You’re disappointed that Joe Biden is now leading in the Democratic primary race. You’re passionate about Bernie. Or Warren. Or whatever. Joe is a 77-year-old geezer with a long history of saying and doing stupid shit. Plus he sounds like he hasn’t had a new idea in thirty years. I get it. I agree with you. For these and other reasons, I would not choose Biden as my preferred candidate. But if you think these are good reasons to stay home in November, we need to talk. Because you’ve forgotten something important.
As disappointing as it may be, having the same president we’ve had for the last forty years is vastly superior to having Trump in the White House. In a way, this could be 2016 all over again. An uninspiring establishment candidate without the visionary leadership we need is going up against a dangerously incompetent and evil man.
There is one fundamental difference between then and now. Back in 2016 we did not think the madman could win. If we had known it was a possibility, more of us would have turned up to prevent it and he would have lost. We didn’t know. But now we do.
I don’t know exactly why left-leaning voters are choosing Biden. Maybe it’s because they feel he’s the most palatable alternative to Trump to other voters. Some, probably older Democrats, like Joe and his policy ideas just fine and don’t see what the problem is. Or maybe he’s being supported for reasons I don’t understand at all. But it doesn’t matter. I won’t mince words. Not voting for the Democratic candidate in 2020–no matter who it is–would be a wholesale abandonment of your civic duty and of your responsibility to your fellow Americans.
And, yes. I do have a draft of this same post that is aimed at the never-Bernie crowd.