My 2020 Primary Vote: Senator Elizabeth Warren for President
On Thursday, February 21, 2020, I sat down at the end of the day and filed out my mail-in California ballot.
My cat purred approvingly as I voted for Senator Elizabeth Warren to be the Democratic nominee in the 2020 general election. Then she fell asleep, as can be expected from a 15 year old shelter cat born in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
As is true with 97% of the people inclined to vote for the Senator from Massachusetts, I am perfectly willing to vote for whomever is the Democratic candidate in November.
My decision was driven by a perception of Elizabeth Warren as a person of good character, as much as any campaign promises I’ve seen attributed to her.
Warren’s platform is a reflection of her values. She recognizes that it will take more than a few band aids to repair the damage to the economy, the planet, and the systems of governance in the United States.
She isn’t looking to make America great, again. She isn’t looking to make America good again, either. And Warren knows the sausage making process involved in passing legislation means her wish list is subject to revision.
She’s looking to do the right thing, whether it involves past ideas or futuristic concepts. And the thing I know about her for sure that, mistakes and setbacks be damned, she’ll keep trying.
Warren:
recognizes that the paths to peace, prosperity, and well-being don’t run through a misconception of the past.
has qualities lacking in the current chief executive, namely an understanding of science, of history, of the beauty of our diversity as a nation, and, most of all, empathy.
has a history of getting things done and not being afraid to be upfront with her values.
At the end of the day, a politician’s platform is only a wish list. If you’re voting for that person based on a belief that all their promises will be fulfilled, disappointment is bound to follow.
https://twitter.com/gelliottmorris/status/1230132685726720001?s=20
Having lived as an activist in Washington DC starting with Nixon and ending with HW Bush, I can say that the real power of the presidency lies in its ability to create a team of competent humans willing to learn from their mistakes and listen to others.
Although circumstances beyond his control made him a one term president, Jimmy Carter’s strength as a leader wasn’t bound up in his persona, it was his ability to put together an administration.
Despite all his flaws as a human, Richard Nixon’s team was very effective (often in a bad way) during his first term. Much of the government infrastructure Republicans now want dismantled was created during his administration.
Senator Bernie Sanders has an aggressive agenda, popular support in many groups, and is currently atop the polls. Come January 21, 2021, if he’s lucky, Democrats will have majorities in both houses of Congress.
He’ll be facing many of those Democrats who will be beholden to the corporations and billionaires he rails against. I interpret his vision for getting things done as a mixture of executive orders --many of which will be tied up in the courts-- and a constituency willing to take to the streets to make their wishes known.
I would have no qualms about voting for Sanders. But if there's one thing I learned from my years working on endorsements and seeing election results at the San Diego Free Press, is that all other things being roughly equal, the woman running is a better choice. (h/t Anna & Annie)
The problem I see with this “grassroots” approach as a mainstay of enacting policy is that current economic conditions make street protests impractical for too many people. Unlike Europe and many other industrial countries, we don’t have the political infrastructure to support ongoing mass protests.
I’m talking about unions, political parties, or other organizations willing to take on childcare, providing meals, and basic day-to-day support. If you’re living paycheck to paycheck, unable to sustain a $500 emergency expenditure, and got mouths to feed, taking time out for marches and rallies is a really big challenge.
That’s why I scoff at the keyboard warriors of social media constantly calling for sustained protests and/or general strikes. People just don’t have the resources or the hope to do it.
The other part of an imagined Sanders administration that I can’t wrap my head around is how he’d collect enough qualified people to be effective. Yes, there are plenty of left-leaning academics, wonks, and community organizers who’d be willing to join his administration, but given his campaign organization’s difficulties with discipline and focus, I’m not optimistic.
Day-to-day governance is what worries me, and all the good intentions in the world will be for naught if people don’t get paid on time.
The San Diego Union-Tribune editorial has endorsed Mayor Pete Buttigieg for president.
Bravo to them for thinking outside the box. I can only imagine how its former publishers are rolling over in their graves. (Or being disgusted in the case of Papa Doug Manchester.)
Their arguments for Buttigieg are based on their notions of electability, triangulation, and the sense that a fresh face in Washington is in the nation’s best interest.
I don’t doubt Buttigieg’s good intentions. He’s smart, a lot more connected for a college town mayor than most people realize, and would certainly be an improvement over the current occupant of that office.
The problem I have with Buttigieg and the rest of those fighting for the “center” votes, is that I don’t believe they understand just how badly damaged our political, ecological, and economic systems are.
And Michael Bloomberg should be running as a Republican, promising to make that party sane again. Or he could buy up all Trump’s debt and call in the notes. Or buy Fox News. Or focusing his resources on issues if the Democratic candidate doesn’t suit him.
This is probably a waste of money. But I did giggle.
https://twitter.com/thehill/status/1230910083351052290?s=20
As I said at the outset of this post, I’m voting Blue come November. I have zero patience for people who are willing to say otherwise, especially at this stage of the process.
Despite the focus on The Big Race on the General Election ballot, there are a gazillion down ballot contests of every conceivable flavor to keep people occupied prior to holding their nose while voting if that’s what it takes.
Who knows? We might not be able to vote come November. I’ll bet somebody in the current administration watched the character Frank Underwood use “terrorism” to his electoral advantage.
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Happy Birthday to a Shero.
https://twitter.com/haymarketbooks/status/1230847531724234753?s=20
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