Vote Temprano - 10/26/2020
This has been a contentious and interesting election cycle. I enjoy following politics, and watched closely during the primary season to see who would emerge as the Democratic candidate (it was a foregone conclusion that Trump would represent the Republican party). I have to admit, I was surprised when Joe Biden came out on top. I've always liked Joe, but as he is 78 years old now I really though he was too old to run, and that the party would choose someone (slightly) younger like Elizabeth Warren, who was my first choice. But I have been pretty pleased with the campaign Biden has run, particularly with his choice of Kamala Harris as his running mate. I would really like to see a woman in the White House, and if Joe is elected he is likely to be a one-term president given his age. So Kamala seems like a likely choice to run for president in 2024. But I'm getting ahead of myself.
All the polls show Biden ahead at this point, with a national lead of up to nine points. Although one pundit thinks that voters who are too "shy" to say they are voting for Trump will carry the day for him, all the rest believe that the race is Biden's to lose. It all depends on what the turnout is like. It's important to remember that in 2016, the largest number of voters did not vote for either Trump or Clinton - they didn't vote at all. If this happens again, it's hard to predict the winner. But if turnout is high, particularly for Democrats, Biden is likely to win.
I didn't want to take any chances. With all the stories about long lines for early voters and ballots being stolen or lost in the mail, I wanted to vote early and to give my ballot to a poll volunteer in person. So last week I filled out my ballot (for Biden, in case you were wondering) and went to the nearest curbside drop-off location. I handed my ballot to a smiling voluteer, one of eight at this location, and got my "I Voted Early" sticker. Only, because Tucson is a bi-lingual border town, my sticker said "Vote Temprano" (I voted early, in Spanish).
I've always enjoyed the voting process. My mother used to take my little sister and me with her to our elementary school to vote when I was a child. There were always long lines there, and the machines were the old-fashioned kind with curtains that opened and closed automatically when you pulled the lever. It seemed very adult and mysterious to me. I couldn't wait to register to vote, which I did as soon as I turned 18. It has always seemed to me like the most essential duty of citizens of a democracy. Although I might miss some primary elections, I have never missed a national election for President. I started out as a Republican, casting my first vote for Gerald Ford in 1976. Since then, I've voted third party once. Republican two more times, and Democratic since 1992. I changed parties because of the confirmation of Clarence Thomas to the Supreme Court. I was appalled at the Republican's treatment of Anita Hill, and I promised myself I would never support this party again. And I haven't.
Today, Republicans rammed through a confirmation of a new Supreme Court justice, with zero bi-partisan support, one week before the election. They did this in spite of refusing to confirm Obama's nominee with nine months to go before the election. The woman is another Catholic (there are now six on the court) who does not support abortion rights and who has spoken out against the Affordable Care Act. It seems to me that Republicans are just continuing in their practice of confirming biased, unqualified judges. I am angry and sad, but I feel even better about casting my vote for Joe and Kamala last week. Because I believe they are decent people who will try their best to do the right thing for this country. I could be wrong. But if Trump gets re-elected, I'm moving to South America. Yo hablo Espanol.
#Elections #Campaigns #Democrats #Republicans #Biden #Harris #Trump #AnitaHill #ClarenceThomas #SupremeCourt #AmyConeyBarrett #BlueWave