My Endorsement for US President
In other years, I would probably vote for Green Party candidate Jill Stein. I voted for Nader twice. I love what Stein says. And I live in Massachusetts, where my electoral votes will go to Clinton no matter what I do—which is why I was able to vote for Nader.
But not this year. I feel in my heart that every vote for Green is one more invitation for Trump or someone similar to come back and try again. I want the margin of victory to be so large that we never have this breed of politics in a national election in our lifetimes–an utter and total repudiation. I also utterly dread the idea that Trump could appoint perhaps three more Clarence Thomases. And I note that the country just barely survived the wreck of the far more moderate George W. Bush’s eight stolen years in office. This one must be too definitive to steal.
Not that I’m calling George W. Bush a moderate. He and his henchmen (should I say puppeteers?) were extremists as we understood the term, until Palin and Cruz and Huckabee et al. came along and redefined it. But even they did not wallow in blatant racism. Even they did not have the chutzpah to openly cheat people in numerous business ventures. Even they knew better to openly make denigrating comments about women while bringing forward their misogynist laws. Even they refrained from attacking John McCain because he was taken captive in Vietnam.
I was just in Canada. Everyone wanted to talk about Trump and how scared they were of him. Literally, strangers would hear our American accents and come up to talk with us. If this country turns fascist, I want to say that I at least voted to block it. I can’t find motivation to work on Hillary’s campaign, but that much I can do.
I feel that Hillary Clinton, underneath it all, has a good heart. She actually does care about people. Yes, she is a flawed candidate. She will be a militarist, pro-Wall Street president, ’tis true. She has shown poor judgment on several occasions. She lacks the charisma and outsider status of both Bernie and Trump. Her ethics are sketchy. But Trump has no ethics at all. And a President Trump would be a living reminder that Hitler came to power originally in an election.
It is very disturbing to me that a thin-skinned bully who has made it abundantly clear he cares only about himself and his own money and power could secure the nomination, even among a group of looney-birds so extreme that Jeb Bush seemed like the moderate (he’s not). If Trump wins, it really raises a deeper question for me than how will we survive his presidency and what do we do if he refuses to step down when his term is over. It raises this: do I want to live in an America that would elect this monster?
I watched three inspiring hours of the convention last night, including Bernie’s speech as well as those of Michelle Obama, Elizabeth Warren, and various members of Congress, Latinos, blacks, people with disabilities, and a gay NBA star, usually right after they played a clip of Trump bashing that constituency. It brought home a point that Trump seems to utterly miss and Hillary really gets: that our diversity is a key part of our strength as a nation. It was very effective in showing the vast contrast between Hillary and Trump and made many of the right noises about a progressive agenda, noting over and over again that this year’s platform embraces much of the Sanders agenda.
It made me feel much better about my decision months ago that I would vote for her if she is the nominee, and sparked my decision today to publicly endorse Hillary Clinton.
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I find it distressing that so many progressives have so totally absorbed the long, right-wing smear campaign against Hillary Clinton. It’s one thing to disagree with specific policies or past actions of hers. I myself don’t like her general hawkishness and openness to military actions. But this group-think hypnosis that she’s a criminal, sociopathic, corrupt, totally dishonest, evil bitch-monster is such a bizarre distortion of reality that I can’t believe how many have adopted it. And nothing seems to budge it. Neutral fact-checking sites rate her the most honest major candidate in this election? Doesn’t make a dent in the Hate-Hillary mentality. Endless hearings and court cases, all originating from right wing GOP politicians and rich backer, come up empty of finding anything? Doesn’t matter, the damage is done.
Luckily, a lot of people can see through all this (witness the primary results), but is anything going to make more people see that she’s done a lot of good things, made some mistakes, and is dedicated to public service? I.e. a human being, not some kind of fantasy monster.
Wow, this really touched a nerve! I’ve added several replies to individual comments.
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You said it Shel…. I, too, am voting for Jill Stein — along with my siblings who have left the Democratic Party.
Thank you, Shel, for this clear reasoning.
If voting for Green takes a vote away from Hillary that in effects goes toward Trump which in my humble opinion means a vote against our planet. I get the frustration. I too was a big Bernie supporter but I do not understand the I will not vote now mentality. I think it goes against everything Bernie open our eyes towards, that we have to make self sacrifices for the good of the bigger picture. For me the greater good is still more important than the me which is in fact what those who will disengage are really concerned about. I don’t like, I think, I this, I that. Yup it sucks but nothing compared to how badly it will suck if Trump is President! Little suck versus massive suck. but it’s your right to not to vote. the beauty we have this election. Next election? Maybe not.
Thank you.
I’ve been a fan of Ranked Choice/Instant Runoff Voting for more than 20 years, Trish Truitt–was involved in a group called (if I remember right) Pioneer Valley Democracy Campaign that advocated IRV and several other reforms. Linda Stirling, glad to know we can count you in the progressive camp. I came to marketing through progressive activism. I share your views on the mainstream Dismalcrats and wish we had better options. One of the BIG lessons from the Sanders campaign is that a candidate can organize and fundraise and built a movement even with the active opposition of his or her party. A year ago, everyone thought Sanders was a fringe candidate and even though the delegate selection process was tilted heavily against him. But he won state after state, despite the party’s massive (and not-always-ethical) push for Clinton.
I remember the proper name: Pioneer Valley Pro-Democracy Campaign.
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My sentiments almost exactly. I gave up voting for third parties after 1968.
They both make me sick. What the Democratic Party has done has me fed up and ready to leave the party. One thing for sure, I’m not donating to them again. If there was any way another candidate would win, I’d be voting for them. Bernie said it was time for a revolution and I, for one, think it’s past time. Both parties and both candidates are corporate shills. We’re in a lot of trouble as a country when people’s voices no longer matter.
With RCV ALL votes count. You pick your 1st choice, then 2nd and then 3rd. If the 1st choice doesn’t get a majority (50%) then your vote rolls over to the 2nd choice and so on till on has won 50% or more. No spoilers, alternate parties get a real chance to build constituencies w/o fear or voters are throwing their votes away or throwing the election to the opposite party. I sincerely believe this IS a key part of the revolution.
I’m voting for Hillary because the threat of Drumpf is even worse. BUT I’m not shutting my eyes to the real culprit:
The real enemy – for both sides is this crazy election system that only supports two parties. We’re a nation of 350M + people. Why on earth do we only have 2 brands to choose from? Ridiculous. We can get rid of the spoiler factor by adopting Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) on a state by state basis. We could then easily have 6 or more candidates to pick from and NO spoilers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5SLQXNpzsk
Thank you, Shel.
Beautifully said, Shel! The only thing I would disagree on is that Bush was Cheney and Rove’s puppet – not the other way around!
Read it again, Rona Leventhal.I said “Bush and his puppeteers”–the ones puling the strings. I didn’t say puppets. I think we’re in agreement. Bush showed what happens when people with zero ethics take control. I don’t want that to happen again.
Got it! Agreed. I’d add “zero intelligence” to zero ethics
I love Stein too. And if Sanders was your candidate, like me, it is hard not to be disappointed in reading of the contents of the DNC email hack. And to wonder why, if Hillary is such a strong candidate, they felt a need to cheat, when they already had every advantage. It is eye-opening for me and has me questioning the content of CNN and MSNBC reporting, just like I always did of FOX.
Shel, thanks for expressing your view, which seems to me to be the ‘Hillary is the lesser of two evils’ camp. I think I join you there. But I’m blown away by the comments you have attracted. I’m starting to think we have more Hillary-haters than Trump-haters in this country.
The strength of Hillary-haters is part of what is driving me to vote for her instead of Stein this year. While I think she’s utterly wrong on Middle East policy and her ethics make me queasy, I do think she has a good heart and deep down, actually cares about people. Trump cares only about Trump.
I’m sorry you have to even make this choice, that we all need to make this choice. I’m still not voting for her. I don’t want to see Trump be president as much as the next guy doesn’t, but if we give Hillary a free ride because we are voting against Trump, nothing will ever change in our favor and I fear we will lose more than we understand is at stake. It is such a dilemma.
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Thanks, Shel Horowitz. I agree with you 100% and I salute your courage to put it out there.
I think I just vomitted a little in my mouth.
Admittedly, I have the same reaction when I hear Trump speak.
Rachael Metelica Kashner See what this fellow from the neighborhood has to say….
I stay home Shel Horowitz. Hillary is back room evil. Not a good heart…a war monger a profiteer and an establishment puppet. To vote for her because Trump is worse…I cant do it. To vote for her to me is like choosing Goebbles over Hitler. I can’t do it and won’t. God pray for America I say.
I feel the same about Hillary. I don’t yet know who I will vote for – I know for sure it won’t be trump.
I will write in Bernie Sherri Long…and let the chips fall where they may…
I,too, have thought I would do the same. My convictions also say this.
I see someone else has already shared this, but I always like to ask permission before I do so. You have very eloquently mirrored my sentiments.
Thanks for asking, Jim Henry. You’re welcome to share it.
after what i have seen from the convention, i want no part of the democratic party. jeff schmidt said it well. hillary will not even discuss any of these scandals. and after dws stepped down in the wake of allegations and proofs of party corruption, hillary promotes her! that’s what we can expect of a clinton presidency. i want no part of it. trump is horrible, but at least a lot of what he says is bluster. hillary knows exactly what she’s doing, and she will use any means to accomplish it. including bribe the press. as a journalist, i cannot support that. i am ashamed for my profession.
“At least a lot of what he says is bluster” – that’s it? That’s what you’re basing your vote for a racist, misogynistic a-hole on?
i never said i was voting for him. just that i don’t think he will carry out every policy he has mentioned. he says whatever he thinks his audience wants to hear. he is a loose cannon and should not be leading the country. hillary is a liar, a cheat and a war criminal, and i don’t think she should be leading the country, either. she is in favor of perpetual war. my international friends laugh at us re trump, but they are scared shitless of hillary.
lesser of two a-holes
Bluster? He will pick Supreme Court Justices!
so will she. hillary clinton frightens me.
Have you been to Ralph Nader’s Tort Museum in Winsted, Connecticut – https://www.tortmuseum.org/
I have not even ehard of it. It’s not so far from me, but I don’t think I could convince Dina to go. The museum’s website is down.
The Democrats made it clear that they are unifying to divide our country. They are support criminals and not police. They support illegal immigrants and not the American people. They support corruption as proven with the DOJ/FBI cover up. They support scandals like the VA and IRS. They support voter fraud like proven with their own Bernie DNC scandal. They running how great the economy is but the HiLIARy is now running on how she is gojng to ifx the economy. The entire Democeat party is a scam. The Republican party is not much better but Trump blew it up. We are told he’s racist, sexist etc but he has diversity in his ranks. The media spreads the lies to create fear so the puppet they’re paid for gets elected. In reality Trump is unknown and that’s better than voting for the known corruption and failed policies of the HiLIARy gang.
That’s what you think.
We don’t have to be told Trump is racist and sexist. He has no qualms in making the point perfectly clear in his speech and actions. He is a much greater danger than Hillary. If we had instant runoff elections, I would vote for Jill Stein, Bernie Sanders and Hillary. But we don’t, and as a realist, I will vote for Hillary to stop the wall of hate that Trump unabashedly presents.
You might consider fact checking your statements. Trump is not an unknown , there is a ton of information to check his history and character, most of it coming directly from him.
wow. just wow. there are so many mistruths there that i can’t even begin. then again, everyone is entitled to their opinion. great thing about America: we’re all allowed to say them out loud.
Thank you.
You said it so well. Thanks!
Thanks Shel. Well said!!
Well spoken; I couldn’t have said it more succinctly.