Let’s begin by addressing sexism.  I want a woman to be President.  Just not Hillary Clinton.  If Elizabeth Warren were running for President, I would choose her over Clinton and Sanders.  She is smart, addresses many of the same issues Sanders does, and everything I’ve seen of her has impressed me.

I need to start here because gender is part of this campaign, whether we want it to be or not.  Some of Sanders’ devout have been downright nasty on this point.  Bill Clinton has rightfully blasted “Bernie Bro” supporters, and Sanders himself has said that he doesn’t want that kind of support.  On Clinton’s side, the topic of gender hasn’t been much better.  Steinem and Albright both missed the mark when Steinem said women supporting Sanders are doing it to find men, and Albright told women that there is a special place in hell for women if they did not support Hillary Clinton, because Hillary Clinton is a woman.

Any feminist should be embarrassed by Steinem’s and Albright’s remarks.  Votes should be earned, regardless of race, gender, sexual preference, or lineage.

Gender should not be an issue.  It will be in this election, because we have a lot of unenlightened people.  Some will want Sanders to win over Clinton because Clinton is a woman.  And some will want Clinton to win over Sanders, for the exact same reason.  Hopefully those people will cancel each other out.

For the rest of us, we should be making our decisions based on what they say, and what their record shows.  From what I’ve seen, Sanders has been consistent, and I agree with him in principle on issues he’s taken a stand on.  I like the grassroots approach Sanders has taken in his pursuit of the Presidency.  He flies coach, shows genuine humanity… I believe him.  Do I think he’ll accomplish everything that he says he wants to do?  No.  But I believe he will try, and that’s what I want my President to do.

Clinton, on the other hand, is a political machine.  She’s every bit as slick as her husband, shifting and adapting as the situation demands.  For example, her recent efforts have been to tie herself to Obama, and associate Obama’s successes with her Presidential aspirations.  This is a sharp contrast to her tune in 2008.

In fact, let’s take a look back in time at her 2008 bid.  She made wins during that run, but they were ugly.  When she won Nevada, articles referred to allegations that Clinton tried to manipulate the vote.  There is language in those articles about “push polls,” the same language I’ve seen recently about Clinton’s campaign this year.

Clinton is a fierce competitor.  She will do and say whatever it takes to get the Presidency, I have no doubt.  And because of this, I don’t trust her.  I didn’t trust her in 2008.  I don’t trust her now.

Unfortunately, the race between Clinton and Sanders for the Democratic bid may not be decided by the public.  Sanders secured a landslide victory in New Hampshire, but it doesn’t matter.  Clinton gained more delegates than Sanders, even though she lost.

Clinton has received way more attention in the media than Sanders.  Trump has received more attention than both Clinton and Sanders combined, but Trump is a circus act.  He’s entertainment, driving up ratings because his campaign is an intriguing story.  In a similar fashion, Clinton has received favorable treatment in the media.  The “first woman President” makes for a great story, so why wouldn’t there be a media bias?  It’s much more exciting than the “first Jewish President.”

Those are my thoughts in regards to why I prefer Sanders over Clinton.  The bottom line is that I do not trust her.  It is not because she’s a woman.  It’s because she is a politician, playing the game.

Let me end with this: If it comes down to a choice between Clinton and Trump or Cruz, I will choose Clinton.  Both Trump and Cruz represent the worst of America.  With the way the Democratic race is playing out, it looks like I will have to choose Clinton.  I’m not going to avoid voting, just because my first choice isn’t on the ballot.  No one in the Republican running deserves to be President, based on their words and their record.