President Hillary — It’s About Damn Time!

I’ve been following politics more this year than I usually do because I have something huge at stake — the possibility of seeing something I didn’t expect to see in my lifetime: the first female President of the United States. As a child in the 1950s, I briefly believed that I could dream any dream about the future, and that I, a girl, could one day grow up to be President. But the adults all laughed at me. What a silly idea. A girl couldn’t grow up to be President.

I’m not yet convinced that a girl can grow up to be President, given the ups and downs of the current campaign. Ever since Hillary Clinton was First Lady, I’ve believed that a fair amount of the loathing directed at her by folks from both ends of the political spectrum was largely inspired by the XX in her genome vs. the XY in the genomes of the members of the Power Elite. Not even Bill, her smooth, charismatic husband, has acquired quite the same number of detractors, despite his selfishness, quick temper, and frequent infidelities. For all his faults, Bill is a good old boy, who can play golf and trade dirty stories with the best of ‘em. Hillary’s a female. A brainy female. A brainy female who fights back when attacked. A brainy female who has shown that she knows how to win. A brainy female who can do the deals and play the games politicians have to play. A woman of our time — finally! — who can lead this country.

Barack Obama’s position on the various issues is actually closer to my own, but Obama didn’t get my vote yesterday in the Massachusetts primary, nor will he get my support or my campaign contributions now. Let him take second place on the ticket with Hillary as our President, and I’ll be well content. His speeches, so far, are little more than rhythmic, rousing rhetoric. Sorry, hon, but I’ve heard it all before.

Hillary has been burned and tested. She’s been bashed by the most vicious, and survived. She’s been hounded and humiliated — never more so than by her own husband during the Monica scandal, but she has always stood back up, brushed herself off, and fought on. Hillary has already put years of work into a universal health care plan that might actually have some chance of passing muster in Congress, while Obama still hasn’t managed to figure out that a health care plan that isn’t universal is worthless. At my age of pushing-60, I can’t wait on his rhetorical hopes and dreams. I don’t need to join the cheers and chants and group-hugs celebrating the greatness of America — I already know this country is great. What I want are practical, pragmatic solutions to the many problems that beset us. I’m not going to put my faith in vaguely inspirational stories that aim for the heart but never quite reach the brain.

I want someone in the White House who knows the ropes and can jump right in and take immediate action. I want someone who’s smart, experienced, well-organized, and ready to put her carefully thought-out plans, policies, and procedures into place. I want someone who already knows what the hell she’s doing. And I want that person to be a woman, because, hey, IT’S ABOUT DAMN TIME.