Are we really that close to the biggest election in United States history? Yep. I’ve stayed quiet, and away from political stuff most of the time up until this last week. But with the impending nomination of a new Supreme Court justice following the passing of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and the looming Presidential election, I’m forced to pay attention to a lot coming down the pipe before November 3rd, and it stresses me out. I don’t know what to think or how to process all this chaos. Between each big media network demonizing whichever party they hate, the petty, childish fighting over the upcoming Supreme Court nomination, absolute venom on public Facebook threads, and tension so thick you could cut it with a knife, this whole thing is coming to a head soon.
It boggles my mind how clear the struggle for power is to my own two eyes, but not to millions of other people. To me, Ruth Bader Ginsburg passing away just exposed the power struggle, and put it in plain sight for all to see. All they have to do is look. The problem? Many people seem to be willfully looking the other way. Even though the Constitution dictates that vacant Supreme Court seats need filled, the Republican party seems to be rushing to fill the vacancy ahead of the election so they can get a Conservative justice. The Democrats, on the other hand, are going to try to do everything they can to stall it until after the election. They’re banking on taking all three elections, and having Biden install a Liberal-leaning justice if he becomes President.
Both parties seem to be trying desperately for an all-red or all-blue government with the impending House and Senate elections as well. They’re trying to buck the naturally gridlocked system installed by our Founding Fathers. The system was built to stop power grabs like the one unfolding before our very eyes. Both parties are reaching for all the power they can get, while they tell you what they do is for your own good. Don’t kid yourself, folks. You’re being lied to. It’s alarming!
Where do I stand?
I’ve been trying to figure out my answer to that question ever since it was made official that Trump and Biden were the two choices to pick from. On one hand, we have a loose cannon, narcissistic asshole who can’t shut up on Twitter for five seconds, and who threatens to use Presidential authority that he may or may not have, to try to get rid of things he doesn’t like or agree with. On the flipside of the same coin, there’s a geriatric who I don’t trust to run the country without being controlled by his party like a puppet. Biden should be at home with his wife, children, and grandchildren happily living out the remainder of his days. Not one step away from running the country! I’m still absolutely incredulous as to how we got here. Even though I still believe there are good people who are Senators and Representatives in DC, minus Tulsi Gabbard, none of them seemed to want to run for the right reason. None of them seemed genuine to me other than her.
So which way do I vote? Do I go with the masses, hold my nose and vote for Trump or Biden because they’re touted as the “lesser of two evils”? Or do I do what I did four years ago, and vote third party again as a proverbial middle finger to all this junk? As of this article, I’m leaning third party. Partly because I think both Trump and Biden are extraordinarily unfit for, and unworthy of the Oval Office. But I also am feeling secure in voting third party because I believe in being a free thinker. If I can help it, I do not want to vote out of fear. Allowing yourself to be scared is the first step toward allowing the powers that be, to pull the wool over your eyes. Then, once you vote whichever way they tell you to vote, they’ve gotcha. You just did their bidding. You didn’t think for yourself, and you’re none the wiser. Simple as that.
A third party vote, when cast for the reason I might cast it, is a statement. It is a statement that people are angry, dissatisfied with a lack of good candidates, and that they wish to have a new system in place where they don’t feel forced to choose between a flaming dumpster, and a shit sandwich. A third party vote is also a statement that people believe that there are thousands or millions of others out there who are just as fed up with the state of the country as they are. Only difference between a voter who is fed up, and a third party voter? The third party voter has the courage to act on their frustration by not buying into the two-party lie, no matter what their friends or family tell them.
Big media networks as well as everyday people, have fooled so many into believing the lie that a third party vote cannot make a difference. So they don’t even consider a third party vote. Even though millions of people voting third party would certainly shake this country up! Apart from a civil war (an absolute last resort), a third party shakeup at the ballot box from millions of fed up people is probably the only way this country’s government can be changed for the better. Or so I thought.
Ranked Choice Voting
I can’t believe I hadn’t heard of something called Ranked Choice Voting before today, when one of my college friends told me what it is. On paper, it sounds fair. I really like it! Basically, everybody would rank ALL the candidates running for President (hint: more than two), and if a candidate didn’t get 50% or more of the votes after the first round of voting, the candidate with the smallest amount of votes is eliminated. Then, people vote on the remaining candidates, and repeat the process until there is a clear winner. I like Ranked Choice voting in principle for three reasons:
- All candidates and their platforms get maximum exposure. The two-party stranglehold on exposure would be eliminated, and the corrupt system would be greatly weakened or eliminated.
- People wouldn’t be forced to choose somebody they don’t like to stop somebody they hate. They would actually have to weigh the options and do some critical thinking instead of giving in to the “us vs. them” mob mentality that is killing this country.
- An actual majority from the people would be required for the candidate to become President, which might help decrease the bitter and nasty fighting between people. Sure, it’s impossible to make everyone happy. Some will always complain. But if the winning candidate is one most people like, there might not be as much fighting and divisiveness.
However, I do see two cons to the system:
- This sounds like a popularity contest, just in a different format. There’s no way of knowing that the winning candidate won the Presidency based on their policies and character.
- Is there any way to be certain that someone’s vote in Delaware or Connecticut holds the same weight as someone’s in California or Texas? I don’t know how that would work.
Here’s a video explaining how things work with Ranked Choice Voting. Hopefully I didn’t miss anything. I found it really interesting!
Where do we go from here?
I’m just trying to hang in there, folks. But this stuff has REALLY been wearing on me today for some reason. I guess all I can say is this: Work for peace in your own lives by trying your best to treat others with respect, no matter what they believe. And when Election Day finally gets here, VOTE BASED ON YOUR VALUES. Let me say it again: VOTE BASED ON YOUR VALUES! DO NOT VOTE OUT OF FEAR.
If you find that you identify as a Democrat or Republican, go ahead and vote that way. But if you find that you identify more with the Libertarians, Green Party, Constitutionalists, or any other of the many choices out there, vote for them! I voted for Constitutionalist Darrell Castle in 2016 and was completely comfortable and confident in my choice. I identified with most of his positions, respect that he was a First Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps, and thought that it was really cool that he and his wife help and take care of homeless children whenever they can.
I voted for Darrell Castle in 2016 because he is a man of integrity in many ways. The same absolutely cannot be said for Donald Trump or Joe Biden, yet here we are. We once had truly great people like George Washington, John Adams, and Abraham Lincoln leading this great nation. They all had character and loved this country dearly. Don’t you think it’s time we get back to that?
Luke's Thoughts 