I get if you don’t like the status quo. Heck, I voted for Bernie Sanders. However I still wonder how people can pull
the lever for a man like Donald Trump.
The primary reasons I hear – that Hillary is corrupt, she is not
trustworthy, that she will be bad for the economy – are the same things that
can be said about Donald Trump.
Trump happens to make his living by playing shell games with
other people’s money and leaving small businesses and taxpayers holding the
bag. I’m unclear on why people think
Trump will be “good for the economy” when he leaves a trail of bankruptcies and
unpaid businesses in his wake. And oh by the way Donald Trump has zero experience in governance.
Let’s not forget that it was a Barack Obama administration that
spearheaded the rescue of the U.S. automotive industry and fended off an
existential economic crisis, or that Bill Clinton’s economy ran a surplus. Of course they’re far from perfect, but
Democrats have proven they can govern.
I have no doubt that Hillary Clinton will be an equally, if not more
capable chief executive than her predecessors.
And that’s before we get into Trump’s comments on anyone
else who doesn’t share his worldview. Donald
Trump has overtly courted racist support, has demonized immigrants, used
anti-Semitic themes and images in social media, and let’s not forget his
treatment of women through his entire life.
Make no mistake - a vote for Donald Trump is a vote to
legitimize all of these messages. You
can say to yourself that “well that’s not why I’M voting for him” but that
doesn’t really matter because in fact a vote for Trump is a vote for this kind of leader.
If you don’t like Hillary that much then you really
need to ask yourself why that’s the case, and if that reason really overrides
empowering a demagogue like Trump. Each
of us is responsible for how we exercise our vote. And we are all collectively responsible for
the governance of our country. Our
choices matter, and so do the consequences of those choices. If you haven’t voted yet and are thinking
about voting for Donald Trump, I would say think carefully about what your vote
supports. And if you choose to opt out of voting altogether,
then you are opting out of our future and the direction of this country.
For all these reasons and more, I support a vote for Hillary
Clinton.
As we must account for every idle word, so must we account for every idle silence.
- Benjamin Franklin
