What can I say? Nothing coherent, that’s for sure: The ballot for the Democratic primary arrived in the mail — I always vote early (but, alas, never “early and often”…). It is, in a word — the only coherent word I can muster — depressing.
Who to vote for, who to vote for, whom to vote for???
Personally, I don’t care much for Hillary Clinton. I don’t trust her, don’t believe a thing she says.
On the other hand, neither do I believe for an instant that Bernie Sanders can win the Presidential election. Say what? A guy who willingly describes himself as a socialist? Not. A. Chance.
Sanders’ message, by and large, is morally and probably factually right. But there’s no way he’s going to win a majority of American voters. Give me a proverbial break! This is not a country whose people vote for the good guys. That hasn’t happened since 1960.
If the Republican candidates weren’t SO toxic, I would vote for Sanders on principle. But given what will happen if a candidate who’s even faintly sane, even vaguely ethical, even sorta-kinda pretends to a person of good will loses to a right-wing lunatic, the main factor for Democratic voters has to be which one can win against a Republican?
And really… I don’t know. Conservatives and even some moderates revile the woman. Those of us who think of ourselves as moderate to kinda liberal suspect her. But I fear that an avowed socialist will bring out droves of conservative or moderate-to-conservative people who would not ordinarily be bothered to vote.
Wouldn’t Hillary have the same effect? I doubt it. Those who dislike her have disliked her for so long she’s part of the wallpaper.
A socialist, though? Definitely the elephant…uhm…the donkey in the room.
The election of an extremist to the White House will herald the end of the American hegemony. Many people think that will be a good thing. I don’t. Having grown up overseas and seen something of the world, I can’t escape the thought that the alternative to American hegemony is something far worse.
Yes. The Greek empire came to an end. The Roman empire came to an end. The Ottoman empire came to an end. The empire of Genghis Khan came to an end. The Spanish empire came to an end. The British empire came to an end. And of course, the American hegemony will also come to an end.
But I’d just as soon not be here to witness it. Nor do I want to cast a vote that will hurry it along.