Why I Am Voting for Hillary Clinton

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

I received a fabulous email from one of my colleagues last night about her choice for president and it inspired me to share my story before I go off to vote here in a couple minutes. As many of you know, I have spent my entire adult life working in politics and while I could go into the long list of rational, political reasons why I am supporting and voting for Hillary Clinton for President today -- it ultimately is an extremely personal one for me. And as I think about the last 14 years I have spent working on campaigns, probably the most personal of my professional life.

My entire life has been shaped in one way or another by strong powerful women. The memories of my mother's struggle and perseverance as a single mom for so many years influenced my desire for greater economic and social justice.  Later as she struggled to move up the ladder at Kellogg's, I still remember the fights she waged against a mostly male workforce  who resisted her leadership. The example that my mother and my Tia's set for me was always clear, they demonstrated what was possible, the realities of their struggles and what was left to achieve. As I started off in politics, it was with the support of my sisters and friends that I was able to pursue a life that often kept me from spending time with them.  The women I met along the way -- Melody, Gale, Amy, Ellen -- always challenged me to be better and inspired me to do more. 

I have always subscribed to the notion that you can't know where you are going unless you know where you have been. I am grateful to those who pushed me forward, and how I have arrived at this point. This election is very much about the past as it is the future for me. And the ultimate reason I will cast my ballot for Hillary today, is because of the future. Because I believe young girls can't be what they can't see. In the same way that I was able to become who I am today because of the women I saw, I want my 8-year old niece to know that the reality is -- she can achieve anything, including being President (and that it's not just something parents tell their kids, but it CAN happen).

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