Clinton is a role model even though we vehemently disagree: Column

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“I will say this about Hillary. She doesn’t quit. She doesn’t give up.” Avoiding a Donald Trump presidency is the reason I’ll vote for Hillary Clinton, but in the town hall debate, he articulated the reason I’m glad I’ve been forced to support her.

Let me back up to say that no one who knows me well would confuse me for a liberal. I registered as a Republican promptly upon turning 18, I joined a conservative debating society in college, and I have a Reagan calendar hanging prominently above my desk. But this year, I’ll vote for Clinton.

Do I disagree with her? Let me count the ways. Do I distrust her? Maybe.

It’s a strange day when neither of those things is a deal-breaker. I wouldn’t be here if the Republican nominee were almost any other conservative in the national political arena. Ultimately, I agree with Mitt Romney, that this year’s GOP nominee fails “the basic responsibility of honorable conduct” — the biggest deal-breaker of all.

But a part of me, the part of me that gets conflicted trying to balance a conservative world view and the ambitions of a young American woman, is relieved that I don’t have to oppose someone who embodies so many of my aspirations.

Is Clinton smart? You can’t doubt that. Is the former senator and secretary of State experienced? By any measure. Does she want the presidency? Definitely yes. It’s part of what makes her feel contrived. It’s also what drives that work ethic and superhuman resilience that have made her such an icon of female success.

I think that this is the crux of it. To be successful at the highest levels, women have to be at the top of their field, but they also have to be very, very persistent.

My favorite data illustrating this phenomenon comes from my own intended field: entrepreneurship. Women make up a tiny fraction of venture-backed CEOs. That’s old news, but last year one venture fund took a look at its portfolio and found that companies with at least one female founder performed 63% better than companies with all-male teams. It’s impossible to say for sure why that is, but I’d put money on it being in large part about drive. The few women who do get backed are the ones who are not only smart and skilled but also tenacious, more so than their male counterparts.

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Throughout her life, Clinton has been diligently assertive in a way I’d be proud to emulate. I’d like to learn to rebuild after setbacks the way she has repeatedly, on a national stage. I admire the way she consistently pushed for bigger roles and a bigger voice throughout her career. I appreciate that she doesn’t often take second chair — like Clinton, if I were a first lady, I’d rather be the activist, policy-oriented kind. Actually, no, if I were a first lady, I’d rather be president. And this is why I can’t hate Clinton.

I don’t have many role models with whom I vehemently disagree; she is one. So, here’s to a Clinton presidency. But just one term, and the Republicans had better hold on to Congress.

Kate Hopkins is a 2016 graduate of the Stanford Graduate School of Business. She lives in San Francisco, where she works in private equity.

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