I truly believe that Donald Trump, who won the election yet received 3 million fewer votes than Hillary Clinton, does not represent the center of our politics and that he does not represent where we aspire to be as a nation. Since his election, his base has tightened and his world view has become smaller and meaner. In his campaign, Trump stated that he would be presidential if elected, and in his campaign rallies, he routinely says that being presidential is easy; what he does is hard. These are lies. Trump will never change. He cannot change. Trump has not risen, and indeed cannot rise, to the challenges of being President. Instead, he has strong armed all of those around him to appease him at every turn. But the ultimate test of his strength, and of our nation’s power, is tomorrow.
We are not a nation that castigates people based on race, national origin, religion, sexuality, gender identity, or any other “ism” that divides. We are a great nation because we appreciate the power that a diverse people, committed to a common cause, can bring. From wherever we hail, we know that the commitments to justice and decency and to a system that rewards creativity, ingenuity, and hard work has for so much of our nation’s history made us the envy of the world.
To demonstrate who we are, it is vital that the election represent us all. Midterm turnouts are notoriously low, but this midterm is critical to setting our nation back on a better course. The only way to have our electoral outcomes reflect the center of our polity is to have as many eligible voters as possible vote. Profound distortions arise with low and unpredictable turnout. The way to fight Trumpism is to vote, plain and simple. There is no other remedy. Vote if it's sunny. Vote if it’s dark. Vote if it’s hot. Vote if it's cold. Vote if it pours. Vote if it’s dry. Just vote. The more people who do so, the more likely the outcomes will reflect who we are as a people. And if you have confidence in us, as I still do, show that by voting. Tomorrow is our opportunity to prove that we are better than what the world has witnessed and what we have suffered over the past two years.
And finally, I do agree with Donald Trump on one point. As he has traveled around the country, he has repeated again and again that it’s all about him. Every election in every precinct. A vote for his supporters is a vote for Donald Trump. This is especially true in the House and Senate races. Our system of government is founded upon checks and balances. These past two years we have suffered a President who constantly demonstrates his ignorance respecting the most fundamental operations of government and the most basic underpinnings of what makes our nation great. Tomorrow is the opportunity to say “enough.” It is time for us to show the world that decency, competence, and checks and balances all matter. Congress has refused to check this President’s worst instincts. We the people are the final check. We are a far greater nation than we and the world have seen over the past two years. Let’s demonstrate that tomorrow by going to the polls.
I welcome your comments.