I Voted — And I Could Hardly Wait

Let’s get this show on the road

Four years ago I was super excited to vote for Hillary Clinton, thinking I was participating in an historic event that would elect the first woman president of the United States. We all know how that turned out.

This year, my feeling about voting is a mix of fragile hope and dread. I’m praying that we can move that man out of the White House, the one who reminds me of an abusive father — shouting and bullying and threatening everyone else in the room to shut up and listen to him, only him.

No economic gain is worth the emotional pain

When I talked to a Trump voter from Florida awhile back about why he liked the president, he said because he was a small business owner and doing very well economically. Then he asked me what I didn’t like about the president. I hemmed and hawed, not wanting to offend. Finally he offered, “Is it his personality?”

Yes. It’s his personality. I don’t care how much money he makes for that small business owner in Florida, or how much the stock market has risen while he’s been in office, or how many more billions the billionaires have been able to hoard. No amount of money is worth suffering his racist, misogynist, cruel and delusional abuse. If you live with an abuser, you have to kick him out of the house.

Abusive fathers cause inconceivable damage

The image of an abusive father came to mind again and again during the first “presidential” debate Sept. 29. But the moment that stood out as the most abusive was when Biden was talking reverently about his dead son, Beau, and Trump interrupted repeatedly to say “You talking about Hunter? Are you talking about Hunter? I don’t know Beau. I know Hunter. Hunter got thrown out of the military; he was dishonorably discharged [not true] for cocaine use.”

Biden stopped and looked at the camera and said “My son, like a lot of people, had a drug problem. He’s overtaken it. He’s fixed it. He worked on it. And I’m proud of him. I’m proud of my son.”

I thought of Trump’s children sitting in the front row then, watching Biden publicly express love for his flawed son. And I felt sorry for them. I’m willing to bet they’ve never heard anything like that from their narcissistic father. Aside from the very creepy sexual things he sometimes says about Ivanka, I’ve never heard Trump say anything about his children. They aren’t even on his radar, beyond what they can do for him. It’s all about him. Only him.

Despite what he threatens, Trump can’t subvert the election

I don’t know why reporters keep asking President Trump if he will “accept” the results of the election and commit to a peaceful transfer of power. It isn’t up to him to accept it. He doesn’t get to decide. We the voters will decide who is to be the next president of the United States, and no matter how often and how crazily Trump tries to gaslight us about that fact, he doesn’t have the power to subvert that.

Some worry about the militias who parade around the country with guns and giant Trump signs. Why these people love him I have no idea. I’m pretty sure they aren’t “doing very well economically.” I guess it’s because Trump is a bully? He’s their kind of guy — a troublemaker. But do they know that he finds them repulsive? Do they know that he would never let them anywhere near Mar-A-Lago, or Trump Tower, or his golden toilet? That he’d never even touch them with a 10-foot pole? I don’t know, and I don’t care.

Because in any case, they’re a ragtag bunch of impotent losers. Proud Boys told Portland that 10,000 would show up to their rally on September 26. Only 200 did. I don’t think we need worry about the Proud Boys, or any other “boys” of their ilk.

Here’s the easy part

So anyway, I got my ballot two days ago. It was somewhat confusing. Of course I knew who I wanted for president (and vice president — woot!), but there were also many local measures and contests and statewide propositions, my ballot pamphlet was a half-inch thick, and the state propositions weren’t even in it!

So I asked my smart and like-minded friend Evelyn Jean Pine what she had decided on the measures and the propositions. She recommended checking out the endorsements of the San Francisco League of Pissed Off Voters. Their “cheat sheet” of short answers is here. There are longer explanations about why they made each choice on their website.

Then I compared that with the recommendations of the San Francisco Berniecrats, because I consider myself a progressive and wanted to see what they had to say. That helped me get a handle on the issues and make my own decisions. Their short list is here.

Let’s do this thing

Wherever you live, however you identify — liberal or conservative, purple or green — there’s a group like you to whom you can turn for advice about how to vote on the small stuff. The League of Women Voters, for one, is a non-partisan group with chapters nationwide. Don’t be daunted or discouraged by the size of the voter information packet. Don’t let the complexity of the arguments overwhelm you. You can’t really do it “wrong.”

My 34-year-old son came over and filled out a ballot for the first time at our kitchen table. I argued with him over many of his choices. But of course, he must vote as he likes. “Voting is fun!” he laughed gleefully as he filled in the bubbles.

The truth is there’s only ONE race I will be horrified and heartbroken to lose. I’ve been traumatized and bullied and abused long enough. I want the abuser out of the house and the door barred against him. I’m guessing if you’re reading this that you do, too.

So, have you received your ballot? Get it in the mail. The sooner the better.

Let’s do this thing.

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