From time to time, I like to pose a question to those out there who vote, at least those who do so fairly reliably every two years: Why in the hell would you ever vote for a Republican?
Because, quite frankly, the evidence is overwhelming that the GOP, as it is presently constituted, represents a clear and present danger to the American people. Do you think that sounds a little harsh? Too bad. I write and speak as someone who’s seen enough of this party to know we’re in deep trouble if they’re ever able to get power back. How much more evidence do we need?
Voting for a Republican president these days will get you the possibility of more crackpots and extremists who will sit on the Supreme Court for years into the future. Look no further than the current iteration of radical judges occupying that body, brought to you by and from the most corrupt president in our nation’s history.
Yesterday, those three Trumpist judges and the other conservatives appointed by previous Republican presidents halted a Biden administration mandate for companies with more than 100 employees to begin requiring vaccinations or testing and masking. Listening to the oral arguments from a few days ago, how they would rule was pretty apparent. But hearing the actual reasoning put forth by these idiots makes my head explode.
The science is evident on the effectiveness of these vaccines against COVID and how mandating them for various occupations has led to very few terminations and high levels of compliance. But the Court decided, in their infinite wisdom, that OSHA didn’t have the proper authority to issue such a mandate. According to them, Congress needed to weigh in for such a mandate.
The fact is, Congress did weigh in – in 1971 when OSHA was created and whose mission is to “ensure safe and healthful working conditions for workers by setting and enforcing standards by setting and enforcing standards and by providing training, outreach, education, and assistance.” I’m certainly not a lawyer, but it sure seems OSHA was well within its scope of authority here. But what do I know? All but one of the radical right judges are Ivy League-educated. Surely they know more than me.
The administration argued that thousands of lives could be saved if the mandate were to be enacted, along with slowing the transmission. But, to no avail with these folks. They don’t care about saving living and breathing humans – only fetuses, it appears, for we’re inching closer and closer for this radical Court to overturn Roe v Wade.
Again, elect Republicans, and this is the kind of United States of America you’re going to get. God forbid we allow vaccine mandates because, you know, how dare the government tell me what to do with my body? But how about women and the right to choose what to do with their bodies? Never mind. You will do as you’re told.
Elect more Republicans, and you may also find that your vote will never count if they happen not to like the outcome. State legislatures have already passed legislation throwing election authority to themselves instead of election officials. So, if Donald Trump were to run in 2024 and lose again, they would simply send their own electors to Washington and change the results.
We, of course, could put a stop to these shenanigans if only we could pass voting rights legislation currently circulating in Congress. Unfortunately, Democrats need all 50 Senators on board to change the filibuster rules. They do not, as there are two, who I shall not name because they do not deserve recognition, continuing to support the ridiculous and arcane rule.
While those two Democrats deserve all the ridicule they’re getting at the moment, why are all 50 Republican senators against these voting rights bills? Shouldn’t that be the pertinent question from all media to these senators?
Why would they be against automatic voter registration? Why would they be against making voting a national holiday? Why would they be against creating minimum standards for allowing mail-in ballots, a two-week early voting window, and other actions that would make voting more accessible and safer?
We know the real reason for their continued resistance to voting rights: When more and more people vote, they lose. It’s that simple. They have no platform anymore, just an immense thirst for power. Thus, in their eyes, suppression of the voting electorate is the only answer, especially with the continued demographic shift in the country that is not favorable to them.
Elect more Republicans and watch them ban even more books, yell and scream about critical race theory being taught in schools (it is not), continue to block any meaningful gun safety legislation, advocate for more tax cuts for the wealthy, scapegoat immigrants, ridicule science, and deny that climate change is real. In my view, these are all deeply troubling and do present a clear and present danger to our country and, indeed, our democracy.
Are these the kinds of things you want for the United States of America? Unfortunately, there appear to be several million folks who wish to have that kind of country. They saw the election of the first African-American as president, and most of them couldn’t handle it. Their version of America was coming to an end, but their hero and leader came onto the scene in 2016 and gave them a sense of hope.
I’m perplexed, confused, and dumbfounded as to why 74 million of these people ignored what happened during his four-year term and still decided he was worth their vote. And now, unless Democrats can somehow manage to pass meaningful voting rights legislation, that individual could again become president of the United States.
Is it worth the risk? If you’re an independent voter or disgruntled Democratic who sometimes crosses over to the other side, can you please explain to me why this would somehow be a wise decision? Sometimes, I believe, it’s better to vote for the lesser of two evils, so to speak, than to cast your vote to a deranged party that still kisses the ring of an autocratic loser former president.
I realize that Democrats are not perfect and have said so on numerous occasions here. Surely they’re better than the lunatics on the other side, though, right? Are they not at least trying to help people in this country? Are they not trying to save lives, rescue our drowning democracy, and create a more equitable and fair society for all?
To me, voting for a Republican is beyond dangerous. Am I wrong?
On The Fence Voters 
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