WE CAN’T AFFORD TO LOSE FOCUS IN THIS ELECTION
I’ve got to talk to you about this upcoming election: presidential, senatorial, Cook County state’s attorney, Illinois state comptroller and alderman. I don’t know what you think, but this year’s election is crucial no matter the bizarre displays of dysfunctional and totally out-of-character behavior of the presidential candidates before the actual nominees for both parties were selected.
The fact that there were 16 men, one Black and one woman who made up 17 in all, is in itself a historical phenomenon. What it said about the Republican Party spoke volumes. Historically, most parties have an idea who the front-runners for the presidential race are, but 2016 proved that the Republicans were all over the place in terms of its vision of America and what the individual for the job should represent, and what Republican philosophy he or she should embody.
But the 2016 Republican presidential nomination race is indisputably the most important in a generation. Setting aside the fact that it’s been 12 long years since the last Republican presidential candidate won a general election, or the fact that the last two presidential candidates have been soundly defeated by the Democratic nominee, President Barack Obama, there are several added incentives to win the 2016 presidential election.
As Donald Trump emerged victor after the very dramatic display of poor sportsmanship from Republican opponent Ted Cruz, who displayed non-presidential behavior calling Trump all sorts of names — from liar to narcissist — and more to the Trumpster himself, displaying more and more that he too is even less fit to lead America anywhere but hell. The fallout was like walking a minefield when Republicans began to grovel with no place to go, no place to hide. Trump got worse, by refusing to support party members up for re-election like veteran Sen. John McCain, whom he had disrespected during his campaign for Republican presidential nominee, as well as Paul Ryan, current speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives.
Trump’s behavior and total disregard for protocol and decorum prompted President Obama to publicly proclaim that Trump is unfit to be president and called on the leaders of the Republican Party to denounce him. It’s true white folks rally for their own. Both McCain and Ryan came back after winning their elections and threw their support behind their party man. Still, if you follow the money, most of the fat cats and deep-pocket contributors have not thrown their money behind Trump, and in their world money talks.
Four years after Charles and David Koch’s political network opened its bank accounts to promote Republican nominee Mitt Romney, it’s now spending millions to save the Republicans’ Senate majority from their presidential candidate. They have not given the Trump campaign any of their money because they don’t want to throw it away.We saw what a Republican-dominated Congress can do, so the Republicans are willing to bet on it. Right now, the Democrats want to shift the power and win some of those House and Senate seats, which can change the political landscape.
Look at the Big Picture
We may not like all of the Democratic candidates running in the race, but we have to vote big picture, noting the overall impact. If Bernie Sanders was your man, too bad! He’s not the Democratic presidential candidate. So get over it, grow up and make a sensible choice that will make a difference in the outcome. So you have issues with Hillary Clinton. They’re all politicians. They play in the political arena where lines blur. What we hope for is to vote in people with some semblance of integrity. Hillary, regardless of what you might think, has always been of service to the community, marching in the civil rights era, registering people to vote, fighting housing discrimination, and rights for the disabled, and more. And honestly, the emails issue is over. The woman apologized. Next.
“Hillary Clinton, regardless of what you might think, has always been of service to the community.”
And then we want to discuss at length the matter of Hillary Clinton supporting her husband, the president’s, Three Strikes Law. Really? What else was she to do? So she referred to those who kill children and others that look like them ”super predators,” what would you call those who shoot 8-year old children, women and young men? But most importantly on this we have a short memory. I remember that time in the ‘80s when Blacks wanted stronger laws to cut down the violence in the community. We asked for it and got it. Be careful, my friends, what you ask for. Know what it means. Bottom line: Who knew that the Three Strikes Law would devastate our communities as it has? So we’re back at the drawing board.
This time, let’s not go to the polls and consider our responsibility done. Instead, we have to make sure that the president stays true to her promises. Make sure you communicate to your senators and congressmen what you want to happen. Remind them that if they don’t you will not vote them back into office.
If you get that it’s a pyramid where the office of president is built upon the layers of brick beneath it, then you understand the importance of each governmental position’s ability to impact the top.
So don’t even think about throwing your vote away by not voting or voting for someone other than the Republican or the Democratic candidate.
If you don’t vote, you don’t get to complain.