I know, you’re tired of politics, the midterms, all of it. But please just take a minute to read why voting right now is important. Only 4 in 10 eligible voters have tended to cast their ballots in the midterms. Can we make it 5 in 10?
On various friends’ FB posts who are advocating for voting blue across the board, I’ve been seeing comments of people who say they will vote for the person, R or D (or I), as it’s about the issues. If they believe a certain Republican mirrors their positions, a ‘good’ Republican, then they will cast their vote for them. Hey, there are a few whip-smart Republicans out there who have morals. I get it.
But here’s the real issue when you cast your vote coming up. The Republicans (Trump) want to just fill seats. They just want enough BUTTS in those chairs to burn down the house of everything the Democrats have accomplished. It just takes seats. Why else do you think they’re trying so hard to get Herschel “Our Good Air Decided To Float Over To China’s Bad Air” Walker elected? "Well, at least he'll vote for tax cuts for the wealthy and for judges who will end birth control and gay marriage." It’s about BUTTS, man.
Republicans will go on and on about ‘FREEDOM’ as if it belongs to them alone. Freedom is a trick word in GOP lingo which means freedom to give tax cuts to the wealthy and nothing for you, schmoe. And forget about your rights as a woman. Your body will belong to the state. Do you like voting in your pajamas? I do. It’s easy in Arizona, anyway. Republicans are the ones who first championed vote-by-mail in the early 90s here and in the 2020 general election, 89% voted by mail. Now there’s the new law and ballot referendum backed by Republicans in the Legislature and passed on party-line votes that intend to limit or restrict voting by mail. And there are calls for state lawmakers to take a final vote on an extreme and sweeping measure that would, among other things, eliminate all early voting in the state. Is this freedom?
Democrats are not angels. But right now the Democratic Party policy positions are diametrically opposite of those of the GOP, and there is virtually no overlap, and the parties ALWAYS signal future policies. Do you like having health care and some bucks in your pocket when you get older? Is “owning the libs” so important that you’ll vote for the people who want to do away with (all public record) Social Security, Medicare, contraception, LGBT rights, inclusive voting rights, the minimum wage, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the Dept of Labor, the Dept of Education, the EPA, OSHA, NASA, the Centers for Disease Control, the Dept. of Health and Human Services…it goes on and on. And perhaps, most importantly, do want racist homophobes representing you?
Hey, vote for whoever you want, but being an informed voter might just make a difference. It’s hard work being a citizen, to look behind the curtain. This frustration for all of us is an actual political strategy. It reduces voter turnout as more and more people just give up on the notion that effective government, government focused on helping people, can work. What happens when less voters turn out? We get more shitty, store-bought public officials.
JUST. VOTE. BLUE.
And now…
Preachin’ good.
Very well put, Mr. M.