“A Time For Choosing”
This is something on the minds of the relatively small amount of undecided voters as Campaign 2020 heads to the final sprint. Some are deciding between Donald Trump and Joe Biden while others are deciding to cast a less than enthusiastic vote for one for these candidates, more as a method of opposition to the other, or voting for a non-major candidate, or casting a write in. I have been in that latter category.
It is also the name of a famous speech given by Ronald Reagan in 1964. While the candidate he was advocating for was roundly defeated, Reagan grew in political stature because of this speech and in many ways it ushered in the new conservative movement. I have been keenly aware of this speech since my teenage years and have read the full contents many times. Before that, at the age of 10, I decided I was a Republican, but that was before I knew much about Reagan conservatism and how it suited my worldview. At the time he made the speech, Mr. Reagan had not long ago joined the GOP officially. The former Democrat said “I recently have seen fit to follow another course. I believe that the issues confronting us cross party lines.”….
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A lot of things happened politically this past week, but my view is that the political cake is already baked. Either the polls or conventional wisdom are wrong, more wrong than they have ever been, or Trump Fatigue during this particular time in our national history will rule the day. Both Trump and Biden were better in the most recent debate than the first disgraceful one, but that was a low bar of course. It is amazing that Trump backers were so celebratory just because he managed to not act completely like a feral animal. He was still a clown in the debate to be sure. His fans may have appreciated the showing, but I thought Biden got the best of him, although not without some unforced errors on his part towards the end….
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If Biden is President (or any Democrat that may follow him), I expect to speak out, as a citizen and as a voter against policies that are bad, ideas that are wrong, or rhetoric that divides us. I will depend on our institutions, public and private to quell what would be wrong, and for our time honored practices of checks and balances and federalism to work as our great Constitution intended.
I do not know what the future will bring. Danger is always a possibility, but there will always be future elections, to right wrongs, and Donald J. Trump, or any wannabe despot that follows, will never be the Master of this nation or its people. So like I did with my first Presidential vote, I chose the Better Man for a Better America.
We will “go from there.”….
You’re Up…..
Good look inside yourself….
Good choice for the country and I believe for yourself…