This election has been exciting and tiring both at the same time.
From the start of campaigning, it's been a rat race and nobody is really certain about how we got where we are, although the answers are right before us. But there's one thing we can be clear on.
The goal is stopping Trump.
Or, that's what its supposed to be. Hillary Clinton excites a lot of people from white feminists to racists who don't want to align too closely to Trump's campaign. Hillary's fence-playing neoliberal rhetoric is even more rightward than centrist politician President Obama, and for the left - this election is ultimately a loss.
On June 10th, an interesting thing happened. Shortly after President Obama had a meeting with Bernie, he, Vice President Biden, and Elizabeth Warren lined up behind Clinton announcing their endorsement. The timing of it all merits suspicion, making me assume that these politicians waited intentionally for her recognition as the presumptive nominee, and that they supported her from the get go. Values be damned, its almost like the Democrats want people to lose faith in the election. Of course, President Obama had to save face for the party in his endorsement video thanking everyone for voting. I felt like a citizen in the Hunger Games watching state-sponsored propaganda. I do applaud Bernie for taking the fight to the convention, and there's a lucky-charm marshmallow-sized piece of hope that he comes with the Democratic Nominee.
Even in local politics, depending on where you are, people can be the most uninspiring and flimsy. Baltimore's brand of Democrats continue to sell the city out to big businesses, meanwhile the investments in the people are so small.
But back to Trump. Fuck him. How a talking tangerine with a dollar store toupe was ever able to rise to popularity doesn't baffle me. I've met Donald Trump before. We went to middle school together. His name wasn't exactly Donald Trump though. In fact, he had many names. In fact, he was many people. The only people surprised about the rise of the talking tangerine are those without any type of awareness. Trump is America's patron saint of ignorance and bigotry - a posterboy for White American terrorism - and now he's the face of the Republican Party. Cool.
In fact, I wonder if its a conspiracy that maybe the Republican Party is using Trump as a temporary poster boy to win November and then he'll either resign or his party will terminate him. Or exterminate him. Paul Ryan and his cronies aren't above it. Crayola Fiorina doesn't seem above it either.
But again, I've seen him before. And there's Trumps all around us. In fact, our college campuses breed them - they're called Young Republican Parties. Just in Chicago, a group of activists had to remove awful human being, Milo WhateverHisLastNameIs after their Young Republican Party campus group brought the hateful person to campus.
With all that being said; when I cast my vote for Jill Stein in November, don't get too upset. Or rather, don't be upset at all. Don't tell me I wasted my vote either, because while nonviolence is a key value in the Green Party, I am not opposed to squaring up. My agenda may not be your agenda. I am not voting to stop Trump. My vote is against white supremacy, economic inequality, and a better cleaner planet. All of those things are good things to vote for, and I don't mind voting for my beliefs. If progressives really voted for our beliefs, the Democratic Party wouldn't be as big as it is. But then again.....thats another blog post.
I'm looking to stop anyone advancing the interests of capitalism and white supremacy. If we're being honest, that disqualifies both candidates in the major parties and even Bernie to an extent. I mean, the BernieBros really have some things to learn about engaging with Southern voters and Black voters. Berners really need to understand racism. But, because Black lives matter across the planet as well, electing a President who suggests Africans get over colonialism is greatly disturbing. Electing a President who invokes "radical Islamism" to excite people is disturbing. Because I am not a woman, I am not able to feel the symbolic connection that women have with Hillary Clinton. Clinton and I share nothing in common. However, if we all want to be #withher, there are so many other "hers" who deserve attention.
Stopping Trump may be your thing, but understand it's not mine.