Thank you Mr. President; Thank you First Lady,

I am a post-college educated, 53-year-old, white-American. I am a fifth-generation American-Jew, the latter part of that both compound-noun and compound adjective, being my personal racial/ethnic identifier, not a religious one. I remember going to work late on January 20, 2009 so I could watch your historic inauguration, both proud to be an American and in a bit of shock that this country had elected a black man before a white woman.

I did not vote for you. I liked you. I preferred McCain, whom I believed would stand up to the far right, until that person from across-the-straight-from-Russia joined the ticket. I did not vote. I simply believed that you were not ready — I kept thinking about the last line of the Candidate, when Robert Redford’s young, charismatic and idealistic character, having improbably pulled off getting elected Senator, turns to his campaign manager played by Peter Boyle and says: “What do we do now?”

I may have been correct — for example a few more years in the Senate may have better enabled you to work with the legislative branch, but nevertheless, you were a great president. As I ponder the results of this election, with that malignancy not being beaten by nearly enough, the gender-gap astounds me. Just eight years after your election, a woman who was undoubtedly the most qualified person ever to run for run for the Office was defeated by P.T. Barnum. There were many reasons Hillary lost, both of and not of her making; and today too many men of all colors voted for the incompetent. This country is now more divided than ever, and a man who deserves to be President has been elected (I would have voted for him in every election), but if Kamala is the anointed next-in-line, despite her qualifications, I doubt she will ascend. The first woman president, and the person to unify this country, if you believe it is your calling, could be you, Michelle, in which case I was wrong about 2009 being before Barack’s time. I hope you are considering it.