I Own the Charge Proudly

[Content Note: Misogyny.]

One of my abundant critics' favorite charges during this election cycle is that I'm writing "love letters" to Hillary Clinton. Or some variation thereof.

The gist is always that I am either an unserious fangirl who's never done any critical analysis of Clinton, or a conniving operative performing a manufactured enthusiasm because I'm being paid.

Often: Both. Simultaneously. Because I'm MAGIC.

I've kind of said this before, but it's worth saying again: There are countless people who are willing—and eager—to write critical pieces about Clinton. None of them are asked to apologize for it. And I'm not going to apologize for predominantly sharing my positive feelings about her.

Yes, I write "love letters" to Hillary Clinton. And I own the charge proudly. She is someone I respect; she is someone I admire; she is someone to whom I am grateful; she is someone who I believe would make an excellent president.

And you know what? It feels good to write about women I like. It is one of the most joyful things I do. I feel lucky that there is a woman I like about whom I have cause to write so many enthusiastic things.

In this most horrible of elections, there is that. There is the opportunity for me, every single day, to write something about a woman I like.

That makes me pretty happy. And you're damn right I'm going to make the most of that opportunity.

And if I can, in my own small way, help her get elected, well, so much the better!

I know, oh how I know, that there are people who are lying in wait, who will, on the day that President Hillary Clinton makes a mistake or enacts some policy with which I disagree, show up to bray at me how stupid I must feel for helping her get elected.

I can promise you that I will own my fervent support of her on that day, too. Because the choice is not between Hillary Clinton and some theoretical perfect candidate who manages to meet the conflicting expectations of the entire progressive movement.

The choice is between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. And her presidency will not exist in a vacuum. It will exist in a context in which the only other person who could have made the decision was Trump. And Clinton on her worst day will still be better than Trump on his best.

I won't regret vociferously and exuberantly supporting Hillary Clinton. What I would regret is failing to do exactly what I'm doing.

#ImWithHer