A Few Final Thoughts Before Election Day

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