I went to school with a lot of smart girls. Whether any of them secretly nurtured the notion of running against any of the boys for class president is a mystery. But always, in lower echelons of executive action, it was the girls who got everything done. We were the ones who transformed the gym into a night under the stars for the prom. It was gritty, dirty work done in our most raggedy duds. We went home covered in paint daily, threw the work clothes into the washer and dryer, and toted them back to our lockers the next day for another afternoon of messy physical labor. It was a miraculous transformation when the night arrived. The gym looked magical. We had done that. And we all looked like denizens of red carpets everywhere. Who could have imagined these muddy sprites painting on rolls of brown paper in the hallways could become fairy princesses? But if any of the princesses ever harbored the instinct to take up the scepter of leadership, I never detected it. It was not within the scope of our imaginations... at the time. And then, along came Hillary.
Wow! That took nerve! And confidence! And a willingness to own the result even if it was a failure. So Hillary began her conversation with America. She listened. Hillary Clinton is an expert listener. She heard what we had to say and built her platform on that base. Every plan was impressive, thorough, deep, broad, and explained in terms anyone could understand. It would have been amazing, but it was coming from Hillary and you knew to expect no less. It was easy to explain to others why you were with her. Her plans ... she was brilliant. What you got in return were remarks about her demeanor, her habit of silencing the applause so she could get started speaking. She wasn't warm enough. She wasn't cool enough. She was too linear. She was too organized. Underneath it all was what she was not. A man.
So here we are today, and I still hear some of the same criticisms and concerns. Hillary has gone about the job this time in much the same way as she did in 2007. She is a more seasoned candidate this time around with a deeper resumé. In a season when opposition candidates talk about a post-card tax return, most of the plans on both sides fit on your old 3x5 cards that you used for your research and debates. Hillary's plans fill binders. The scope of her work is enormous because it is planned in response to what she hears from us on the trail. She listens. You have a problem. She devises a plan for that.
Hillary Clinton is unquestionably attentive, caring, brilliant, informed, knowledgeable. She is the one. She is the candidate all of us on various social media platforms support, the one to whom we are committed. She clearly is head and shoulders above anyone else running - anyone we ever have seen running. So why do so many Hillary supporters feel it is incumbent upon them to tell her what to do? Why do so many comments begin with, "She should...," "She has to...?"
This is our smartest candidate. We support her because of who she is, how she listens, how she thinks, and how she plans. Why can't we just let Hillary be Hillary? *Sigh* It's a little like choosing a mate and then trying to change that person. That never works out well.
If you are not a Hillary supporter and have stuck with me this far, thank you. You should look at her issues and plans. You might like them. If you are a Hillary supporter, please stop thinking you are smarter than she is. You aren't. Stop telling her what to do! Embrace her for who and how she is or get off the bus.
This is my candidate: the smartest girl in the class. She is perfect for me exactly as she is.
