14 Reasons I Admire Hillary Rodham Clinton Even More after the Election

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  1. She broke a glass ceiling. Since our country’s founding, there have been more than 115 male candidates running on the top of a major party ticket in a Presidential race and one woman — Hillary.
  1. She won the popular vote. As of Dec. 4, Hillary Clinton has received 2,012,331 votes more than the President-elect and her popular vote victory continues to grow.  That is more votes than any white male Presidential candidate has ever received – including the President-elect.

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  1. She embodied grace under pressure. Secretary Clinton delivered an amazingly gracious, positive, and composed concession speech less than 24 hours after watching what has clearly been one of the biggest dreams of her lifetime slip away — a second time.
  1. Taking the high road. When called names, bullied and threatened by her opponent, she maintained her composure and modeled strong, “specific, direct and non-punishing” response methods for women and men everywhere.
  1. She set a healing example. The day after her unexpected defeat she walked in the woods to seek solace – no derisive tweets, just a “thank you” on hillaryclinton.com.
  1. Standing up for the people. When the U.S. FBI director opened an investigation related to emails just 11 days before the election, she did not call him names, threaten or blame him.  Instead, she urged the agency to provide the American people with more information as soon as possible.  Two days before the election, the FBI Director announced that nothing in the newly discovered emails changed his conclusion that Clinton should face no charges.

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  1. “Women’s rights are human rights.” A champion of women’s rights at home and around the world and a working mother, Secretary Clinton advanced an agenda that included pay equity and family medical leave in an attempt to build a more just and family-friendly society.
  1. Inclusivity was a hallmark of her campaign.  Rather than running a lean, mean campaign organization, she invited many to take part in her run for office.
  1. She clearly stated her pro-choice position. A long-time supporter of choice for women, Secretary Clinton clearly and unapologetically offered details on her pro-choice position on this controversial, often litmus test, issue.
  1. She apologized and took responsibility for the email server use. Rather than blaming her opponents, staff members, outsiders, the media or investigating agencies, she apologized to the American people.
  1. She called out “the good” in Americans. Secretary Clinton ran a campaign that focused on the strength of Americans – on our inherent goodness – as well as the ways we could improve.    
  1. Her language was respectful and persuasive. Secretary Clinton disagreed heartily with most of her opponent’s positions, yet she remained civil; choosing to communicate in a respectful, measured manner rather than to resort to demeaning, degrading, insulting words, tweets and epithets.
  1. She prepared tirelessly for the Presidency. A First Lady on the state and national level, a senator, and a Secretary of State with what is likely the most impressive resume of any Presidential candidate in history, Hillary Rodham Clinton was ready, qualified and fit to be President of the United States.
  1. She stretched and she remained true to her values. She strove to connect authentically with voters even more than in her previous Presidential campaign and she continued to advance an agenda that valued all people in our society – the wealthy and successful, the most vulnerable and marginalized, and everyone in between.     

For all of these reasons and more, I am sorry that it appears unlikely that we will have the opportunity to see her in action in the Oval Office.  Thank you, Secretary Clinton, for running a valiant race.