7 Days in January That America Won't Soon Forget

What a week.

Your great-grandchildren and their children will read about this week in their American history books for many years to come: 

1)  The number of COVID deaths in the U.S. top 4,000 a day for the first time. The total number of U.S. deaths is now in excess of 365,000, approaching the total number of Americans killed in all of World War II.  As he has been for the past several months, President Trump remains silent on the tragic milestone.

2)  The President of the United States, Donald J. Trump, was captured on an hour-long audio recording trying to strong-arm Georgia officials to "find 11,780 votes" and reverse the outcome of his election loss to Joe Biden in November.  It is likely he made similar attempts with officials of other states as Georgia, alone, would not have given him enough electoral votes to turn the outcome in his favor. 

3)  Two Democrats win seats in the U.S. Senate in Georgia -- one black and the other Jewish.  This outcome is unheard of in the deep south.  This follows Joe Biden's defeat of Donald Trump in the Presidential election in November -- a clean sweep for Democrats in a historically red state. 

4)  With the urging of the President of the United States and that of his personal attorney, right-wing protesters storm the Capitol Building forcing members of Congress to rapidly evacuate the House and Senate chambers and flee to safety as hundreds of Trump-loyalist rioters take over the building by force.  At least 5 people die in the ensuing conflicts with police and security forces. 

5)  Despite the above events, 147 Republican legislators refuse to recognize and vote to overturn Joe Biden's defeat of Donald Trump when the House and Senate are able to reconvene hours later. This, despite the fact that Biden won the electoral college by 74 electoral votes and the popular vote by more than 7,000,000 votes, garnering the most votes for any presidential candidate in American history. 

6)  Numerous Cabinet members and members of the White House staff resign in protest of the role the President played in inciting the Capitol Building riot. 

7)  Numerous prominent Republicans, including a number of Senate and House Republicans, publicly call for the immediate removal or resignation of the leader of their own political party -- even though less than 2 weeks remain in his Presidency. 

8)  The House of Representatives states that it is preparing an Impeachment order for the removal of President Trump as a direct result of his incitement of the rioters.  Several Republicans have threatened to sign on to the order if Trump does not resign beforehand.  If it passes, it will be the 2nd Impeachment of Trump, and the only time in history that a sitting President will have been Impeached twice. 

9)  President Donald Trump‘s ability to post on his social media accounts is severely hampered as Facebook, Instagram and others restrict his account due to his incitement of violence in his attempt to overturn the election.  Late Friday, Twitter announces that he is permanently suspended from their platform.

Fed Up With Fake News?

A Guide to getting Fake News out of your life for good

A large number of people are having a hard time discerning real news from fake news.  I'm happy to tell you that, if you follow the general guidelines I've outlined below, it is actually easier to get Fake News (and intentional misinformation and disinformation) out of your life than you thought.

 

The 4 Quickest Steps to Getting Factual (Real) News:

     1)  Stop getting your news from TV and radio personalities and from Internet memes

     2)  Identify credible sources

     3)  Learn how spot the difference between news and opinion

     4)  Make fact-checkers your friend

 

1. Stop Getting Your News From TV (and Radio) personalities and from Internet Memes

TV News can be a slippery slope.  Just because someone says their news is Real or Fair or Balanced, doesn't make it true.  If you must get your news from TV, the best places to find factual, non-biased news is from the major network newscasts.  Those would include:

 

DINNER HOUR Broadcasts:

-- The PBS NewsHour -- online here: pbs.org/newshour/ 

-- ABC World News Tonight -- online here: abcnews.go.com/WN 

-- CBS Evening News -- online here: cbsnews.com/evening-news/ 

-- NBC Nightly News -- online here:  nbcnews.com/nightly-news 

NEWS SHOWS TO AVOID:

1) Talking heads

2) Panel discussions, generally with a moderator or host

3) Those relying upon opinions, sensationalism, demonization, ranting or judgments of others

 

THE BEST SOURCE FOR CURRENT NEWS 

(at any time):

Google News -- news.google.com

Google News is an aggregator of sources and they present the news by topic with numerous media sources provided for each story or subject.  That way users can choose which source to read or can read multiple sources.  Plus it's easy to navigate.  This is my go-to source to obtain accurate news.

 

2. Identify Credible Sources

The Internet has made it easier to find both disreputable sources of news, and reputable ones.  In your quest for reliable news sources, the best place to start is with organizations that rate news sources on the basis of their political bias and reliability based upon concrete, identifiable methodologies.   Those would include:

-- Ad Fontes Media's Media Bias Chart* -- Ad Fontes Media Bias Chart 

-- All Sides -- All Sides media-bias-ratings

-- Media Bias Fact Check - A reliable source, but now omitted here because of a very confusing web site loaded with not-so-clearly marked 3rd party ad links to questionable web sites.

*Ad Fontes also offers a very helpful link with which you can look up the neutrality and reliability of almost ANY source

Ad Fontes rankings-by-individual-news-source

 

Based on Ad Fontes Media and on All Sides, the following news sources are considered to be the most fair, reliable and unbiased in their presentation of the news (not including opinion articles):

-- The Associated Press

-- Reuters

-- NPR News (online)

-- USA Today

-- BBC News

-- Axios

-- PBS

-- The Christian Science Monitor

-- ABC News

-- CBS News

-- NBC News

-- The New York Times

-- The Washington Post

-- The Wall Street Journal

-- Forbes

-- Bloomberg

-- The Hill

Once you know which sources are reliable, you can switch back and forth between them (i.e.-- like on Google News) in order to get different, factual angles of the same story.  One thing to note: reputable news sources will correct any reporting errors once they become known.  Disreputable sources don't.

 

 

3. Learn how spot the difference between news and opinion

This one is easy -- providing you are starting with reputable new sources.  Just be aware that almost every news source offers a combination of news and editorial/opinion/analysis.  Credible print/Internet sources will clearly identify the nature of opinion articles, generally at the top with designations such as "Op-Ed"; "Opinion", "Editorial" or "Analysis".  Expect these to have an opinionated viewpoint of the subjects they are discussing. 

 

 

4. Make fact-checkers your friend

Most major media outlets nowadays offer some degree of fact-checking.  If the fact-checking source is reputable, their fact-checking will be too.  But there are also several other fact checking organizations that can be utilized.  Once you know which are trustworthy, you can utilize your search engine to see which of the fact checkers have addressed your inquiry.  

To fact check a questionable claim, simply put the words "Fact check" followed by the subject and claim you want to check.  If you don't get the results you are looking for, try rewording the claim or using a specific quote from the article or meme you are trying to check.  An example of this might be to search "Fact Check Does Facebook ban the posting of the Lord's Prayer?"

 

Here are some reliable third-party fact-checkers:

-- FactCheck.org 

-- Politifact 

-- Snopes

-- The Washington Post Fact Checker  

 

 

General Tips for Avoiding Fake News

-- Identify reliable sources and seek them out

-- Learn to recognize the difference between news and opinion

-- Ask WHY?  Does this make sense?

-- Verify doubtful/questionable claims using fact checkers

-- Avoid believing social media memes, talking heads, and cable news or radio personalities (on Fox, OAN, CNN, MSNBC, Limbaugh, InfoWars, etc.)

-- Read beyond the headline.  Headlines are often written to grab your attention with sensationalized claims

-- Trust your 'bullshit' detector.  If it sounds suspicious, look it up. 

-- If it makes a judgment or asks you to, it's not news

-- Read the news, rather than watch it.  It's harder to get away with lies and deceptions in print.

-- Use your search engine

 

Not all local media is trustworthy

Sadly, there has been a recent effort to deceptively portray corporately-sourced, partisan political opinions as coming from trusted local news anchors.  Ironically, the most abhorrent example of this came from Sinclair Broadcast Group and took the form of an editorial warning to viewers about "Fake News".  This warning was broadcast word-for-word on dozens of Sinclair-owned TV stations criticizing what they considered to be "Fake News" sources and describing them as "extremely dangerous to our democracy".  A number of journalists at those stations resigned rather than participate in the deliberate deception.  You can view a very creepy and disturbing video of the result here:  

Dozens of local Sinclair TV anchors reading the same script

Sinclair currently owns 193 TV stations in 100 American markets, owning multiple competing stations in some markets.  To see if your local station is one of them, you can view the database here: 

List of local TV stations owned or operated by Sinclair Broadcast Group

 

Learn to Identify Logical Fallacies

A Logical Fallacy is an attempt to use logical-sounding arguments to support illogical or intentionally erroneous conclusions.  Expressed another way, the underlying intent of a logical fallacy is to present falsehoods in a way that project the appearance of being factual.

Logical fallacies abound, especially on social media, talk radio and talk/opinion TV.  Here is a helpful link to a slide show which can help you:  1) identify them;  2) better understand what local fallacies look like;  3) and explain how users of logical fallacies try to manipulate you: 

12 Common Logical Fallacies and How to Debunk Them

 

Truth matters.  

Hopefully this post has made it easier for you to seek it out.

 

The Case for Bernie Sanders

People generally vote for 2 reasons:

Some people vote FOR a candidate.

Some vote AGAINST a candidate. 

Often, it's a combination of both.

BEING AGAINST DONALD TRUMP IS NOT ENOUGH TO WIN 

Come November, Democrats need a candidate who voters are resoundingly FOR.  One who excites a large segment of voters.  Better still, one who excites a segment of voters that typically don't turn out to vote in high numbers.  Barack Obama did that in 2008 and in 2012.  Hillary Clinton failed to do that in 2016.  We know that result.

The outcome of this election is going to come down to one thing:  turnout.  The biggest driver of turnout is enthusiasm.  There is no Democratic candidate in 2020 that exudes more excitement and enthusiasm than Bernie Sanders.  That is evidenced by the thousands -- even tens of thousands -- of supporters cheering him on at his events.  It's evidenced by the number of donors to his campaign.  And it's evidenced by the amount of money he has raised.  No other Democratic candidate comes close.

MOTIVATION AND ENTHUSIASM ARE KEY

The motivation to vote AGAINST Donald Trump this November is significant, probably higher than at any time in recent history.  But outside of Bernie Sanders, the FOR vote on the Democratic side is seriously lacking.  Democrats cannot win without a solid FOR vote.  If you're in doubt, look back to Hillary Clinton in 2016.

There are several demographic groups which traditionally vote in very low numbers.  They include young people, the black community and the Hispanic/Latino community.  In order to win in November, Democrats will need to motivate those groups to vote in large numbers, and they only tend to turn out in sufficient numbers if they are engaged.  Bernie engages the young in greater numbers than seen at any time in recent memory.  He does extremely well with Hispanic/Latino voters, as we saw in Nevada.  He still needs to do better at engaging the black community.  Fortunately, his very long and well documented history of standing up for desegregation and equal rights lends him credibility with that community.  How well he can motivate them between now and November remains to be seen.  But the fundamental requirements to be able to accomplish that are there.

VULNERABILITIES

Every one of the Democratic candidates has vulnerabilities.  The fears some people have that Bernie can't be elected are real, but can be overcome.  His two biggest vulnerabilities are the false impression that he is a Socialist (rather than a Democratic Socialist) and the belief that he will spend money recklessly.  Both of these can be addressed and overcome with clearer messaging in the general election against Donald Trump.  And they will need to be.

AMERICA'S VIEWS ARE IN SYNC WITH BERNIE'S BELIEFS

Americans of all political beliefs love the goals of Bernie's policies:  a $15 minimum wage;  health insurance for all; lowering prescription drug prices; affordable education;  fair and equitable taxation;  protecting our land, water and air; acting to address global warming;  fair immigration policies;  preservation of Social Security;  investing in renewable energy rather than fossil fuels;  shifting spending away from endless foreign wars and toward domestic infrastructure;  ending voter suppression;  banning the sale of assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition;  requiring background checks for gun buyers;  supporting safe abortions and a woman's right to make that choice.  Every one of these are widely held popular views and goals.

BERNIE HAS CONSISTENTLY BEEN ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF HISTORY

Bernie has been on the right side of the fight for decades:  standing up for civil rights, gay rights, women's rights and voter rights long before it was "safe" to do so.  Promoting fairness, equality, opportunity, fair wages, fair taxation, reduced military intervention and better educational opportunities for all.  Taking a stand on environmental issues and opposing the folly of the Iran War.  His passion for fairness, righteousness and justice is long-term and unwavering.

BERNIE IS AUTHENTIC

The words most commonly used to describe Bernie are: authentic; ethical; moral;  honest;  integrity;  honorable; consistent;  fair-minded;  genuine  -- these traits and perceptions are virtually unknown in the world of politics and they are the polar opposite of how people view Donald Trump and the GOP.  That's part of what makes Bernie such a strong opponent and a fundamental threat to Trump.

BERNIE IS THE ANTITHESIS OF DONALD TRUMP 

When the lies and misinformation come fast and furious in the weeks leading up to election day,  No one will be immune to the attacks.  Not Bernie.  Not Pete.  Not Bloomberg.  Not Biden.  Not Elizabeth.  The overriding factor in how the lies are perceived will depend on who voters believe.  It will be the candidate's character that will make the difference as to whether the false charges stick or not.  Bernie's reputation for honesty and his moral character, as well as his credibility, will help him survive and overcome those attacks better than most others. 

Even though Bernie's self-avowed Social Democracy scares some people, the enthusiasm he generates with traditional non-voters more than offsets that. And, while it's possible to address and overcome misinterpretations of what "Social Democracy" means, you can't manufacture enthusiasm where it doesn't actually exist.  Winning will absolutely require the participation of traditional non-voters in November to defeat Trump.  There is no other candidate who enthuses those groups the way Bernie does.

It would also be a miscalculation to dismiss the fact that there is an unexpected overlap between Bernie supporters and some Trump supporters.  Bernie will likely peel away some of Trump's support, which other candidates won't, further making Bernie one of Trump's most serious and dangerous opponents. 

The bottom line is that Americans want and need solutions to runaway healthcare costs;  exorbitant drug prices;  inhumane immigration policies; crushing student loan debt;  global warming;  gun violence;  income inequality; and more.  Not a single one of those issues is a part of the Republican agenda. Not one.  Bernie isn't a newcomer to any of those issues.  He's been fighting for those causes for decades. 

Bernie recently said “When my family cares about your family, and your family cares about my family, we all do better.”  One of his core campaign messages is "Not me. Us." 

Could there possibly be a more uniting message and a starker contrast with the current occupant of The White House?

Why the Electoral College Should Choose Mitt Romney and Joe Biden

In establishing the Electoral College, our founding fathers created a mechanism intended to achieve two goals:  

     1) to guarantee a minimal level of representation for sparsely populated states 

     2) to ensure that those chosen to serve as President of the United States would be qualified to hold that position.

If our founding fathers intended the Electoral College to be nothing more than a rubber stamp on election day vote tallies, they could have stopped with the first goal ─ making the process no more than a simple mathematical calculation.  Instead, they deliberately inserted a fail-safe protocol requiring electors to validate that every individual ascending to the Presidency have the requisite qualifications and not pose a threat to the foundations of The Republic. 

It is noteworthy that in the weeks leading up to the recent election, virtually every major American news organization across the entire political and ideological spectrum, issued warnings that Donald Trump was unfit, unqualified and a threat to our American democracy. 

Historically conservative publications stood side-by-side with liberal and moderate publications to warn, in unison, of the threat Donald Trump presented to the survival of The Republic.  If that unprecedented confluence of agreement is not enough to alert us that now is the time to invoke the Electoral College's fail-safe mechanism, then when? 

Perhaps the hardest question is not so much about if or when, but how.  My suggestion, in deference to the fact that it was a Republican candidate who won the most number of electoral votes, is that the Electoral College appoint Mitt Romney, the last qualified Republican nominee, to serve as President.  And in a gesture of unity and an acknowledgement that this is an American concern and not a partisan one, that they appoint a Democrat, Joe Biden, to serve as Vice President. 

This plan won't make everybody happy, but it will overcome a looming threat to the very foundations upon which this country was established, and it will do it in the least disruptive and most unifying way.  And, most importantly, it will ensure the preservation of The Republic as the founders intended. 

An appeal to every young person who says they won't vote in this election

POLITICS SUCKS.  So do politicians.  But even though your vote next Tuesday won't improve politics, it will actually mean something this year, because ...

POLICIES MATTER.  Policies transform our lives, for better or for worse.  And these 3 particular policies, which will impact the rest of your life, are going to be decided in next Tuesday's election:

MINIMUM WAGE INCREASE:

The Democrats want to raise the Federal minimum wage to somewhere between $12 and $15 an hour.  Right now it is at $7.25 an hour.  For a full time job, that means anywhere from an extra $190.00 to $310.00 per week.  Even in those few states which now have a minimum wage of $9 or $10 an hour, workers will take home an extra $80.00 to $240.00 a week.  That's serious money, and because virtually all of it gets spent, it boosts the economy even further, requiring more hiring to keep up with increased sales of goods and services.

By comparison, Republicans oppose the minimum wage and believe that employers should be allowed to set wages at whatever rate the market will bear. 

AFFORDABLE COLLEGE EDUCATION:

It takes a college education to land the highest-paying and most satisfying jobs.  But a college education costs almost as much as a house these days, which is why Democrats are proposing to do 2 things:

1) Make college debt-free by providing every student with the ability to get, at a minimum, free tuition at Community Colleges; and also to provide a tuition-free State College option for families who earn less than $125,000 annually.

2) allow the 25 million graduates who already have outstanding college loans to refinance them at lower rates, the same way homeowners can refinance their homes in order to save money

GLOBAL WARMING:

If you are under the age of 40, (which may explain why Republicans deny it even exists), this will be the issue of your lifetime.  What good is a higher wage and a better education if in the near future, the planet is inhospitable to human habitation?  It's not selfish to want breathable air and drinkable water.  And besides lowering our costs and reducing our impact upon the planet, renewable energy is really cool!  And it's an industry that will continue to innovate and create high-paying jobs well into the future.

While there are many other issues which will be affected by the outcome of this election, there are none that will affect your lives more than the 3 above.  If for no other reason, that's why you should vote next Tuesday.  Not because I asked, but because your future depends upon whose policies our country follows.

POLICIES MATTER.  So does your future.

Note:  Presidents can't make policy on their own.  They need the cooperation of the House of Representatives and the Senate in order make changes.  Your vote matters there, too.

To My Progressive-Minded Friends Who are Planning to Vote 3rd Party

If Donald Trump becomes our next President, tens of millions of Americans you care about are going to get hurt, some of them badly and in ways from which they will never fully recover. 

     -- Immigrants, who will constantly be required to prove they belong, yet never treated as if they do

     -- People of color, whose skin will make them targets for those who believe their race or ethnicity makes them inferior and not true Americans

     -- The GLBT community, who will face legally permissible discrimination in every aspect of their daily lives

     -- Women, who will be forced to bring unplanned or unwanted pregnancies to term

     -- The Poor, for whom life will be harder, sicker and shorter -- and for whom opportunities will be fewer

     -- America's school-age children, whose Presidential role model will be a proud poster boy for misogyny and male chauvinism

These tens of millions of tragedies in waiting, are the human costs of a 3rd party vote in 2016.

And do not overlook The Supreme Court, whose beliefs will bear Donald Trump's thumbprint for decades to follow, putting progressive ideals further out of reach for at least another generation.

You've spent your life standing up for social justice.  Standing up for equal rights.  Standing up for fairness.  Now is NOT the time to abandon the people whose rights you have fervently championed; whose lives you have saved.  Now is NOT the time to allow this country to be led by those who would undermine all you have worked to achieve.

I get it.  Hillary isn't Bernie Sanders.  I wholeheartedly agree.

But she isn't Donald Trump, either. 

And no matter what we do or say, either Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump will become our next President.  It's one or the other.

On November 8th, this country will either embrace a movement that is based, in no small part, on people whose beliefs are defined and measured by who they hate -- or they will rebuff it.  

  

You have the ability to decide that outcome.

In fact, at this point in time, you are probably the only ones who still can.

What have you got to lose?

Enough of the name-calling and bickering. This isn't reality TV. This is an election to determine what the future holds for us, for our children, and for our grandchildren. If the candidates and the media won't act responsibly, then we need to.

A few weeks ago Donald Trump asked the question: "What do you possibly have to lose by electing me?" My first response was "seriously?" But then I realized that virtually the only thing the media was focusing on was what terrible human beings each of the candidates was. Trump because of the widely demonstrated racist, sexist, bigoted and xenophobic attitudes he harbors for women, minorities, immigrants, gays and lesbians. Hillary because she illegally used a private e-mail server while Secretary of State. Yeah, equivalence!

You know, I really couldn't care less about politics or politicians. But I sure do care about how their policies affect me and my family. I think you do, too.  

Here's a news flash: political candidates lie. I know – shocker. Get over it. Their promises don't matter, but the historical actions of their parties, do. If you want to get a glimpse of what your life will be like under each of the candidates, take a look at what their parties stand for. Sort of like what your mother told before you got married – if you want to know what your fiancé will be like in 30 years, take a look at their parents. It's something like that.

So, I decided to take up Donald Trump's challenge and I made up the 2 lists below. The first is a list of 13 things you and I stand to gain if we elect Hilary Clinton. The second is a list of 16 things you and I stand to lose if we elect Donald Trump.  

But first, a little history about what each of the parties supported, opposed and accomplished over the past 2 dozen years. Yes, history matters. As your shrink keeps reminding you, "past behavior is the best predictor of future behavior." That'll be $200, please.  

80 Years ago, Republicans opposed Social Security – and they are still trying to weaken it today. 50 Years ago they opposed Medicare (they still do). 7 Years ago they opposed the Affordable Care Act – the law that has recently helped over 20 million Americans obtain health insurance. Republicans have vowed to repeal it if they get the chance. A Republican President may make that repeal possible, causing 1 out of every 16 Americans to lose their health insurance.

Republicans don't believe that global warming is real, calling it a "hoax", despite the fact that nearly every single climate scientist in the world has warned about the dire consequences we all face if we don't act soon. You know, we've already given our children the lingering gift of the housing crisis, taxpayer-funded bank bailouts, enormous student debt and a near-depression. How selfish would we have to be to hand them a much less hospitable and much less habitable planet as a bonus?  Sorry, I digress.

The Republican view of economics isn't any prettier. Their formula for spurring economic activity is to cut taxes for the wealthiest and for big business. It's called trickle-down economics. If you survived through the George W. Bush years, you know how that theory worked out. The Democrats take a different approach:  cut taxes and increase minimum wages directly for the working class, while raising taxes on the wealthiest amongst us. As Warren Buffett said, it's absurd that he pays a lower tax rate than his secretary pays. It's also unfair. 

Eight years ago dozens of banks failed. More had to be bailed out with taxpayer money. Wall Street crashed. Millions of people had lost – or were in the process of losing – their homes, their jobs and their life savings. U.S. businesses were shuttering their doors nearly every single day. Over 2.5 million businesses eventually closed as a result of the financial crash. For one scary weekend in September of 2008, our entire financial system teetered on the brink of total collapse.  

Today, the Obama administration's policies have created over 15 million private sector jobs in the longest streak of job growth ever recorded; the Stock Market has nearly tripled; unemployment has fallen by half; wages have increased; and the banks have been stabilized and regulated. That's a good start.

Looking back through the past few decades, you can clearly see the effect of both approaches. Economic activity soared during Bill Clinton's administration. During George W. Bush's administration, the economy tanked, leading to a near-collapse of our entire financial system and requiring taxpayers to pay for bailing out the banks. Though initially bogged down by the Great Recession, the economy during Barack Obama's administration has significantly recovered with 72 months of uninterrupted, private sector job gains – the longest streak ever recorded.

Many of us lived through all 3 of these administrations and while we may have our political differences, we saw the effect of those policies in our daily lives and on our wallets. What happened during each of those presidencies is not speculation. It is fact. Reflect and remember. As has been said before, "those who do not learn from history, are doomed to repeat it."

If you are concerned about the environment; if you are concerned about the availability of affordable healthcare; if you are concerned about preserving Social Security and Medicare; if you are concerned about preserving a woman's right to choose; if you believe that global warming is real; if you believe that gays and lesbians and all minorities deserve the equal rights promised in our Constitution – then your only way to prevent those beliefs from getting trampled out of existence over the next 4 years is to vote for the person who represents the only party that has championed and fought for those causes.

13 THINGS WE STAND TO GAIN IF HILLARY CLINTON WINS

• A $15 minimum wage that provides an opportunity for people to work their way out of poverty, instead of a meager wage that sentences them to a life of it. (Republicans oppose the concept of a minimum wage altogether, preferring to let businesses and the free market set wages.) 

• Debt free state college options (enabling every American to get the education that employers require for good-paying jobs, without taking on a lifetime of debt)

• A planet that is habitable and hospitable to human life. (Democrats believe global warming is real and that we must act now to preserve our planet. Republicans believe the concept of global warming is a hoax. Go figure.) 

• A moderate and fair Supreme Court defining our rights, our freedoms and our laws for decades to come.

• ObamaCare or, if we're lucky, universal healthcare. (Democrats support it.  Republicans obviously don't.)

• The right for gays and lesbians to marry and be treated as equal citizens under the law. (Democrats support. Republicans don't. Hello? 2016 calling!)

• A lower share of taxes paid by the middle class and the poor. A higher share of taxes paid by the wealthy. (Republicans skew their tax cuts toward the wealthiest, claiming it will "trickle down" to others. It doesn't. It hasn't. And it never will.) 

• Preservation and protection of Social Security and Medicare programs. (Republicans call them "entitlement programs". Doesn't that really piss you off?)  

• Fairness, Equality and Opportunity for all of us, not just for some. (Duh.)

• A government that actually represents what's best for ordinary citizens rather than what's best for lobbyists, corporations and other moneyed interests. 

• The aggressive pursuit and expansion of clean energy technologies so we can eventually eliminate our dependence upon fossil fuels. (Democrats support. Republicans don't.)

• More of the economically sound fiscal policies that pulled us out of the Great Recession; doubled the stock market; put limits on Wall Street banks; reduced the rate of poverty; and created an unprecedented streak of job gains over the past seven years. 

• The repeal of Citizens United, the law which allows billionaires and corporations to dump unlimited amounts of money into political campaigns in order to elect legislators who will support their interests instead of ours. (Democrats favor repeal. Republicans don't.)

16 THINGS WE STAND TO LOSE IF DONALD TRUMP WINS

• Accessible and affordable healthcare for everyone, regardless of income or pre-existing conditions.

• A hospitable and inhabitable planet.

• Fairness, equality and opportunity for everyone, not just some. 

• Regulations on banks, workplace safety and food safety. 

• Protections for the environment, wildlife, national parks, oceans and waterways.  

• A woman's right to obtain a safe and legal abortion.

• Net neutrality, treating and regulating Internet services just like telephone and other monopolistic utilities in order to serve the public interest rather than corporate profits.

• Especially for minorities, the presumption of innocence, unless and until proven guilty.

• The Constitutional right for all American citizens to cast their vote with dignity and without intimidation, hindrance or encumbrance (through voter suppression laws, Republicans have already stripped voting  rights from millions of American citizens).

• The fundamental assertion, embodied in our Constitution, that all of us are created equal.

• Medicare health insurance for retirees. Republicans want to phase it out forcing retirees to seek alternative health care insurance plans.

• A political system that represents the will of the voters as opposed to the will of billionaires and large corporations whose goals and interests are often in conflict with those of citizens. 

• A moderate and fair Supreme Court .

• The right for gays and lesbians to marry.

• Laws designed to prevent the same kind of bank failures that caused the 2008 financial crisis; forced taxpayers to bail out the banks; cost nearly 9 million American workers their jobs; saw 7 million Americans lose their homes to foreclosure; and caused 2.5 million American businesses shutter their doors for good. (Republicans want to repeal)

• More of the same Republican policies that put this country into an economic spiral and into an unjustified and ill-conceived war in Iraq which killed thousands of American soldiers; cost Americans taxpayers trillions of dollars; and gave rise and safe harbor to our terrorist enemies by destabilizing the Middle East.

Because the Supreme Court determines our rights, our freedoms and the legality of our laws, it's worth noting the extraordinary effect this election will have on it. The next president will pick at least two (and possibly as many as four) justices for the 9-member court. Those appointees will not serve for four or eight years, the term of the presidency – they will each serve for decades. With the Supreme Court having become so politicized, and the appointment of justices being equally politicized, each of the new justices will reflect the beliefs of the President and their political party. Donald Trump has stated that everyone he appoints must be willing to overturn Roe vs. Wade, eliminating a woman's right to obtain a safe and legal abortion. His appointees will be inclined to mirror Republican views on global warming, the minimum wage, banking regulations and oversight, environmental protections, voter suppression, minorities, the GLBT community, Citizens United, Social Security, Medicare and Obama Care.  

The next President's Supreme Court appointments will define our laws for decades to follow. If you care about what this country will be like in 20 years, you'd better make sure that the next president's beliefs are also your beliefs. This is what they mean when they say that elections have consequences.  

If you still are in undecided, try asking yourself the following questions:

• Are you and your family better off today under Democratic policies than you were 8 years ago under Republican policies?

• Which candidate's beliefs most closely match your own beliefs?

• Whose version of America do you want your children to live in? Hillary Clinton's? Or Donald Trump's?

For the future of every citizen in this nation, and for the future of the only planet we call home, I will vote for Hillary Clinton on November 8th. It's not the vote I originally wanted to cast, but I will not allow my disappointment to cause me to throw away everything we have gained these past 8 years in an attempt to "get even" with the political system.  

There is too much at stake right now. We can change the system later.

Right, Bernie?

John P. Epstein




Footnotes

Differences between Democratic and Republican party platforms:
http://www.diffen.com/difference/Democrat_vs_Republican

The economic records of US presidents:
http://politicsthatwork.com/economic-record-president/clinton

Democratic Party Platform:
https://www.demconvention.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Democratic-Party-Platform-7.21.16-no-lines.pdf  

Republican Party Platform:
https://prod-static-ngop-pbl.s3.amazonaws.com/media/documents/DRAFT_12_FINAL[1]-ben_1468872234.pdf

Hillary Clinton Platform:
https://www.hillaryclinton.com/issues/

Donald Trump Platform:
https://www.donaldjtrump.com/positions