Dear Hillary,

Where were you for the last 19 months?

I'm a twenty-something women in the middle of a master's program. I am middle class and come from middle America. In other words I am your best hope for support. I have the energy and drive to help you win if only you can inspire me to do it.

Last year I heard your announcement that you would run for president and two things happened. First, I heard your husband introduce you and I thought "Wow, I really want Hillary to be president. I will totally work to help her do that. I have always dreamed of having a woman lead our country and finally break the last barriers of sexism that exist in our society." Second, I heard you speak. I was was not thrilled, in fact I was totally turned off to you. I thought, "This woman is the least charismatic politician I have ever heard. I can't believe anyone ever voted for her and I'm ashamed that she is the first viable female candidate for president."

So, I voted for Obama in the primary, I worked to convince my friends and family that he was a far superior candidate than you. I was convinced that you couldn't win, not because of your policies or voting record and not because you were a woman. No, it was because I found you anti-charismatic and I feared that you would tarnish both the Democratic Party and feminism.

I was annoyed with you as you dragged out the primary season, refusing to concede. I thought you were trying to cheat your way into the nomination with your push for seating both Florida and Michigan despite their disregard for the rules.

Throughout this year my inner feminist became small and would no longer voice her former conviction and strength. The voice that my parents instilled in me to tell me that a woman can do anything no matter what became silent in the face of your utter failure to inspire any hope for women in politics. I feared that your failure would mean many more years before women would again try for such leadership roles.

Fast forward to August 26, 2008, your speech at the Democratic National Convention. On the anniversary of the dream of women's suffrage in the US becoming a reality you spoke and for the first time I was excited. I listened to you and I wanted to vote for you. I knew you could beat any oppenent and I wanted you to do it. I no longer felt that you were some strange automaton with only a steel heart and inorganic features. You were a person, real and inspiring and I wanted you to be president.

So now I have to ask, if you were there this whole time why did it take giving up to bring you out? Did you think that we were so scared of a woman president that you couldn't be a woman, let alone human? I'm sorry that we, the people of this fine nation couldn't show you that what we want is not strength over humanity, but true and honest attempts to lead us to a better future.

I hope you get another chance and I hope that you and others like you can remain true and honest to your humanity so that some day soon all glass ceilings will be crushed and cleanse our land with renewed dreams and satisfied hopes.

-- The tiny feminist in my head