18 Million Cracks

I was heartbroken in 2008 when Hillary lost the primary election. Devastated. I had followed her around for months, investing my heart and soul into that campaign. I blamed it mostly on Florida and Michigan. If they had followed the rules, she would've won. We wouldn't be here now, listening to her concession speech.

"I want to say to my supporters: When you hear people saying or think to yourself, If only, or, What if, I say, please, don't go there. Every moment wasted looking back keeps us from moving forward.

Life is too short, time is too precious, and the stakes are too high to dwell on what might have been. We have to work together for what still can be."

She was right. But for me,  it was so hard to get over the fact that she had lost. 

Just imagine something you invested so much time in that had failed.

But did she really fail?

18 million people voted for Hillary. 18 million. 

18 million cracks in that glass ceiling.

Throughout the campaign, I had met her twice. She came to Scranton to be in our St. Patrick's Day Parade. I followed her along the parade route. She was shaking everyone's hands and saying hello, taking pictures. I stuck my hand out. "Hello!" she said, as she shook my hand. I had no words. I couldn't say a thing. Hillary Clinton had just shaken my hand.

One morning, Hillary was making an early visit to Scranton. I dragged my mom down to the Cultural Center for 4 AM. We were third in line. Ryan Lecky came and interviewed us. There was a woman directly behind us from Bosnia who had pictures of Hillary safety pinned all over herself. It was freezing cold. But I just kept thinking, I need to talk to her. I have to say something to her this time. 

I was able to stand right in front as she was speaking. And afterwards, she came around, talking to everyone, taking pictures. She got to me and it was very chaotic. But this time, I spoke. She signed my book. I got a nice picture with her and we chatted about relatives up at Lake Winola. 

That was one of the best days of my life.

I eventually came around to supporting President Obama. He seems like a cool guy. I feel like I could sit down and talk to him about anything. And I LOVE Michelle. She just seems awesome.

Now, he's entered his second term and Hillary is stepping down as Secretary of State and the rumor mill begins swirling. Will Hillary run in 2016?

I think she's exhausted right now. She needs time off. But these articles are getting me very excited. They are bringing back that feeling I had in the 2008 election. A feeling of hope and excitement.

"To those who are disappointed that we couldn't go all of the way, especially the young people who put so much into this campaign, it would break my heart if, in falling short of my goal, I in any way discouraged any of you from pursuing yours.

Always aim high, work hard and care deeply about what you believe in. And, when you stumble, keep faith. And, when you're knocked down, get right back up and never listen to anyone who says you can't or shouldn't go on.

As we gather here today in this historic, magnificent building, the 50th woman to leave this Earth is orbiting overhead. If we can blast 50 women into space, we will someday launch a woman into the White House."

When Hillary was young, she wanted to be an astronaut. She wrote to NASA and they told her that women can't be astronauts.

I'm hoping we will launch that woman into the White House in the near future. Hillary 2016.