I Voted for Biden
In case this helps someone: I voted for Biden.
He was not my original pick, and I’m not exactly enthused about him. I don’t think he has a handle on all the things we need right now. But, as that one circulating meme says: voting is not marriage, it’s getting on the train going in the right direction.
What direction is that? For me: A calming presence. A better chance of fostering conversation between divided Americans. Presidential submission to law and accountability, which upholds democracy (over authoritarian rule). Healthier relationship with media. Trust in experts, scientists, and competence over “loyalty.” Acknowledgment of both climate change and racism. Actual experience in the White House. And yes, basic decency.
Whether you agree with all his policy proposals or not, I think Biden has the leadership capacity to bring more calm in chaos. And most importantly to me, to end the immediate existential danger Trump poses to the Black community, asylum seekers, LGBTQ+ folks, the environment, and *all of us* through his mishandling of COVID. Where do 4 more years stoking conspiracy theories, white supremacy, mistrust in journalists, mistrust in science, and extremist division lead us? I don’t want to think about it, but can’t help but imagine an even more extremely divided America and a more violent one. Not the way we want to go, is it? So, for me, step one is to vote Trump out.
And, for me, to vote him out is to vote for Biden. The two-party system sucks, I’ll grant you, but this is not the election to make that point (i.e. writing someone in, voting 3rd party). Realistically, it’s either a Trump win or a Biden win. And, with all the suspicion Trump has been stirring up about voting fraud, it’s super important for Biden to WIN BIG. If it’s anywhere close, Trump may very well refuse to leave office (he has been planting all the seeds for this outcome). Then what happens? Whose "truth" do we believe? How do things not turn violent?
Look, as much as I want to cover my ears and close my eyes for the next month before the election, the stakes are too high to tap out. To give in to the hopelessness and overwhelm is not an option; we must fight for hope, for change, for human dignity and freedom.
And, as anyone paying attention knows, step one is only step one. We’ve got a long way to go no matter who wins on Nov. 3 (or whenever the counting concludes)!
