I am not racist. I am not sexist. I am not lacking in intelligence. I am not rich. I am not a redneck. All of the characteristics associated with Donald Trump supporters, yet I am none of them. I am a woman. I am a feminist. I am a college graduate. I am middle class. All of the characteristics of a “Hillary Clinton” supporter. I thought long and hard about the decision that I had to make on November 8th. Would I prefer someone that could fly off the handle and stir up a lot of beliefs of the superiority of the “white man” or would I prefer to vote for a woman that constantly lies, feels she is above the law and conveniently tries to cover it up?
No.
I voted for Donald Trump.
I can already hear the screams and anger boiling, but please take a moment to understand why I chose to vote for a man that could fly off the Twitter handle at any moment over the first potential woman president.
Like most of the country, I wasn’t happy with either of the options. I didn’t like how it became a game of name calling. I didn’t like how the debates became real life Saturday Night Live skits. I didn’t like how the issues and policies never seemed to get discussed. I didn’t like how it became “what celebrity can I get to endorse me next.” And I most certainly didn’t like the scandals behind both candidates, but when it came down to it, I did not want another four years of President Obama, which is what Hillary would be bringing to the table.
Do I support everything Donald says? Hell no, but have we ever 100% backed any president? Do I think he has enough political experience? Nope, but don’t you think that could be kind of a good thing? Do I think that he has the power or is going to overturn laws that have already come into place like gay/lesbian marriage or birth control? Absolutely not, or I wouldn’t have voted for him if I thought he could. Do I think he is a racist, sexist pig who wears too much self tanner? Sometimes, but I still think he is the lesser of two evils when it came to who was going to be taking over the country for the next four years.
Donald Trump is loud, obnoxious, and doesn’t think before he speaks. We see on the surface what Donald is like. We see what makes him tick, unlike with Hillary.
Hillary Clinton is rehearsed.
In my opinion, she is a very good actress. While you might not see her voice it as much as Donald, she has also made hateful remarks towards women when Bill had his affairs and had racist emails surface during her FBI investigation, but no one brought light to that. It was all about having a woman become President, no matter who that women may be or what she stood for.
Unlike the rest of the world who is in turmoil with each other trying to figure out how on Earth someone could get elected who has made terrible remarks about different races, who has made lewd comments about women and has a history of working the system to his favor, I understand where both sides are coming from.
I was born and raised in Western Pennsylvania; Steel country. Pittsburgh is home to the working class and some of the biggest steel mills in the country, but the economy has been failing us. While President Obama says that unemployment is at a low, he is not looking in Pennsylvania. He is not looking at the steel mills that are closing at a rapid pace because of trade. He is not looking at the men that are now out of work with nowhere to turn because the mills were all they knew. He is not looking at the citizens that have to move out of the state to find work elsewhere. President Obama and Hillary support trade, but a trade that has taken away my father’s job along with many others middle-class families. Donald came to those in the working class and said, “This has got to change!” Hillary did not.
Do I believe that Donald is going to change trade policies in an effort to bring back work to our country? I don’t know, but I am hopeful. Do I know that Donald is going to keep his word and look out for the middle class? I don’t know, but it is worth a try. Do I feel like Donald Trump could be the President that we need to change the way our country is suffering? I don’t know, but I am willing to give him that chance.
I know that there are many out there that compare Donald Trump to Hitler, Stalin, or Lord Voldemort. I know that there are many who are worried about certain rights being taken away. I know that there are a lot of fears to be had, but I also know that now is the time where we have to come together. The fighting needs to end and we have to learn to support each other. He may not be the President you chose, but he is now the one we have, and with that, he needs our support. This is America, where we believe that everyone and everything deserves a chance to rise above. We need to stop looking at each other as a Hillary supporter or a Donald supporter and look at each other as neighbors, friends, and colleges. We are all in this together for a greater America.
Featured image via Public domain
I notice in all the things you list that you are not, you didn’t mention naive. Thanks for rolling the dice on our country with Trump.
What we know about him – while unrehearsed – is not good.
“If you go with what Hillary is saying, in the ninth month, you can take the baby and rip the baby out of the womb of the mother just prior to the birth of the baby.” 1) Lack of understanding re: what abortion even means 2) pro-life is very anti-feminist.