I Voted

Here in New York, early voting began on Saturday. On Sunday, I went to the local polling place to cast my vote, and no one will be surprised to hear that I voted for Kamala Harris to be the next President of the United States of America.

Why Harris? Please. In this race, Kamala Harris is the only candidate qualified to hold the highest office. She is intelligent, experienced, and accomplished, she is tenacious and passionate, and I believe she is dedicated to the fight for a better country, a better world. She is all the good things that her opponent is not. Loony efforts to paint her as some radical extremist are--what's the phrase?--batshit crazy. Hell, she's slightly to the right of me, and I'm okay with that. Harris is capable and committed, and I think she can get things done for us, for all of us.

Is Harris perfect? There has never been a perfect candidate, but man, I don't see a lot of flaws here. The horror of Gaza is incalculable, but does anyone really believe the buffoon running against her can somehow make that better? I have much more faith in President Harris pursuing peace in the Middle East than I have illusions of a Republican or third-party candidate doing that. I know Harris will protect the rights of women, the rights of minorities, the rights of workers, the rights of families, the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. With President Harris, I see the potential of progress in our ongoing goal of forming and maintaining a more perfect union.

On merit alone, Harris is a promising candidate, and it was my great honor and privilege to vote for her. But we all know, or at least should know, that our most urgent, immediate responsibility transcends a vote for any single candidate. It is of vital importance that we vote against one specific candidate.

We must--MUST--vote to defeat Donald Trump.

As much as Trump apologists want to revise facts, this soulless con man will be remembered as the worst president in this country's history. Make America great again? He made America a laughing stock throughout the world, squandered the robust economy that Barack Obama's administration built up after the Great Recession, and blundered his way with ignorant indifference into a deadly pandemic that he had no clue about addressing. He has no leadership quality, no negotiating ability, no courage, no moral center, no morals at all. He is a vain, self-centered cartoon who worships at the feet of international thugs like Putin...but I will stop short of calling him a thug. No, Trump doesn't have the guts or strength to actually be a thug. He has the lack of character to wish he could be a thug, but he's weak, ineffectual. He just blusters and preens. His sycophants eat it up, like dung beetles feasting on the bounty of his bullshit. He's an opportunist, a liar, a failed businessman with a collection of bankruptcies that would be impressive if they weren't so devastating to all those who suffered the misfortune of dealing with his venomous mix of grifting and sheer incompetence. The business failures offer further proof that he is incapable of accomplishing anything of worth.

All that, and we haven't even mentioned the insurrection. That's worth mentioning, don't you think?

But honestly, I don't want to talk about him. I don't want to hear about him. I for damned sure don't want to look at him or hear his whining little voice again. I beg you: 

VOTE AGAINST THIS HORRIBLE MAN. 

And there's only one way to do that. Refraining from voting won't do it. Voting for a third, or fifth, or twenty-eighth party won't do it. Only one thing will get the job done: A vote for Kamala Harris.

I did my part. I pray that you will do yours. We're not going back.