I am pleased and proud to have had the opportunity to vote for Hillary Clinton for president of the United States. While I had hopes for Bernie Sanders because he more clearly represents my values and vision for America, Hillary is better qualified. Indeed, she is the most qualified person in America to be the next president. To put it another way, she is more qualified than any man out there. So I am satisfied with my vote for her.

This website occasionally dips into national politics but our main mission is local political information and perspectives. Every NW Citizen contributor can write about whatever they want any day of the week. So this post by me only represents my personal values and views. Indeed, some of our more liberal writers have weighed in with strong criticism of Hillary and Bill - and have been a motivation for me to post this.

Contrary to a lot of written and talk media, Hillary has not been indicted for any crime, has not committed any crimes and is not going to be indicted for any crimes. Her husband has been unfaithful, as have most presidents of the United States. Bill Clinton has been referred to - even on this website - as a predator. He is not; his trysts were with consenting adults. Hillary stayed with him and, amazingly, has been criticized for this by supposed Christians.

The decades of attacks on her reveal a serious double standard compared to men. Just who does she think she is? How dare she? Qualities that would be seen as strengths in a man, such as ambition and assertiveness, are considered serious flaws in her. Minor errors of no consequence, such as the email sideshow, are blown to a thousand times their importance in frenzied and frothing attempts to crush her. National Republican leaders threaten to investigate, prosecute, and convict her of anything they can think of in their eagerness to see her in jail. If elected president, she likely faces four years of kangaroo-court charades with the Republicans in the House of Representatives.

Yet in spite of all that, we find ourselves on the verge of a positive and historic moment. Just as it was good for this country to have a black president, it will be good to have Hillary Clinton in office as a woman. She has served our country with skill and a dedication to what she thinks is best for America. She has been consistent in what she believes in and what she has told us. She is mentally and emotionally balanced - contrary to many of her critics and political opponents. And the fact that a woman is on the brink of becoming the leader of the most powerful nation in the world is an important step forward for our country.

Finally, to my liberal friends especially: Politics in America is a rough business and we have never had sterling men lead us. Let us not hold our noses because a woman has flaws we would ignore in a man. I urge you to look toward the good she can do if we support her and the liberal/progressive values she will bring to the office. The alternative, the best the Republicans could put up, is the road to perdition.