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What Hillary & Lena Totally Agree On

by Alicia Lu

One might be an actress and hero for 20-something women and the other might become the first female president of the United States, but below the surface, Lena Dunham and Hillary Clinton are basically the same person. That became overwhelmingly evident when Dunham sat down with Clinton for the first issue of Lenny, a weekly newsletter and the brainchild of Dunham and her showrunning partner, Jenni Konner. In discussing the 20-something experience, feminism, racial justice, and fashion, the two were squarely on the same page about virtually everything. But there are certain issues that Dunham and Clinton agree on that you will most definitely align yourself with too.

During Dunham's interview with Clinton, the two talked about a range of topics, from more lighthearted musings on fashion to a more serious dialogue on the persistent racial prejudice in America. It was clear that they had the same views on both. But even before this modern Thelma and Louise duo came together for the interview, it was already clear that Clinton and Dunham already saw eye to eye on a myriad of issues. Both have said in their own respective interviews words that could have come out of either woman's mouth and offered assessments of the world that could have been generated from the same brain.

Here are seven things that Clinton and Dunham agree on that will make you say, "Ditto."

The Uncertainty That Is Your 20s

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Clinton:

I don't trust anybody who says that they didn't have some questions in their 20s. That's a period of such exploration and often torment in people's lives.

Dunham:

I can't say that being in your 20s is the sexiest experience on earth so I know I shouldn't expect to wake up at 30 with a lightning bolt of truth entering me, but I do think that every woman I know has described it as a really fun decade and it's actually where certain anxieties and self-consciousnesses are shed, and I feel excited about that prospect, even if I'm a little concerned that I'll be the one person that it bypasses.

The Post-College Job Slump

Clinton:

I washed dishes. I did end up working in a fishery, where the salmon were brought in, and we had different jobs. My first job was to gut the salmon. ... It was called "sliming." That's what I started off doing.

Dunham:

When I graduated college I had a series of just humiliating jobs that I couldn't believe I was at.

Being A Staunch Feminist

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Clinton:

A feminist is by definition someone who believes in equal rights! I'm hoping that people will not be afraid to say — that doesn't mean you hate men. It doesn't mean that you want to separate out the world so that you're not part of ordinary life. That's not what it means at all! It just means that we believe women have the same rights as men, politically, culturally, socially, economically. ... So, yes, I'm a feminist, and I say it whenever I'm asked.

Dunham:

It will surprise no one in this room that I identify as a feminist. If it does surprise you, I suggest you take a look around the room and make sure you're not lost. ... It took years to recognize that personal worth was not tied to my assault, that the voices telling me that I deserved this were liars. So as a feminist and a sexual-assault survivor, my ultimate goal is to use my experience, my platform, and, yes, my privilege, to reverse stigma and give voice to other survivors.

Being Heartbroken By Ferguson

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Clinton:

Dunham:

Women In The Workforce

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Clinton:

Women are the largest untapped reservoir of talent in the world. It is past time for women to take their rightful place, side by side with men, in the rooms where the fates of peoples, where their children's and grandchildren's fates, are decided.

Dunham:

It's our job as women who have been given a certain amount of success and visibility to pull other women along with us.

Brushing Off Haters

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Clinton:

People can judge me for what I've done. And I think when somebody's out in the public eye, that's what they do. So I'm fully comfortable with who I am, what I stand for, and what I've always stood for.

Dunham:

You know, I always think of myself as sort of ready for every criticism.

Celebrating Gay Marriage

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Clinton:

Dunham:

Image: Lenny Letter/Politico