That’s the logic I used for casting my vote in this year’s presidential election.
I seriously considered voting for Jill Stein. Unfortunately, her campaign never caught fire, which is sad because her party's platform is outstanding. But reality is what it is. America in 2016 has only two viable political parties: Democrats and Republicans.
Despite a manipulated primary process earlier this year, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton survived a surprising challenge from Vermont U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (whom I supported) and won the Democratic nomination. Meanwhile, businessman and reality show TV star Donald Trump whittled down a field of 17 weak candidates and shockingly won the Republican nomination. Such at is, we are left with that choice: a status-quo, corporatist neo-liberal hawk or a reckless, racist, narcissistic, sexist, unstable demagogue. Because of the appalling foulness of the latter option, in my opinion, the former becomes tolerable. I, therefore, voted for Hillary Clinton.
I believe Donald Trump’s election to would prove to be an imminent, catastrophic danger, not only to our country, but to the entire planet. New York Times columnist Charles Blow captured my sentiment last week and expressed it much better than I can.
“On Election Day, America faces a choice, and it’s not a tough one, but a stark one. It is the difference between tolerance and intolerance. It is the difference between respect and disrespect. It is the difference between a politician with some flaws and a flaw threatening our politics.
Donald Trump is an existential threat. On Tuesday (tomorrow), America has an opportunity to defend itself.”
Don’t get me wrong. I have some serious misgivings about Clinton. She encourages a foreign policy that relies too heavily on interventionism. Her record on trade issues that adversely impact America’s working class is murky at best. And she is way too friendly with lobbyists pitching the interests of Wall Street and the military-industrial complex. Plus, I still haven’t quite forgiven her for her 2002 vote in the U.S. Senate to authorize the use of force in the ill-begotten Iraq War.
Given this track record, I believe Hillary possesses some semblance of sanity. And unlike the recent past, the party’s left wing does have some clout. Should she become president, they'll be able to hold her accountable. At the very least, they'll have a seat at the table. And thanks largely to the influence of Sanders and his delegates, the Democrats at their summer convention adopted a remarkably progressive party platform that includes, among other policies, a plank that calls for raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour and indexing it to inflation. Yes, party platforms aren't carved in granite. But they do provide a framework in which Hillary can be held to keep her promises. I cannot say the same about a Trump presidency. Any progressive ideas will be completely shut down. In fact, even the status quo will be in peril. The thought of him holding office terrifies the ever-loving shit out of me.
So, I’ve decided to fasten my belt and watch out for the other guy.
