Here’s a hypothetical.
If the current president was a Democrat instead of a Republican, a liberal instead of a conservative but displayed all of the same reprehensible attributes, would I vote for that candidate?
Keep in mind that I have not ever - knowingly - voted for a Republican or a conservative in my entire voting existence. I don’t think I have ever even voted for a third party candidate. I don’t think I have ever ‘thrown away’ my vote. I may have written in PeeWee Herman once in a judicial race but that is about it.
I am fortunate, of course, to have lived the majority of my voting life in zip codes where I share a similar political philosophy to the majority of that zip code’s voting population. It’s the initiatives in Washington State that tend to trip up my winning voting record, and no one predicted Dixy Lee Ray’s victory.
Since my political philosophy hews to the left of the Democrats and since their platform always comes closer to reflecting how I would like to see the world, I am physically incapable of pulling the lever for someone more conservative than Democrats. I would rather induce myself to vomit and vomiting is something I go to extraordinary lengths to avoid.
The way I see it, the world and culture in which I swim is naturally conservative. To be all in on capitalism, in its rawest form, you have to have a conservative bent. Therefore, the hyper-capitalist country we call home is inclined toward conservatism. Maintain the status quo. Avoid change whenever possible. Hence MAGA.
My point being, the default setting for America is conservatism due to the default setting of capitalism. It’s damn near impossible to move the dial leftward.
So, if I could be assured every other branch of the government, Senate, House and Supreme Court, aligned closer to my worldview rather than the conservative worldview, meaning the Democrats held a majority in the House and won a filibuster proof majority in the Senate (not very likely), I could see myself either not voting or voting for the candidate opposing my hypothetical insufferable boor doppelgänger on the Democrat side.
And that is what concerns me.
If I thought the platform that more closely reflected my political persuasion was going to be supplanted by the other side if we surrendered that branch of the government, I would be conflicted.
That is why I don’t buy all the Republicans claiming they will vote for Biden/Harris.
They knew who Biden’s 2020 opponent was in 2016. He told us. He didn't come in to the office pretending to be anything he was not and millions upon millions of honest, decent, hard working conservatives who hated everything about the man voted for him anyway. They hated what the Democrats stood for far more than they hated their candidate’s incredibly boorish behavior, incompetent business track record and dubious contacts.
They don’t like losing. And I understand that completely because I don’t like losing.
Just this week George W. Bush - who should not get a ‘pass’ from progressives just because he publicly disavows an affinity toward you-know-who - endorsed incumbent Republican Senator Susan Collins. Susan Collins is one of the Senate’s namby-pamby hand wringers who likes to act like she has a conscience until it’s time to fish or cut bait. Then she dutifully sides with her party and the insufferable boor and America gets a Supreme Court justice like Brett Kavanaugh.
In any event, the Republicans speaking out against the cancerous tumor in the White House know they hold three cards, even if he loses: the Senate, the Supreme Court and the country’s inherent conservatism. After two years spinning wheels, we know (We being the royal anyone ‘not-conservative’ We) that unless we sweep all branches of government into our favor the side that is willing to sell fear 24 hours a day rather than do something for the American people will gum up the works. They might be able to do it anyway with the Senate filibuster rule.
I’m just implying that it would not be a slam dunk for me to vote in favor of the Galactic Empire and it’s not going to be for diehard Republicans either.
It comes back to the same message.
We need to vote in insane numbers and, not for a moment, revel or languish over the polls.
It is what it is, and they are what they are.
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Alert reader and my politically astute older brother sent along Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s cogent ‘take’ on the media that we all should read and heed. I’m sorry but I have to share it with you via Twitter because I don’t know what platform she originally posted it on. This young woman has fast become one of our ‘national treasures’.
Also, I want to give one of my alert Leavenworth readers, Emily Richardson, a mention because I have been noticing her online presence on the public Leavenworth Facebook page and she is a terrific, volunteer moderator who is unafraid to call BS and do it in the most diplomatic way I have ever witnessed ONLINE. Her calm, incisive repartees and her tenacity, along with her ability to back herself up with facts and demand facts in return, is laudatory. What is most incredible is that she is gracious, yet tenacious, never resorting to boorish online behavior or bullying.
Three cheers to Emily!
As you may already know, AOC's Instagram account is remarkably informative about a wide range of topics, as your example demonstrates. And I'm just talking about her personal account; I assume her US Rep account focuses on politics. She appears to be not only a true representative of the people, but one interested in informing and communicating with them, as well. Not just obligatory monthly newsletters or town halls. She is a great example of social media being used well for public service.