Politics Again
Winston Churchill (or someone else) once said: "The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter." I agree. I could add to that: "The best argument against republican or representative government is a five-minute conversation with the average elected representative." Christopher Hitchens was appalled the first time he spoke to a powerful member of Parliament.
The next Presidential election is going to be decided by morons, ideologues, motivated media personalities, and 25 to 40% of the above-mentioned average voter. As far as I can tell, one candidate for President is a despicable narcissist and the other is a person of dubious ability with whom I disagree on so many topics. The candidates for Vice President were both chosen to solidify the prime candidates voter base, not to moderate or balance the ticket. My vote for presidential electors in Maryland is meaningless, given that we are essentially a one-party state (Democrat). I suppose it would mean more if I were in one of the so-called swing states, but I am not. The election may be decided by voters in Michigan who think October 7 was religiously and morally correct, not by a single voter in Maryland.
Nevertheless, I think it is cowardly not to express your preference if asked. In 2016, I voted for the Libertarian candidate because I was, like J.D. Vance, a never-Trumper, and I thought Hilary Clinton was going with win with or without my vote. In 2020, I voted for Trump for a variety of reasons. First, I thought he was treated unfairly by the media and the Democrats during his term in ways that even Richard Nixon was spared. Second, I thought he did a decent job as President, whether he was making the decisions or not. Third, I knew Biden was a hack politician, and his running mate, Kamala Harris, was an identity choice - she was a hopeless failure in her run for the nomination, and she was more liberal than Bernie Sanders. Fourth, while I did not believe the Democrats were "stealing" the election, they were certainly changing the rules in any way they could to thwart Trump's legitimate chances. Fifth, I thought the hypocrisy of the left was worse, far worse, than the hypocrisy on the right.
After Biden's election, it took about 3 minutes before it became clear that he was going to govern from the left, with few exceptions. Whether it was Joe or Jill running the country, I thought one or both of them were doing a crappy job. Then, the prosecutions of Trump began. Yes, he was "asking for it" by his conduct with respect to classified documents, and I thought his behavior on January 6 warranted impeachment and possible conviction, but not criminal prosecution. For some reason, the Democrats decided to do everything they could to make sure Trump was the Republican candidate with the prosecutions. Perhaps they thought they were stuck with Biden and needed a rematch to avoid losing to Trump. Whatever. But now, we may end up with Kamala Harris who has done nothing in the past four years to convince me that my assessment of her in 2020 was incorrect or even slightly unfair. Watching the Democrats and the media giddy over her candidacy makes me want to puke.
I find myself wanting Trump to be President again. In my mind, Harris and Walz represent the worst policies in politics today, and while Trump may be one of the worst people, he is really no more shameless than Harris, Walz, Biden, Schiff, Warren, Sanders, and the Squad. If Harris wins, it's because she is not Trump, not for any reason related to her policies, abilities, or merit. Harris deserves my vote less than Trump does.
