Conflicted or Not

Perhaps you and I are alike.  Perhaps you and I both are conflicted about the potential nominees on the Democratic side of the isle. If you vote to the right, you are not likely conflicted about who to vote for unless there are muliple candidates downstream from the position of president. Here in Texas as in some other states, the incumbent does have competition.  It'll be interesting to see how the competition shakes out vote-wise.

I had two chats yesterday with two people who inspire me to do well with time and talents.  Charla and I have been shaped by them for years.  He is the consummate community organizer. She is a fierce advocate for the poor, women, children, and people of color.  They were out getting things finalized for today's primary in their county.  We laughed some, we told stories some, and we voiced our mutual commitments to things that matter. At every bend in the road, I am inspired by them. Their extended family is deeply rooted in social justice and democracy.

On my path to leaving the Republican party several years ago, there was a simple message that was shared with me by a friend that I appropriated for my own purposes.  Simply stated, I will vote for whoever is best for my people.  Today my people are blacks, hispanics, women, the poor, and anyone who is marginalized by society or the church or whomever.

So, today my wife and I will go vote.  Though we have discussed politics on several occasions, I do not try to sway her vote and neither does she try to sway my vote. That, I think, is a sign of respect.

When I look at the ballot, I'll see Bernie Sanders. He has several things that detract from him in my opinion and there are other things that I like.  I especially like that his policy team has met with a group that advocates for Black farmers. I am a part of that group.  It has been fascinating to be in on those meetings.  It is deeply moving to know that his policies about reforming the USDA and offering substantial amounts of hope to minority farmers leave me optimistic. I just want his policies to be out there now.  As in a few weeks back.

Then I see Elizabeth Warren.  One of her pluses, in my opinion, is that she has the best articulated set of policy statements about the USDA and minority farmers.  Seems to me that she gets the issues.  Again, it was more than interesting to meet with her policy team and to know that at least one of my publications helped to shape her materials.  You can see her policy here. Another thing that I like about her is that she has policies for just about everything. That is one of her strong suits.  The issue of her status as an American Indian is one of which I tire.  I wrote about that in a long, long post here on the blog several months back. You can find that easily enough.

Then there is Mike Bloomberg.  I get it that he was successful in business and as mayor of NYC.  I think his stop and frisk policy was reprehensible. I think he should have apologized and made amends long, long ago.  Yes, he is wealthy and some say he is buying his way into an election, but when money flows as freely as it does, that critique does not wash with me.  A man I respect has stated in an OpEd that Bloomberg seems to get the issues of the Black farmer. I respect that gentleman. Here is the OpEd here. 

Then there is Joe Biden, former VP of the US under President Obama.  I like him.  He has weathered the storms of politics.  He knows grief.  He knows public scrutiny. I think he should tell more stories that resonate with people like me.  Yes, I don't disagree about some of his policies including the fact that he supports the system that has driven medical costs through the roof.  He has not run a strong campaign.  He has had good advice along the way such that he took SC by storm. He has no policy stated about the USDA and minority farmers that I know of. I think he needs to move in that direction for sure.

There are others whose names I have never heard of.  If you are a Republican, looks like you have many options besides the incumbent over there.  I hope you'll vote for someone other than the incumbent. That's my personal stance.

I am one of those people. Yes, one of those.  I am bewildered that such a huge percentage of God-fearing, Jesus-following people would vote for him.  He is all that the faith stands opposed to.  He is, in my opinion, a narcisstist, an opportunist, a poor business man, a man of poor character, a serial abuser of women, a serial liar, one who undermines the rule of law as well as departments and people in key positions such as the FBI or CIA or military, and his policies are leading us into so much debt that I wonder if we'll ever recover.  Not in my lifetime for sure.

I digress.  I'll go to the polling station today just as my friends will across Texas and across other Super Tuesday states.  We'll vote.  We'll then turn on the tv to watch the returns tonight.  We'll get prepared for more state primaries and then we'll see how things roll at the RNC and the DNC.

Then, we'll vote our conscience come election day in November.

There is no perfectly fitting candidate.  There are several that are much better than the alternative across the isle.  I'll vote for people whose policies best support my people as in the list up above.  No, I'll not vote for someone whose policies pander to the upper 1% of the population while my people continue to fall behind. I'll not vote for someone who belittles women, the disabled, Gold Star families, or other candidates. I will vote for someone whom I think stands a good chance of beating the incumbent in November.  Yes, I am one of those, or, I am one of you.

This will be both an easy choice to make as well as a difficult one.