I never thought I’d be a swing voter. I was born into a long line of Democrats and raised as such. But here I am, in the most important election of my life, wondering who I’m going to vote for. What could make me question my party?

How about rampant sexism, egomania and unsympathetic, ungrateful actions on the part of party elders, strategists and our candidate himself? In case you don’t know from the sticker on my car, the sign in my apartment or the many groups I’m in on Facebook, I was, am and will always be a Hillary Clinton supporter. Throughout the campaign, I worked the phones, went door-to-door in three states, stood on street corners holding signs and spread the gospel according to Hillary. I was extremely disappointed when she lost, but I was even more disappointed with what had happened before that – and, as the convention drew to a close last week, what has happened since.

Hillary has, ever since she suspended her campaign in June, urged her supporters to vote for Barack Obama. I’m not afraid to tell her, you or anybody who asks that I’m not there yet. I’m a proud PUMA (Party Unity My Ass) Democrat, someone who believes that Barack Obama is inexperienced and worries he is not ready to be the next president. I’m a proud PUMA because I believe that the Democratic Party whitewashed or ignored the issue of sexism in the primary campaign, letting it run rampant within the party and the media. I’m a proud PUMA because I disagree with the way my party conducts primary elections, especially splitting a state’s delegates between candidates. I’m a proud PUMA because I feel like my party betrayed me, my candidate and 18 million other like-minded Americans when it failed to address the issues that prevented Sen. Clinton from ever having a fair chance at the nomination.

But the thing that infuriates me the most, and keeps me from jumping on the Obama bandwagon, is that Sen. Obama had plenty of time after he clinched the nomination to reach out to Clinton supporters, but repeatedly refused. He never seriously vetted Sen. Clinton for vice president, something I take personal affront to as one of those 18 million cracks in that glass ceiling. Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez, D-Calif., has yet to endorse Obama because he hasn’t asked her to. (She was, for the record, a staunch Clinton supporter.) She told reporters that Obama needs to simply show Clinton voters “some love,” and they’ll come around. It would definitely be a good first step.

See, I’m sick of Obama supporters telling me to fall into line and support the party. This is America, and I own my vote. If Obama wants my support, he and his supporters need to extend an olive branch. As of now, they’ve only extended fake olive branches – and then proceeded to beat Clinton’s supporters over the head with them. The thing nobody in the Obama camp seems to get is that Clinton supporters saw in her what Obama’s supporters see in him. She inspired admiration, hope and love in us (with the added bonus of giving us good reasons why). We’re logical people who know Obama is right on most of the issues, but our devotion to Clinton is of the heart, not the mind. And you can’t underestimate the loyalty we 18 million feel towards her.

I don’t know who I’m going to vote for yet. It’s not too late for Obama to clinch my vote if he’ll tell me what he’s going to do in concrete terms, not abstract philosophies of hope and change. Likewise, McCain can clinch my vote if he demonstrates a return to his maverick persona of eight years ago. (And while I like Sarah Palin and think her story is compelling, she is no Hillary Clinton.) Right now I’m leaning toward a third party candidate or writing Hillary’s name in.

I hope everyone in my generation will take this opportunity to research the candidates and look at the issues facing us. Because let’s face it, folks: hope is not a foreign policy. It’s a nice thought, but we can’t HOPE for a better future. We’ve got to find people who have a plan and are going to make it happen. Sometimes, hope just isn’t enough.

The opinions expressed in this commentary do not reflect those of the Herald or the university.