Don’t Be a Foolish Voter

 

The last time I wrote about voting, despite my best efforts, I managed to offend some readers. Now, don’t get me wrong, I certainly don’t lose any sleep over the fear of offending anyone. I can honestly say that I’ve never intentionally set out to offend, but simply to state my opinions clearly and openly which I have every right to do. I cannot control the reactions of others, and although I respect the right of others to disagree with me at times, I have little (or no) respect for those individuals who cannot hear a contrary thought without getting hurt or offended.

My previous thoughts on voting haven’t changed, even though the candidates have. Here’s what I had to say about the last election. A Writer's Life: Are Today’s Voters Stupid? Or Just Ignorant? (rdperryauthor.blogspot.com)

I’ll try not to repeat myself, but let’s talk about November. The Presidential candidates and their positions could not be more different and the decision should be an easy one. (IMHO) I really believe this, because of the candidates and their relevant experience. This is a rare and unique situation. Why listen to the candidates talk about what they will do if elected, or what the other candidate will do? We have actual data! Trump has been the president before! We know exactly what a Trump presidency will look like! And we can say the same for Harris. She has been the Vice President for the last three and a half years and claims to have been included in every major policy decision of the Biden administration. (You also have her voting record as a Senator, as well as a long history of positions on issues going back to her days as a California prosecutor.) We’ve seen a Trump administration and we’ve seen a Biden/Harris administration. And in the words of Dr. Phil, “the best predictor of future behavior is… past behavior.”

To put it simply, if you want to know what a Trump presidency will be like, look to 2016-20. If you want to know what a Harris presidency will look like, think about 2020-24. Consider the biggest issues on the minds of voters. The economy? Immigration and the border? Foreign wars? Then ask yourself the famous question posed to voters by Ronald Reagan in his 1980 debate with Jimmy Carter. “Are you better off than you were four years ago?” That answer alone should make the decision easy.

The problem is two-fold. Ignorant, uninformed voters and flat-out stupid, foolish voters.

In the first category, I consider the voters who believe everything they see and hear. Kamala Harris says quite a lot. She is a politician, in every sense of the word. With very little research, you can find her taking multiple positions on several key issues. Even Bernie Sanders has basically said that she will say whatever she needs to say to get elected. And sadly, she will say it in whatever accent appeals to the particular crowd she is addressing. Whether you agree with him or not, Trump tends to be more consistent, despite the fact that the mainstream media (and Biden and Harris) continue to call him a liar daily.

In contrast, the second group knows the facts, but chooses to ignore them. (Or acts as if they aren’t that important!) It is truly sad. There are hardcore conservatives who will vote for anyone with an R next to their name. There are liberals on the left who will support any candidate with a D by their name. (Honestly, I do believe the Democrat side has many more of these kind of voters!)  But the real problem is the vast number of voters who are perfectly willing to vote for their favorite candidate even when that candidate clearly promotes things they claim to be against. These are the foolish voters who are destroying our country.

I want to scream at them to wake up and realize what they are doing! This isn’t some high school prom queen election where popularity determines the winner. This is real life. Voting for either candidate just because you like them more than the other one is foolish, if that person has an entirely different set of values and beliefs than you do. When did our elections become so insane?

Unbelievably, there are several prominent conservative Republican politicians who have declared their intention to vote for Kamala Harris. Really? You hate Trump so much that you are going to help elect the most liberal candidate we’ve ever seen? Seriously? You’re willing to throw out your entire value system and support a candidate who holds an extreme opposite position on every issue you’ve ever fought for? Crazy!

But forget, the newsworthy fools. What about the average voter? Or the foolish one? If you can barely afford gas or groceries, how can you vote for the ones responsible for the rampant inflation in the first place? If you believe that every country should have a secure border in order to protect its own citizens, how can you vote for those who have allowed the border to remain wide open and done nothing to prevent the illegal immigration of millions over the last three and a half years? (Not to mention the problems of human trafficking, and drugs, and criminals from countries around the world who have walked across our southern border.) If you believe abortion is morally wrong, how can you vote for candidates who believe so strongly in abortion on demand (even late term abortions)? If you believe in the second amendment and the right of citizens to bear arms, how can you vote for candidates who advocate forced confiscation of guns and appealing that amendment?

Time to be blunt. When you vote for these people, you are ultimately responsible for the things they do. Bottom line. Do you want a rude, sometimes crude, sometime embarrassing president who puts America first? Or do you want a nice person who will stand by while our country crumbles? Don’t be foolish. Or stupid.