In defense of the sanctimonious women's studies set || First feminist blog on the internet

Election Night 2016 open thread

It’s almost over, y’all. It’s. Almost. Over.

And whoever gets elected, the results will be the sa — hahaha no, despite the popular false equivalence that Clinton and Trump are two equally bad sides of the same coin, that is ridiculous, and while things aren’t going to get auto-better under Clinton, saying that she’s as bad as Trump is like saying getting bitten by a puppy is as bad as getting bitten by a gila monster. Both hurt, but one hurts like being stuck with upholstery needles and the other hurts like being lit on fire and is only probably not going to kill you. “Thank God the election is almost over” doesn’t necessarily imply “and everything will be cool tomorrow.” We’re just hoping/quasi-expecting that.

For my part, I didn’t start out as an ardent supporter of Hillary Clinton. (At times, you’ll recall, I’ve been right critical.) And while I wasn’t entirely hold-your-nose-and-take-your-medicine about her candidacy, I was never as much #withher as I was #againsthim — Trump has been, openly and defiantly, a horrible person and a horrible candidate from the very beginning, and Clinton was the best choice among the remaining Anyone Who Isn’t Him.

I don’t feel that way now. When I cast my vote for Hillary Clinton this morning, in the gym of a local elementary school while neighborhood kids played on the playground and lined up for lunch, it was for her, and not for not-Trump. It was for the policies she’s proposed and the positions she’s taken. And you know what? I am excited about the prospect of having a female president. Voting for a female major-party presidential candidate was an unexpectedly moving experience. But the best part about it was voting that way not for lack of better options, wasting my inaugural ladyvote on the lesser of evils, but voting that way because I genuinely think Clinton will do a good job of running the country.

Luvvie says all of the things I’m feeling, far better than I’m saying them (and you need to go over and read her entire post, because every word of it is correct and the truth):

I voted for Hillary because she is the most qualified person to ever run for President of the United States. And to be honest, any man with her qualifications would water slide into the position she is currently fighting tooth and nails for. I voted for her because she is committed to seeing women retain their basic rights, as people with agency over their bodies. I voted for her because I’m confident that she will not start World War 3. I voted for her because I’ve seen her move more left, which means she can be influenced to change policy and stances that we do not like. And we can certainly work to push her way more left, and to take on more work that will benefit people of color. That is important. I voted for her because she won’t pick Supreme Court justices who will dropkick us back into 1856.

I voted for Hillary, not because I think she’s faultless. She has MANY faults and there are a lot of critiques of hers that are valid. I am not saying #ImWithHer because she’s saving us all. Nope. I voted for her because she is the best option we have for President, and I think she does have compassion for human beings. She has grace under fire, and how she hasn’t managed to flip everyone and their obsession with her emails (which they still can’t find shit to charge her on) for is beyond me. She is presidential.

I voted for Hillary. I want her do this work. And if you are holding your nose and don’t mess with her, fine. But vote, to prevent the other choice from happening, and then let her earn your vote in the next 4 years. Because you know she wants 8 years in that White House so let’s spend the next 4 holding her feet to the fire and making sure she doesn’t drop all those promises she’s made. And that her actions reflect the mistakes she’s admitted to making. And I am excited to see our first woman president.

So it would appear that after all this and everything, it turns out #ImWithHer. Which feels like a good place to be.

Share your own election-related feelings in comments.


16 thoughts on Election Night 2016 open thread

  1. It’s over. And I am still numb and in a state of shock. I weep for my neighbours south of the border. I have a really good friend in NC and knowing her, she’s probably in tears now. I’ll give her a call later.

  2. the head of a giraffe against a bright blue sky: its mouth is pursed sidewaysI’m responding to your article in Esquire today. [snip]

    [MODERATOR NOTE: the author of that Esquire article stopped writing for this blog several years ago. Jill’s current byline bio on Esquire mentions she is a former editor of this blog. So why respond to Jill’s writing somewhere else, on a post written by Caperton here? If you want to respond to points Caperton made in this post, don’t drag another author into it, especially not without even bothering to share a link to give others context. ~tt]

  3. I know I’ve been away for a long time. I’m sorry. Shit’s just gotten on top of me and something had to give.

    But last night and today have been brutal. And I’m genuinely frightened and horrified. So I was wondering if anyone else is still around and wants to commiserate.

    1. Hi EG, I’ve been away for ages too. Just fished you out of the mod queue. We’re frightened and horrified over this side of the world as well.

      1. Hi! I’m going to try and pull myself together to be here again. I think I’m going to need all the political community I can get, and maybe others do too…

    2. Just checking in. I was just thinking about you, EG. 🙂 How’s the youngling?

      As for the election…I can’t right now.

      1. He’s doing all right! He’s saying words and sometimes sentences, and he thinks the word “elbow” is hysterically funny. The only thing that’s made me smile all week, practically, is him cracking up whenever I say “elbow.”

        How are you?

      2. Hey Angel H–I wrote you a reply that went into mod…don’t want you to think I’m replying to Tom and tigtog and snubbing you…

      3. I’m doing ok. Looking forward to seeing my nieces next week.

        Maybe your son and the mod-bot know something about the word “elbow” that we don’t!

    3. This feels like running into a beloved relative at a funeral. “Great seeing you again! Wish it were under better circumstances. How’s the kid and the… oh, this just feels weird.” But glad to see you, though.

      1. Oh God, you’re right, that’s exactly what it feels like! “Good to see you, but this is awful, isn’t it?

Comments are currently closed.