As if there would be any serious competition for someone with her resume and experience in this field of candidates, if she were a man.

As if being a woman isn’t something she’s broken through so many barriers in spite of, and not because of.

Did everyone forget how wildly unpopular a politically-active first lady was, when she was doing it before it was cool? (Or consider how the initial reaction to this strong female leadership has shaped how we continue to perceive her?)

“You only support her because she’s a woman.” It’s the least creative form of dismissal.

I stood outside the race early on, assuming (based entirely on media headlines) that I probably agreed more with Bernie Sanders on various issues. I am, after all, a bleeding heart liberal. But when I finally took the time to research both candidates, I was surprised to find that I actually aligned more with Hillary Clinton on nearly every issue. And she’s been able to get a lot more done.

However, I wasn’t fully “all in” on Secretary Clinton before I met her and saw her speak in Exeter, NH just a couple of months ago. When I wrote an article about meeting her (before I had made up my mind on her as a presidential candidate), I expected to be met with a deluge of reasoned arguments as to why she was less qualified than any other candidate. The lack of substance of any negative comment about her was what really started to solidify my unabashed support of her. That, and her insane level of knowledge on the important issues we’re facing, both nationally and internationally.

She’s one of the most politically polarizing humans on the planet. So if the only thing people can come up with to say against her is, “You only support her because she is a woman,” or to reference an irrelevant, trumped up scandal well, deal me in.

Hillary Clinton has been pushing for advancements in human rights for decades, yet she isn’t idealistic — she’s been around long enough to know that pragmatic policy is what works. She’s seen more opposition than most, yet continues to find ways to work with everyone, without compromising leadership.

Her policies are strong because she knows the issues. She is intellectually curious. How often do you hear other candidates cite research off the cuff?

Her experience as the most travelled Secretary of State, seeing how people live all over the world, brings a perspective that just can’t be replicated. Add to that experience hundreds of one-on-one meetings with the heads of state and leaders on global issues, as the representative of the United States. Who else can bring that background of global perspective, relationships and experience to the Presidency?

I don’t see any other candidate with her well-rounded grasp of policy, global perspective or strong leadership. And her ability to listen to and work with all kinds of people is not only an important trait to have — it will be crucial in actually getting things done as president.

When I met her, she was as engaged and present at the end of the day, after speaking to hundreds of people, many one-on-one, as she had been that morning. And this, after taking many questions from a crowd with diverse concerns, and thoughtfully addressing each one with a mix of hard research, policy and personal stories from her experiences. The capacity to relate one-on-one to people in a genuine way and have constructive conversations with people regardless of whether you agree, is so important.

On top of all of this, I believe that she truly cares about making sure our most vulnerable have a voice, and making it possible for everyone in this country to have opportunities to succeed. Her track record, from the Children’s Defense Fund on, is one of fighting for disenfranchised people before people were paying attention, and doing things she believed in — sometimes against the advice of every political advisor.

The Hillary Clinton that I met was incredibly warm and very present. She truly listens and thoughtfully participates in conversations. See her in person or watch any extended video of her interacting with people and you’ll see it, too. She connects with people — and yes, she’s likeable.

“You only support her because she’s a woman.” What a ludicrous and minimizing thing to say about one of the most accomplished leaders in the world.

To quote a friend who saw my article about Hillary and felt comfortable enough to say this to me (although her personal policy is typically not to talk about politics), “I want her to be President so bad I could spit.”

She’s the best candidate I could hope for. I’m behind her 100% — and her gender, while important and a significant benefit, is not at the top of the list of reasons why. There are too many complex and crucial things happening all over the world right now to elect any less than the MOST qualified person to lead.

#ImWithHer