I’ve got to be honest with you. It took me a long time to get to a point where I was comfortable writing a column that makes a full-throated endorsement of Hillary Clinton. She wasn’t my candidate in 2008, and while I’ve always thought she did an admirable job as Secretary of State, I didn’t find her tenure at Foggy Bottom (or in the Senate) much more than above-average. But I’ve got to admit that she has won me over.

Not only have I been won over as a Clinton supporter, I’ve become genuinely convinced that, in this or any other election, Hillary Clinton would make a fantastic President of the United States. But, even as she’s poised to win the Presidency, this seems to be a bizarrely underrepresented opinion in the media and in political circles. I’ve got a few theories as to why that is, but this isn’t the place for them. Suffice it to say that I don’t think many people really recognize who Hillary Clinton is, or what and how she thinks.

But it’s time to recognize Hillary Clinton. It’s time to recognize both her accomplishments, and to recognize her as a person. For far too long in her public career Sec. Clinton has occupied a space in American politics that is defined by the fog surrounding her, and the mud and dust kicked up by both her opponents and her allies. When that fog is cleared away, then the case for electing Hillary Clinton as the President of the United States becomes obvious and pressing.

It’s time to recognize her accomplishments: Sec. Clinton has, over the course of her career, been a tireless advocate for women and children. Hillary Clinton (then Rodham) began her career advocating for children’s welfare at the Children’s Defense Fund. In the Bill Clinton administration, she worked to create the Children’s Health Insurance Program, which provides healthcare for young children and their mothers. Then Hillary Clinton went to China and declared the women’s rights are human rights, standing up to a Chinese administration that still demanded of women a draconian and tyrannical one-child policy.      She will continue this emphasis on advocacy for women and children when in the White House. Her child care policy plan is focused on ensuring that working families are able to educate and care for children without spiraling into poverty. It is an extraordinarily ambitious plan, one which proposes that raising a family should not be a financial burden in the most prosperous nation on Earth. Hillary Clinton’s proposed tax credits and subsidies would cap the cost of childcare at 10% of a family’s income, when costs are often triple that, and frequently even 40% of a family’s income.

This focus will continue with Sec. Clinton’s college affordability plan. It would make public colleges and universities tuition-free for nearly 80% of students. Hillary Clinton’s plan would offer student loan forgiveness up to almost $18,000, when currently there are virtually no options to discharge bad student debt.

Sec. Clinton’s college affordability plan is part and parcel of her wider, wiser economic policy. She has called for infrastructure revitalization as part of a larger plan to create American jobs, for sensible immigration reform which includes a path to citizenship, and for the strengthening of financial protections for consumers to ensure that a repeat of the 2008 financial crisis does not occur.

All these positions speak to a simple fact about the kind of person Hillary Clinton is: she takes the issues seriously. She does her homework. She knows the issues in a level of detail that consistently surpasses not only other politicians, but the experts themselves. She is, simply put, the most well-versed and well-informed politician to seek the Presidency since John Quincy Adams. And she is well-informed because she listens to others, and she surrounds herself with an unprecedented number of policy experts.

This quality of actually listening to others is rare in a politician. We, as a nation, are not particularly used to accepting candidates who listen. We are used to politicians blustering and shaking their fists. The Republican candidate is doing so now. Sen. Sanders did so in the primary. We value candidates who can give a good speech, like Barack Obama; we don’t value candidates who listen. But Hillary Clinton listens—she knows that’s the best way to actually govern. It may not lead to an inspiring campaign, or wonderful speeches that can play on the six o’clock news. But being President isn’t about getting speeches on the news. It’s about implementing policies that will improve the lives of all Americans. To do that, you have to understand those policies. And to understand those policies, you have to listen. You cannot be afraid of other people’s opinions, even if you disagree with them.

That’s the kind of person Hillary Clinton is. She’s not afraid to listen, she not afraid to learn. She never had been. Yes, Hillary Clinton has made mistakes. But she’s consistently recognized her mistakes as such, and attempted to correct them. It’s unusual for a politician, I know. It can seem unsettling, to hear a politician admit that they made mistakes. It can make them seem untrustworthy, or corrupt. Both of those charges, and many more besides them, have been thrown at Hillary Clinton. And how has Hillary responded? By walking into the offices of her opponents and listening to their ideas. She did it in the Senate. And she’ll do it as President.

Sec. Clinton has been called divisive. There’s some truth to that. But stopping the story there obscures an important truth: Hillary has consistently worked to cross that divide, to build coalitions, and work with Americans of all persuasions to build a stronger America. It’s time we recognize that this work across the divisions of our country underlie all her numerous accomplishments. It’s time to recognize who Hillary Clinton is, what she has done, and what she will do as the next President of the United States of America.

Donald Trump’s statements about women are indefensible, inexcusable, and disgusting. They are demeaning to women, perpetuate the culture of sexual assault and violence towards women, and represent a disappointing standard for a presidential nominee. But, that doesn’t mean you will change your vote.

For one, the fact that Trump would say such things should not come as a surprise to anyone; his campaign has been driven by nasty and degrading comments from the beginning. That this incident would push people over the edge or surprise people is a real shock— Trump revealed his true (disrespectful) self on day one and has given no indication of changing his ways. With regard to Mexico, he stated that “we get the killers, drugs and crime, they get the money”, referred to Jeb Bush (a fellow Republican candidate) as a loser and basket case, mocked a reporter with disabilities, and generally categorized the people of Mexico as rapists. So, honestly, that he would insult and allegedly assault women should not be surprising—  unacceptable, but not surprising either.

Armed with this knowledge, Trump’s supporters will vote for him on the basis of two factors: either because they agree with his policy decisions or because he is not Hillary Clinton. These two factors outweigh the more moral considerations about Trump’s comments for one simple reason— this election is not an election based on morals. Trump’s words may be inappropriate and degrading, but to many Republicans Clinton’s untrustworthiness, lies, and repeated scandals are just as immoral. So, when there is no candidate with a clearly superior moral high ground, many supporters are ignoring the immoral antics of the election altogether. Thus, many people will choose not to let Trump’s comments about women affect their opinions on the election— for better or for worse. Or, they truly agree with Trump’s policies and believe he would be the best leader for the country. There are many people who are dissatisfied with the direction of the country under President Obama and think Trump is the perfect candidate to change that direction. Either way, Trump’s supporters have decided that their motivations are more important than his comments, and I can think of nothing he can say that will change that.

And, in what world would a Hillary Clinton supporter choose to support Trump in light of his comments? It goes without saying that this would simply never happen. So, you can be insulted, be angry, or seek reform in the primary system that produced this situation in the first place. But you probably will not change your vote.

Personally, as a woman and a Republican, Trump’s comments put me in a very difficult position. I want to disregard his words as “locker-room talk” or pretend like he doesn’t mean the things he says, but I know that is not true. How can I vote for a man that repeatedly insults major segments of the population and degrades everyone he disagrees with? However, as someone who disagrees with almost all of Clinton’s policies and is deeply angered by her penchant for dishonesty, this leaves me in a situation I would have never imagined at the beginning of the election cycle. Who do I vote for— the insulting, unprepared, disgusting candidate or the dishonest yet experienced politician on the opposite end of my political spectrum? (I believe that the current electoral college system we live in equates third party votes to throwing away your vote, so I will not even consider voting third party.) Either choice will be painful and disappointing for me, and for many others in my situation. This is why I have come to one conclusion— vote based on the Supreme Court. With one vacancy already and potentially two more over the course of the next term, vote for who you think will nominate the Supreme Court justices that will best represent your beliefs. The presidential choices can be held in check by the other branches of government, and the Supreme Court will be a influence on the system. Putting my faith in the courts seems like a better option than putting my faith in either of the two candidates.

Personally, I place the importance of the Supreme Court over the Presidency. It hurts me to admit that Mr. Trump has my vote, and makes me furious that my party has put me in this situation. But, I value the influence the Supreme Court has and simply cannot give away the majority of the court to people whom I disagree with. Please note, though, that casting a vote for Trump does not mean support of Trump— I believe he has a vile personality and several wretched ideas that do not stand for what I believe; he is simply an evil that must be endured for the sake of the Supreme Court. I can only hope that the insults are merely an election gimmick and advisers would keep him from making rash decisions in the White House. Regardless, whatever candidate you have already decided to vote for, get out and vote on election day to make sure your voice is heard.