Tag: decision-2020

While reading a summary of the closing night of the RNC, I was struck by a statement of President Trump:

“This election will decide whether we will defend the American way of life, or whether we allow a radical movement to completely dismantle and destroy it”

Understand what is being said here. The “American way of life” Trump seeks to defend is one in which:

• The wealthy get wealthier, and the poor … get poorer or stay the same.
• The Whites retain their privilege in society.
• Women remain 70% citizens, and decisions about their bodies are made by men.
• Blacks and minorities are inherently viewed as something untrustworty.
• Militaristic policing is acceptable.
• Bending, exploiting, and cheating the system for personal gain is acceptable
• The rules don’t matter if you have wealth.
• Religion should dictate the rules we follow.
• The dictates are caring about yourself, and leaving others to fend for themselves.
• Election interference by foreign governments or to benefit the party in power is acceptable.

The supposed “radical” movement is one that believes the notion of equal justice applies to all, and that injustice to one is injustice to all. The “radical” movement believes that for society to be healthy, everyone needs the ability to be healthy — in mind, body, and spirit. The “radical” movement believes that government should work FOR the people, not for their personal gain or the gain of their friends. Oh, and that “equal justice”? That also means that wealth does not allow you to bypass justice or societal obligations: you are part of society, you are subject to the rule and you pay for the upkeep of society. Oh, and that “radical” movements believes elections should be fair, and that every citizen should vote and have that vote counted.

Funny, but I don’t see the “radical” group as destroying America. I see them preserving and defending the ideals that made America great, not the invasive attitudes that are destroying it. I see this radical group as building America back, better.

B”H 2020.

Reading through my FB feed (the FB curated one), I see lots of posts from Bernie supporters who are pissed at his suspending his campaign, and who are pissed at Biden for who he is and who he isn’t. In their anger, I see them talking about voting third party or not voting at all.

Take your time and mourn the loss of your favorite candidate. We all have. We each had our favs, and except for a small number that were Biden supporters since Day 1, they are gone. But then think about this.

1. By the time you reach a general election, the choice is rarely between who you want, but who you have. Every candidate will have flaws, and the choice boils down to not who is the best candidate, but who, amongst the candidates you have, is marginally better.
2. I see a number of folks who are upset about Tara Reade’s claim of sexual assault against Joe Biden in 1993 and Biden’s failure to acknowledge it. For this reason, they say they will not vote or will vote third party. But you won’t find perfection, especially in politicians of Biden’s age who grew up before sexual harrassment was a term. Instead, look for patters. Biden has ONE claim, from over 20 years ago. Trump has more claims than you can shake a stick at, many of which are relatively current. Biden did something wrong once, and has not reoffended. Trump has a continual pattern of offense. So between those two choices, who has the better history?
3. I see a number of folks who are upset at Biden’s position on M4A. But have you read that position? He’s not against M4A, per se, but he is against two things: (1) The cost of the proposals that are out there, and (2) the timing of the proposals that are out there. If a proposal got to his desk that actually covered the costs in a reasonable manner, he would likely sign it. But none of the proposals out there have done that, and unlike the current administration, he is concerned about the national debt and how we will pay for things. But more importantly, he wants healthcare coverage for people NOW. Instituting M4A will take years, and given Congress, won’t provide coverage for everyone until 5-10 years down the road. On the other hand, he can tweak Obamacare to provide a Medicare option for all who want it quickly, and he can get that through Congress. If people vote with their pocketbooks and choose Medicare, there is essentially Medicare for all, and if they do that, it is easier to convince Congress that the other options are not necessary. Think about things; don’t just circulate memes.
4. The election is about so much more than Joe Biden, the man. It is about the administration that comes with them. Think about a Biden administration vs. a Trump administration. Who would be appointed to head the Federal agencies under each administration? Who will be appointed to judgeships and the Supreme Court? Who will listen to science? Who will listen to the experts, vs. the sound of their own voice? Who has the ability to work with Congress to get the bills needed to be passed passed?
5. I’ve seen complaints that Biden is bland, and my answer is… so? We’ve had four years of a President who is far from bland, who believes everything must revolve around him, and who has us lurching and reeling from the craziness. Perhaps a bland respite for four years is what this country needs to regain its bearing. Get us back to normal, let Biden groom a VP that can do the real work of moving us forward. Think of Biden as that Interim President who will help the country heal from the Trump years (and yes, confront the changed reality due to Coronavirus). We can use that healing.

Boy, they are dropping like flies. They’re dropping left and … left and … left and … far left. So, unless you’re in Tulsi‘s camp, you’re left with two old white men: Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders. I know some Sanders supporters that indicate that they will not vote for Biden (although these points should be considered). I know people reluctantly voting for Biden who are unsure they could vote for Bernie. I have two things to say, especially to those groups:

1. Ultimately, the progressive policies you want will come from Congress. Laws need to be a changin’, and that starts with Congress — which is why a Democratic (and progressive) Senate and House is critical. If Biden got a progressive bill from Congress, he would likely sign it. If Sanders got a bill that didn’t reflect his specific policies, would he sign it? I’m not sure. But here’s the key thing: If we don’t have both houses as Democratic, no progressive bills will be landing on anyone’s desk. What is important is moving that needle forward, even if it doesn’t go as far as we would like. The NEXT Democratic president can get it over the goal line if it is closer (and I’d love to see a pledge from both Bernie and Biden that they would be one-term presidents, given their ages). So we need to make sure we take BOTH houses.
2. There’s a meme going around that makes a great point (which I’ve slightly modified): You’re not voting for President. You’re voting for who replaces Ruth Bader Ginsberg. You’re voting for the next Secretary of Education. You’re voting for who nominates Federal Judges. You’re voting for saving national parks. You’re voting for clean air and clean water. You’re voting for scientists to be allowed to speak about the climate crisis. You’re voting for what the President says on Twitter, and the image that is presented by the President of this nation to the world. You’re voting for housing rights. You’re voting for LGBTQIA people to be treated with dignity. You’re voting for non-Christians to be able to adopt and to feel like full citizens. You’re voting for the Dreamers. You’re voting so there will be Social Security and Medicare when you retire. You’re voting for veterans to get the care they deserve. You’re voting for rural hospitals. You’re voting so that someone else can have health insurance. You’re voting for PBS and the National Endowment of the airs. You’re voting to have a President that doesn’t embarrass this country in the community of nations. Your voting against an administration that only allows congruity with what they are thinking or saying, whether it is right or wrong, constitutional or not. You’re voting to restore us as a nation that respects the checks and balances in the constitution.

No Democrat is perfect. The nominee will not be perfect. They won’t pass your purity test. Both of them have non-problems that Trump will exploit as if they were real problems (Biden has the Ukraine; Bernie has that pesky “Socialist” label). Yet either of them will be better than four more years of Trump. Either of them will help move the nation to a more progressive point. Perhaps it may not be fully to where you want the nation to be. But remember the Pirkei Avot, which notes, “You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to desist from it.” We may not be able to elect that perfect candidate, and our nominee may not be whom we want to be. But we need to vote for them, in order to help make progress on the work. The subsequent administration can finish the job. We all know that voting for Trump, or sitting on our hands and not voting, will do nothing to move that needle forward. Further, if you do a partial ordering comparison of the candidates, any Democratic candidate is better than Trump (assuming you are not a Trump sycophant, in which case I’m unsure why you’re reading this).

“You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to desist from it.” Something great to remember this election.

P.S.: For those who are arguing that the moderates lost against Trump, given Hillary’s performance. You’ve fallen for the Trump narrative. Remember: Hillary Clinton WON the popular vote by a significant margin. She lost the Electoral College because of how she managed the ground game, writing off key states and losing their electoral votes. The issue is not the strength of the moderates or the progressives, but the strength of the machine, and the importance of not writing off ANY state in advance. We need to ensure that the Democratic nominee campaigns in all states, and gets out the Democratic vote in all states. Do that, and the Democrats will win — and that’s from the top to the bottom of the ticket.

P.P.S.: Please don’t construe this post as saying you should vote Biden (or vote Bernie) at this point. Until we reach the convention, campaign for the candidate you feel will be the best at the top of the ticket. But remember that the top of the ticket is only part of the story, and the essential thing is to get a Democrat in office to replace Trump, and to take a majority in both houses. Once we are past the convention, we need to remember that our goal is to move the needle forward, not to complete the work … and that either Biden or Bernie is better than the Donald.