An open letter to Hillary Clinton

Dear Hillary,

I realize that on the campaign trail, it's easy to get lost in a bubble of your own supporters and not actually get a clear view of what's going on.

You have run an incredible campaign, and when this race started, I had tremendous respect for you. I nearly went your way at the beginning. But even in early debates, when you were seemingly the obvious choice, I could see in you what I think most people are calling 'strength'. To me, it seemed like hubris. Worse, you seemed like you were more concerned with attacking others than you were about looking to the positive. While Bill Richardson reached out for peace amongst the different candidates, you continued to seem snide, seem negative, seem driven to attack. You seemed ready to take up the type of politics that got Bush the White House twice. And I can understand that - you expected to be the candidate, and you expected to have to come up against that once the primaries were over. You were primed and ready to go.

But the message of peace, acceptance, positive change have overcome this kind of politics this year - and we should all be happy about this! Our country has been held in the grip of terror for 7 years now. And I don't mean fear of terrorists, I mean fear driven into us by the Bush propaganda machine. They have kept us all under their thumb by trying to make us believe that if we didn't all march in lockstep, we would be the next victims of a terrorist strike. We don't need any more negativity, we need to heal.

You've also been an incredible step forward for the rights of women in this country, presumably through the glass ceiling. From the beginning, while I did decide early on who I was going to support, I still was vicious in arguing against people who I perceived to be reluctant to vote for you because of your gender. My ideas are not your ideas, and so I don't support you. But, I do believe that you have lost the primary not because of your gender, but simply because a more promising candidate came to the fore. Unfortunate, but true.

However, I cannot help but feel that your continued push forward is turning around all the strength that you've given to the future of all the little girls in this country who are dreaming bigger than they ever could before. I feel that every day that goes by that you continue this drive is doing damage to the hope of women to continue down this path toward true equality. In the future, when people think back on the first female candidate to really have a shot at the thing, they are going to remember how at the end, she didn't bow out gracefully when it was clearly over. She went kicking and screaming, seemingly fueled by her own egotism, and unwilling to face reality. Whether or not that is your intention, that is how it appears to the rapidly growing majority of the country that is watching you continue to march forward against all common sense.

Trust me, I understand wanting to fight for the little guy, and I get that you were within reach of having an office where you could finally accomplish the great dreams you have. It would destroy some people to come so close, but not actually reach it. You are still standing, but you are now standing for the wrong things. You want to do good for your people, but what you are doing is potentially damaging to the future of our party. Potentially damaging to the chances of Barack Obama taking the White House in November. While I know the thought of it is probably acid in your throat, you have to look past that, be the bigger person, and see that empowering McCain to take the presidency is going to condemn the same folks you've promised to fight for to a minimum of 4 more years of the same old politics of fear and manipulation.

If you want to do the right thing, for your supporters and for your country, please take a knee and step to the side. It's time, and while you have gained massive ground for women, and for the things you fight for, each step now is only undoing that legacy you have built.

Thank you for your consideration on this matter. I hope this sentiment reaches you. I hope you can see outside the bubble of supporters that have shielded you from the real world.

-Johnny