clinton and I don’t see eye to eye, but that’s OK. I recognize the reality of the situation, too. Not every policy I’d like to see changed makes the most sense for the rest of the country, or, we’re just not there yet. But even with that in mind, there’s no denying that in certain areas — in foreign policy, for example, or, even just knowing how government actually works — there’s no one more experienced and qualified.

There’s no doubt that we still have plenty of work to do in many areas. No one candidate is going to be everywhere I want them to be — progress takes time. But when it comes to the person I think best matches with the majority of my issues and is most likely to make progress on them and who has experience and understands how to get things done? Hillary Clinton is the only choice. The other candidates don’t even come close. 

I’m not ignoring that she’s got some faults and she’s made mistakes. (If you want to see a list of those faults, I’m sure the good people who comment on Facebook will be happy to make a list for you.) Clinton has bravely faced those mistakes, admitted to them, taken the heat, and moved on. That’s what I want in a candidate, and that’s what I want in a president. 

I’m voting for Hillary Clinton because she’s the best person for the job. When it comes to pure experience and ability, no one else even comes close. Not by a longshot.

Robbie Medwed is an Atlanta-based LGBT activist and educator. His column appears here weekly. Follow him on Twitter @rjmedwed