George Washington was elected the first president of the United States in 1789. In the ensuing 227 years, countries in Europe, Asia, South America, Africa, and other parts of the world have elected women heads of state, but not the United States. Here we are in 2016, and for the first time in our history, a woman is the presidential nominee of a major political party. It's about time! Now is the time to use our hard-won right to vote and elect Hillary as our first woman president. How proud Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, and all the suffragists would be.

I'm not asking you to vote for Hillary Clinton just because she is a woman. I am asking you to support her because she has the experience, the grit, and the temperament to be president and commander-in-chief. The icing on the cake is that she is a woman. Finally, the moment has come, when our country is ready for a woman president. Now we must make it happen.
We need a president who will protect the rights we have fought so hard for over many decades. Can you imagine losing the right to choose, minimum wage guarantees, paid family leave, pay equity, and quality childcare? These rights and many more are what is a stake in this chaotic election season.

Hillary embodies the female style of consensus building, bipartisan dedication to accomplishing things with thoughtful, informed decision making and compromise. She has a record of getting the job done by listening and learning.

We can move this country toward greater equality, a stronger economy, and respect for human rights by electing Hillary our first female US president. As President Obama said, "There has never been a man or woman more qualified to occupy the oval office than Hillary Clinton."

Several times I have had the pleasure of meeting Hillary. The first time was in 1993, when she was First Lady. She visited Woodstock, during a meeting of the Democratic Governors Association. Howard Dean was our governor at the time, and he appointed me to be a member of the host committee. Despite too many people packed into the small function room of a local restaurant, she and I were able to engage in a lively conversation. I was struck by her attentiveness and sincerity.

Over the years I have met her at various Democratic National Committee meetings around the country. The last time I saw her was at a fundraising reception in August 2015 (see photo). When you have the opportunity to talk to her, she looks you straight in the eye and listens intently, instead of looking around to see who else is in the room, as many politicians do.

Do not think for a moment that Hillary has this election "all sewed up." With eight weeks to go before November 8, a lot can happen. The polls have tightened considerably since the Democratic National Convention. All of us know that our country is deeply divided politically, and the results on election night will probably be very close. Also, during presidential campaigns, there is often an october surprise, which can put a campaign into a tail spin.

So, the heat is on. Labor Day has passed, and the general public is paying more attention to the candidates now. There is a lot of work to do between now and November 8. The Vermont Hillary for America Victory Leaders Council was formed this summer. It is a robust organization of volunteers, consisting of longtime Hillary supporters and enthusiastic Sanders supporters. A high priority for the campaign now is voter registration, followed by get-out-the-vote activities. The deadline to register to vote is October 11.

The stakes in this election couldn't be higher. Make your voice heard. To get involved with the Hillary campaign, go to www.hillaryclinton.com/vt. There you will find information about Women Calling Women on Wednesdays, plus many other volunteer opportunities and various events that will be happening around the state.

There will be a debate watch party on September 26 at 7:30 p.m. at Main Street Landing in Burlington. That first debate will be watched by millions of people all over the country. It is a long-awaited event, and it will be great fun to share the debate with a number of Hillary supporters, while enjoying some food and drinks.

This year will go down in history, as the year the first woman president of the United States was elected, but only if we make it happen. Each of us needs to find time in our busy lives to be part of this historic moment.

Billi Gosh was the first Vermont woman to become vice chairwoman of the National Woman's Political Caucus and also served as chair of the Vermont Governor's Commission on Women in Governor Madeleine Kunin's administration. She lives in Brookfield, Vermont.