So here’s my conundrum… update #2

So, as I discussed at length in the first post in this series, I had vowed to never vote for a family member of any former president.

However, with John Kasich dropping out of the Republican Primary race (to hell), I no longer have any choice but to vote for the Democratic nominee, who, of course, will be Hillary Clinton.

For I will never, ever vote for the Donald Trump de Drumpf.

I saw a report the other day showing that 30% of Bernie Sanders supporters vowed they will never vote for Hillary Clinton.

I assume them to mean, then, that if Clinton wins the nomination, they will not vote at all in the general election because my mind simply cannot comprehend someone who is such an avid supporter of Socialist Sanders voting for the Orange Megalomaniacal Menace.

But make no mistake about it, not voting in the general election is essentially voting for Trump.

So, even if you are as disappointed as I am in that Trump and Clinton are the best my country can offer up for presidential candidates, I passionately urge you to plug your nose, close your eyes, wipe your tears and vote for Clinton by all means.

You will only feel dirty for at least the four years she is president.

It is better to feel compromised than to be culpable for completely destroying our country (a destruction begun with Dubya) with a Trump presidency.

I really believe that if Trump becomes president my country will become forever alien to its historic ideals.

Speaking of Dubya, I would say I am proud of him for announcing he will not support Trump.

However, as badly and distasteful as Trump was toward both his presidency and his brother’s candidacy, he had no choice but to not support him.

Sigh…

What a sad state of affairs we find ourselves in, America…
 

 
#nevertrump

 
 

36 thoughts on “So here’s my conundrum… update #2”

  1. I share your frustration and bafflement, Kurt. I am also a Bernie supporter, and yet, if the choice is between Hilary Clinton and Donald Trump, I will happily support her. I don’t understand where people get the idea that they are somehow owed a candidate who perfectly reflects their values, and if one is not presented, they will pout and take their toys home. If I had waited for my ideal candidate to come along, whether president or any other office, I would have had to sit out the last twenty years of voting.

    Voting is and always has been about choosing *between* whoever is on the slate. Not “is this person your dream date?” but “is this person better than that one?” Yet some people seem to act as though they’re being asked to marry one of these two candidates, and no, they don’t like either, so they’ll just stay single, thank you very much. Sadly, that’s not an option. One of them will become president. Not voting is the same as saying that you don’t care which one wins. That you think they’re interchangeable, and Clinton is just as bad as Trump. I find it hard to believe that many of even the most rabid Bernie supporters really believe that.

    Let’s hope they change their minds when the time comes.

    Reply
    • Very well said, Joy. I would love for you to post this essay in the RTH Political feature so I can then happily publish it to the blog. Thanks for sharing your important thoughts, Joy.

      Reply
        • Ha ha… Sorry. The Relating to Humans feature. It’s this blog’s open submissions forum where anyone can post essays or other writing. If you’re interested, you can learn more about it here. 🙂

          Reply
  2. I found the Clinton ad to be sadly hilarious, if you can picture such an oxymoron. And yes, a decision not to vote is ipso facto a vote for Trump. Meanwhile, the rest of the world cringes.

    Reply
  3. My husband and I were talking about this yesterday. He’s like you, he can’t believe he’s faced with voting for Clinton, but he can’t possibly do the alternative.
    I said we basically have two candidates who believe themselves above the law and that the ends justify the means. Our choice is to go with the one who will do the least harm, if it comes to that.
    I think Clinton is out to accomplish what *she thinks* is best for the country, and Drumpf is out for what’s best for his ego. I may not agree with Clinton on all things (or the way she goes about them), but she absolutely has my vote.

    Reply
  4. Have you heard of a write in vote? It frustrates me to no end why the powers that be only allow us two choices in the general election. It’s not constitutionally mandated, neither are political parties. Check your history and see when we started being herded into only two lines

    Reply
    • Yes, I’ve heard of a write-in vote. But, as we currently are a two-party system it is essentially a non-vote, or, in other words, a cop-out in my view.. As I’ve discussed in earlier posts, I’ve voted for a third-party candidate during the Bush/Gore race. It was a cop-out on my part by not making the tough choice. I copped-out and we ended up with Bush and all his destruction. I won’t do it again. But go for it if it’s your thing. At least will still have the freedom to do so… for the time being anyway.

      I’m okay with a two-party system. Historically, it forces the two candidates to a moderate middle, where most of the country is. Check your history and see how non-constructive and non-productive coalition governments are. Not for me.

      Reply
        • Okay, but like I’ve said… in my view and of course it may be the wrong view, but by doing so, by writing in a vote, one is expressing the freedom to cop-out of the process. By writing in a vote, one is essentially not voting.

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          • More like… They don’t care what we want. They give us the choices they want us to have. Your choice doesn’t get counted unless they say it does

          • Now that’s a different discussion and one that involves getting the money, and its corrupting power, out of politics. Politics is big business so yes, those with money def control the process.

  5. I’m with you Kurt. I would rather vote for the evil I know instead of the one that is unknown. Trumps position has changed so much over the years that it’s hard to know what his final position is on any issue. One thing I know for sure, I don’t want a narcissistic ignoramus representing our country.

    Reply
    • Based on the current numbers he doesn’t have a chance at winning the general… however, conventional wisdom and politics do not apply to this election so I’m pretty darn concerned.

      Reply
  6. I am a registered Libertarian. There ARE other choices other than the two hideously contemptuous choices of Hillary and The Donald. Don’t fool yourself. There are no free rides. If you voted for that evil bitch Hillary, you are accountable for every horrible decision she makes.

    Reply
    • Well, as we are a very solid two-party system there are only two choices for all practical purposes. There are no viable third-party candidates. I wish there were a viable libertarian candidate because he or she might be able to peel off some of trump’s votes. But there isn’t.

      I tried the third-party route during the Bush/Gore election, as I discussed in the first post of this series. I voted for Nader and because of it we ended up with Bush. It was a terrible, terrible mistake. I copped-out by not making the tough choice and voting for one of the only two choices that mattered. If Gore had won the election we would be in a very different world right now–and I am pretty sure it would be way better than the one dubya left us.

      As bad as she may be – I’ve already discussed the reservations I have with Clinton – she will be better than trump. I will vote for her because there are no other viable choices and I will not chicken out again.

      To me, voting for a libertarian or other third-party candidate, or writing in a vote, or not voting is a free ride.

      Reply
    • As U said: “Don’t fool yourself. There are no free rides.” Unless U live in a cobalt blue or screaming red state, voting Green or Libertarian in 2016 IS voting for Trump. In the real world, all options suck. Some suck worse than others. Much worse.

      Reply
  7. I would rather vote for someone like Gary Johnson, than be responsible …actively….for Hillary getting in. But to each their own. :-). As long as people don’t proactively call out the Establishment and the Political Elite for holding the American people hostage to the dysfunctional “two party” system we have, we will never get the change we need in Washington. That is why Trump has done so well. People are sick of it, and would rather blow the whole damn thing up than continue on living with the stranglehold around their necks. I totally get it.

    Reply
    • Yes, I agree that some are ready to blow the system up; however, I honestly think that Trump’s racist and xenophobic rhetoric is what is attracting many/most of the primary voters to him.

      I’m okay with a two-party system. It historically has forced the candidates to the moderate middle where most Americans are. I watch the governments – mostly parliments – of other countries trying to patch together coalition governments with all their diverse agendas and demands and that is not for me. I can’t remember how many different Prime Ministers Japan has had just in the past few years because the coalitions collapse. Our country barely votes now… it would never manage such constant voting.

      Now, it appears that the republican party is going to have to splinter because its platform cannot support all its contrary nutjobs. Not sure what the future looks like for them.

      And you’re right – to each her or his own. All this opinionated blather I spew is mine and mine alone… most of it is probably way out of wack for most.

      Reply
      • It’s my first time here and this was the first and only post…or anything, really,….of yours I’ve read. Politics is a wacky sort of business all it’s own. 🙂 Thanks for the discussion.

        Reply
  8. Right on!

    I will vote for the Dem nominee (most likely Clinton), tho I would prefer Sanders. I am appalled that many “progressives” would effectively vote for Trump if they cannot get Sanders.

    There remains the slight possibility that enough uncommitted superdelegates will notice the depth of antipathy to Clinton and broad appeal of Sanders to deny Clinton a 1-st ballot nomination. After some balloting and bickering, the convention might even go outside the box and draft Elizabeth Warren, who would be a better candidate *and* a better president than either Clinton or Sanders.

    Reply
    • Under normal circumstances Bernie and EW are too to the left for my preference… but this upcoming general will be far from normal. Who knows, maybe the original Moderate to Severely Conservative Republican Romney can be enlisted as an independent by Kristol to provide some relief to the madness.

      Reply
  9. HOW IS THIS THE BEST AMERICA CAN DO?

    What this country needs to do is UNITE by pushing a grassroots, social media-directed campaign to get a viable 3rd party. That candidate only has to be better than Clintoon or Stump Hump – so he/she can’t be hard to find….

    Reply

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