As an inveterate lover of sarcastically worded tee shirts, I recently purchased one that said, “Think, It’s Not Illegal Yet.â€
This is exactly what we need to do before the November elections: Think — but be logical about it.
In that vein, there are two issues worth thinking deeply about: contradictory voting, and unreasonable expectations for Vice President Kamala Harris, who has only been put in the game in the last quarter.
Let’s start with potential contradictory voting between the major-party nominees in the Missouri race for a U.S. Senate seat.
Voting a straight-party ticket can be appealing for many because it saves time. But if voting a straight ticket elects someone who opposes your most basic issues, this is contradictory voting.
Suppose your primary issue is a woman’s right to control her own body without government interference. Why would you vote for someone who vehemently supports a federal ban on abortion, as does incumbent Republican Sen. Josh Hawley?
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If the rest of the Republican platform appeals to you, but not his stance on this issue, why not switch your party affiliation to Independent? Former President Donald Trump has changed his party affiliation six times since 1987, after all. Completing forms on the Missouri Secretary of State’s is all that is required.
Then you can select whoever supports your core beliefs — even if that turns out to be Hawley’s challenger, Democrat Lucas Kunce. The reverse is certainly true as well. If you are a pro-life Democrat who doesn’t approve of a woman’s reproductive freedom, become an Independent and vote for the Republican candidate. Vote for candidates that support your most important issues, regardless of party affiliation. Just be sure to review your choice’s entire platform first.
Now let’s examine the unreasonable expectations that are being placed on Vice President Harris.
First, remember that even if Harris was (as then-Vice President Joe Biden said about his tenure in the Obama White House) the last person in the room after presidential meetings, the policies that were put into place were his, not hers. The vice president’s role is to carry out the president’s policies.
It’s unfathomable to imagine either of the most recent presidents Trump, Barack Obama or Biden allowing their vice presidents to make final decisions on policy or major issues. Consequently, Harris need not take credit for the wins or blame for the disasters of the Biden years.
Secondly, it seems ridiculous to ask anyone what they will do on the first day of a new job. Who has ever started a new job and known what they will do on the first day (except a certain former president who has already said he will be a dictator — but only on Day One)?
Trump declared he was running for president again on Nov. 16, 2022 — 720 days before the November 2024 election.
Vice-President Harris received the mantle from President Biden on July 21, 2024 — 107 days before the election. Trump has had almost two years to formulate policy as part of his campaign. Harris has had no such advantage.
Then there’s the accusation that she is flip-flopping on the positions she took on some issues when she ran for president in 2019.
2019? Really?
In her CNN interview last month, Harris was asked about her changing stances regarding illegal immigration and fracking. On the latter, she said she has now been convinced that “we can grow and increase a thriving economy of 300,000 new energy jobs without banning fracking.â€
In 2019, she said that she thought illegal immigrants should be charged under civil statutes rather than criminal ones. Last month, she told CNN we must follow the laws on the books, including criminal sanctions, regarding this issue.
Are these flip-flops or more informed positions stemming from four years of governing beside a more experienced leader? Who knows?
Should she win, I’d expect Harris to start assembling a cabinet of people experienced in their respective fields in her first week. And moreover, that she’ll respect their expertise.
If Trump wins, I’d expect that he would start firing a slew of civil servants, close the Department of Education, pardon and release the Jan. 6 insurrectionists, plan more tax breaks for the rich, and order the military and/or National Guard to arrest and detain anyone who disagrees with him.
Think before you vote. Opinions could become arrestable crimes.