This election cycle has already moved out-of-the-box so many times, that there actually is no longer any box to be seen. I’m not going to enumerate the plethora of examples in both the Republican and Democrat race. Unless you not only have your head in the sand but you are also wearing a blindfold and earmuffs, you can identify them yourself.
However, there is one strange out-of-the-box way of which I am increasingly becoming aware. I have no idea how many of my friends will choose to cast their ballot. Without talking to them, I can’t predict what my friends are thinking, even those with whom I’ve politically walked in sync, sometimes for decades.
We have certainly had differences before. But the differences have been ones of intensity rather than final result. I thought Mitt Romney ran an awful campaign (I believe you can draw a straight line between his campaign and Trump being the nominee) handing the election to the Obama team. I had serious misgivings about how good a president he would have been were he to be elected. Some of my friends thought he was the perfect candidate, running an excellent, if losing, campaign; a loss they blamed on not being welcoming enough to illegal immigrants. Yet, we all agreed that voting for Barack Obama wasn’t an option.
I have other friends who have been loyal Democrats since their first voting experience. I disagreed vehemently with their assessment of the Democrat and Republican parties, but I knew where they stood. They were solid Bill Clinton, Al Gore, Barack Obama voters.
When I do speak to friends on both sides of this divide, I hear of people jumping ship. Staunch conservatives who are considering voting for Hillary and fervent liberals who are thinking of voting for Trump. I am in a continual state of surprise. It is entirely possible that twists and turns over the next few months will upend what these friends are saying today.
If the election was tomorrow, I would cast my vote for Trump. All the choices, including a third-party candidate or leaving the president box blank, make my heart sink. I see no option that makes me proud. I would choose Trump right now because the analogy I see is a doctor telling a patient that they have a 5% chance of recovery. They can continue the course they are on (Hillary) and almost certainly die. Alternatively, they can try an experimental (Trump) drug. It might cure them or at least keep them alive longer while scientists work on discovering a cure. Of course, it might kill them more quickly than doing nothing. Neither option has me sleeping peacefully; but I would go with the gamble.
I am also going to speak to my friend, N., whose knowledge of history and street-smart wisdom I admire. We are on the same spiritual and cultural page. Just yesterday she mentioned that she would vote for Hillary. She looked nauseous as she said that. I want to hear her thoughts as I work on steeling myself to make a decision that, whichever way I go, has the possibility of being disastrous for a country I love.
Well done, Nancy.
I saw the video. I hope whoever can from there is given serious drug rehabilitation rather than prison.
Ha ha ha ha!
“Hell is empty and all the devils are here”–The Tempest
“Life every man holds dear, but the dear man holds honor far more precious dear than life”… What of the (wo)man that holds neither dear?
Emmanuel Kant
“A good will is good not because of what it effects, or accomplishes, not because of its fitness to attain some intended end, but good just by its willing, i.e. in itself; and, considered by itself, it is to be esteemed beyond compare much higher than anything that could ever be brought about by it in favor of some inclinations, and indeed, if you will, the sum of all inclinations. Even if by some particular disfavor of fate, or by the scanty endowment of a stepmotherly nature, this will should entirely lack the capacity to carry through its purpose; if despite its greatest striving it should still accomplish nothing, and only the good will were to remain (not of course, as a mere wish, but as the summoning of all means that are within our control); then, like a jewel, it would still shine by itself, as something that has full worth in itself”.”
Susan, the story is trending on Bing, and may not be front page news otherwise.
http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/texas-inmates-break-out-cell-save-guard-who-stopped-breathing-n606491
Tears welled up, again, after reading this, except that this time they were of relief with an assurance that everything was secure (holding cell reinforced).
Nancy, I have to go look up that story! (I was offline for Shabbat and haven’t read the news yet.) The bottom line is that we each have our own choice of good and evil – but our society can promote one or the other as well.
We could turn this into a literary blog and probably come up with dozens of apt lines :).
The common sentiment from the majority of peace officers is their full awareness of events such as this is part of what their vocation. Another article, also trending out of Texas, that I initially was hesitant to read only to further confirm what the world had come to, eight inmates broke out of their holding cells, fully aware of the risk of being shot, in a an attempt to rescue a corrections officer whom had suffered a heart attack.
After all the other news, hopefully, this is an indication of what the world will be eventually coming to, finally, and after all. I always try to remember that when we are being pressed down, it may be that it is only in preparation for the capacity in which we will soon be running over, from the abundance pouring out.
After Mr. Comey’s tepid indictment of Hillary Clinton, Shakespeare may have reiterated, “First, let’s kill all of the lawyers.”
Before turning off for Shabbos, I just must say how heartbroken I am for the families of the Dallas police officers who were killed and wounded. I know some of you are from Dallas which must magnify the pain you are feeling. God bless.
It’s hard to think of a less feminist thing to do than voting for Hillary. I do know Black friends who were conflicted about Obama (the first time around). I understood that one a little better.
Donna, I am running ‘Grandma Camp’ next week for 5 little girls. I will have to speak to N. the week after.
Our hearts should be troubled. You’re echoing what I said that Hillary is a definite disaster and maybe Trump will be worse but he might be better.
I’ve been in the car so am just responding now, but James answered you!
You have hit upon the crux of the matter: politics is not like strolling through the cafeteria and choosing your most delightful dream dinner. No, politics usually mandates choosing the lesser of two evils. And abstaining, recusing oneself from the vote in a bilious political temper tantrum is a vote by default for the greater of two evils. This happened in 2008 and again in 2012.
I cannot understand why there are foolish voters who vote for one candidate solely for the color of his skin, and vote for the next because of her primary and secondary female sex characteristics. Over half the US population is female, so how is this a plus? And it has become increasingly apparent that the political career of this lying and scheming Alinskyite woman is shadowed by scandal upon scandal, corruption upon corruption. And her family Foundation is a scam, peddling political influence to the highest bidder, among others to foreign despots who wish us dead. And for what? For filthy lucre and POWER. Like you, come what may, I am voting against Hillary.
“Lord, what fools these mortals be!” Puck, Midsummer Night’s Dream
Susan, you left us hanging without knowing what your, with all due respect, misguided friend has to say. 🙂 I am totally in the camp of “we have to take a chance” that Trump will surround himself with good, knowledgeable people that will direct him. We know exactly what we would be getting with Hillary and NO VOTE is a vote for her. If for no other reason than for the sake of the Supreme Court I have to vote for Trump.
I can’t support any candidate who is not pro-life. I just can’t. Trump is so inconsistent in his stance on abortion that I can’t trust him to tell us one day he’s prolife and the next say it’s a women choice. He supports Planned Parenthood. Pro-Life is my bottom line. So, none of the candidates meet my criteria. Our country is in such a mess. After this weeks events with Hillary I’m dumbfounded that anyone could vote for her. She has put this country at risk and that should matter but it doesn’t. What the FBI did do is give us enough information to know she is untrustworthy. I’m confident that God knows who our next president will be. But my heart is still troubled and aches that this once great nation, who has produced some wonderful leaders, can’t give us one person that we can say anything positive about.
I do wonder what Shakespeare would have made of it all.