There is a critical voting bloc this election, probably larger and more powerful than anyone realizes, but no one is talking about it. Both parties assume this group’s support, but both would be wrong to do so. I am a part of this voting block, and I’m also a millennial, which makes me an even more sought after voter this election — but no one is talking about us, they are simply assuming our support. And that would be very premature.
With a mere 20 days to election day, the countdown is on and both parties are desperate to bring in the remaining stragglers. But, there’s an important group that they may have overlooked.
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I am one of many pro-life women across the nation who still stands undecided on how I’ll cast my vote for president on November 8th. And there are many others like me. We are women who have stood on the shoulders of the women throughout history who have fought for our rights — one of which being our right to vote — and we don’t intend to throw that vote away. We are women who see the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for all individuals as paramount, and thus fight for the rights of every person — both born and preborn. But with only 20 days left until the election, we’re facing a major dilemma.
As a woman, people assume I’m voting for Hillary Clinton. And as a conservative, people assume I’m voting for Donald Trump. But, the truth is – I’m still undecided and there are so many others out there like me. Now, I’m not saying I won’t be voting, but I am saying that I and so many others like me are taking this critical vote very seriously and neither major candidate has proven worthy of that vote.
We all recognize the gravity of the issues at stake this election — the Supreme Court appointments, the fight over taxpayer funding of abortion, and religious liberty to name a few — which is exactly why we’ve remained undecided. Neither Hillary Clinton nor Donald Trump have proven worthy of this vote, nor have they assured us that they will do what they say they will or uphold the wishes of the American people.
Some people think the Clinton vs. Trump decision is easy, others simply plan to “hold their nose” when they cast their vote because they understand the gravity of the issue at hand. But, the gravity of the situation is exactly why there are so many pro-life women like me who remain undecided.
I will admit that it’s exciting to see a woman standing as the presidential candidate of a major party in America; it’s historic. But it’s just unfortunate that it is this woman. Hillary Clinton claims to stand with women and be a lifelong defender of women, even tweeting, “Every survivor of sexual assault deserves to be heard, believed, and supported“, but her track record shows the complete opposite. Hillary Clinton defended the vile rapist who sexually molested a 12-year-old girl, she threatened and smeared the women who accused her husband of sexual abuse and misconduct, and has spent most of her career promoting Planned Parenthood and abortion extremism, and now stands on the most extreme abortion party platform in history — one that is completely out of touch with the American people, including 32% of the her own party.
Donald Trump isn’t any better and many would argue that he’s worse. I, and many others, appreciate that he is not a “career politician” and that he often speaks truth to power. But Trump claims that he “loves women” and “knows women” and that they “love me,” as his usual diatribe goes — but his track record shows the complete opposite. Trump has supported extreme abortion positions (although he now claims he’s pro-life and would support pro-life policies as president) and other policies that are out of touch with the American people, he’s made horrible slurs against women, and in a recently leaked video Trump admitted to even worse
While some may look at the two main choices for president — Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump — and say that the decision is clear, I am one of many women who look at both candidates and their long lists of transgressions and shortcomings and are faced with a great dilemma.
Women in this country stand on the shoulders of the many women throughout history who fought for women’s right to work, for their right to be treated equally and their right to vote. I, and many others, take the sacrifices that these women made for us, our futures, and the future of our great nation seriously — and we’re not going to throw all of that away in the voting booth. We believe that we have a responsibility to uphold the foundation of our great nation, promoting life and liberty for all — for this generation and future generations. And it’s still not clear that either presidential candidate will uphold these critical principles and ideals.There is a large female voting bloc this election cycle that should not be underestimated — one that is undecided but continues to seek clarity in the remaining days before the election. And this voting bloc could end up deciding the outcome of the presidential election.
Kate Bryan is a writer living in Washington, D.C. Follow her on Twitter @katembryan. Thinking of submitting an op-ed to the Washington Examiner? Be sure to read our guidelines on submissions.
