Fifty years ago, yesterday, I voted for the first time. Ever since then I’ve celebrated and today is no different. What is different is I’m not just say ”Go Vote”. Today I’m saying ”Go Vote like the Nation depends on it.”
This time I’m truly worried for the Nation this time. The ’election deniers’, the ultra extremist MAGA who promise that if elected that Republicans will never loose another election have succeeded in scaring me.
So let me say this. Any candidate, for any office, who says the following does not deserve your vote.
The 2020 election was stollen.
I will not except the results where I do not win
That 1/6/21 was NOT an attempted Insurrection.
It is up to everyone who believes in the American Way to totally and completely shutdown this kind of talk and behavior. So please, if you do reject this kind of thought and behavior and have not yet voted, Go Vote!
Be Warned my contrarian nature is in full throated Roar
Yes there is no election where I am now, but we do have off, off year elections in some places in this country. An in many many ways, these elections are more important to our democracy than the BIG Presidential elections. At least to my way of thinking.
It is the ‘small’ elections that mater because they are the ones too many people ignore. They are the bedrock of any democracy because the small elections are the foundation the big election build on. These are the ones where the politicos get there fundamental data on what the electorate are interested in. This is where we identify the true ‘base’ of political moments and parties. It is where we look to see who is an ‘up and comer’, who has new ideas and/or can express ideas clearly and inspire his/her listeners. An this election is more important than most.
Why do I say that? Because the bast decade or so America has not been looking closely at these elections and has not been listening to what has being said. Yes, some Politicos have been listening but not many and the ones that have been are either not saying much about what they hear. Or they are not being paid much attention to. If they had we’d be in a totally different place than we are in now. We would not have one political party looking for, and accepting as, their candidates people with little or no public service.
I think that in 50 to 75 years from now, when Historians write about the politics of the 2020’s they will point back to the election of Geo. W. Bush and the rise of the “Tea Party” republicans as the starting point of our coming time of troubles. And like all of the Historians who have tried to say, “Here, at this point! It all started” they will be both right and wrong. I have, in an early posting said where I think things start along the path we find ourselves so I shan’t bother to repeat myself.
We have a long row to hoe and it is going to take some time to get it done. But the place to start is with the small elections like we are having now. So I call upon you all, get out and vote. Don’t listen to the people telling you your vote won’t count. That the elections are all rigged. That is is a sure thing. Or what ever. Your Vote Maters, it Counts! Not because your vote is one among many or one among few. It maters because you mater and it is your Vote!
For all of you who do not live in California I wish to explain just why this years Primary Election is such a big deal (at lest to me). I’ve been voting since 1974 and following elections since 1968 and this is the first time, ever, that the California Primary has ever really meant something.
For as long as I remember the parties candidate for President was always a forgone conclusion by the time California had it’s primary election. This was for a very simple reason, the California Primary was always the first Tuesday in June. Long after most of the other states had held theirs. This was true for both the Democrats and the Republicans. For any political party no mater how big or small, California just did not mater. Except for fund raising California was totally ignored. But not this year!
Well, almost.
California does matter, and we have been talked about in the National media, a little bit. Not as much as Texas but I have heard the word California a time or two on the news. I even saw one of the news shows have have their star actually be. In Santa Monica yesterday. Most of the reasoning given is that in the Democratic Primary most of the “experts” are saying that Senator Sanders will pick up the lion’s share of our 415 delegates. I say wait and see. California is not nearly as monolithic as the rest of the country seems to think. We like to go our own way.
So to all of y fellow Californians I say “Get Out And Vote!” Lets show all the ‘so called experts’ that we really do matter. That we are not just a place to come to raise money and celebrity endorsements. That they need our vote if they expect to win.
An to all of you other folks in Super Tuesday states, get out and Vote. You mater too.
