Back in the primaries, we witnessed an encouraging thing. Young Democrats, excited about the possibility of a Bernie Sanders presidency, began to sound like Republicans. Not in their ideology, obviously, but in their harsh criticism of Sanders’s opponent, Hillary Clinton. Eager for change, they rejected Hillary’s long history of corruption and sleaze and lashed out angrily at the Washington establishment for their obvious efforts to crown her the nominee. No more, they said. The status quo just isn’t going to get it.
It was heartbreaking, then, to see so many of those fierce Bernie supporters decide to support Crooked Hillary once she ascended to the nomination. After months of calling her a two-faced Wall Street shill, they did a complete 180, insisting that even this minister of the global elite was better than Donald Trump. This, even though Trump was running on some of the same themes that made Sanders the darling of the anti-establishment left.
Americans serious about their politics have been dismayed about the lack of “issues” in the Clinton/Trump general election. But while those critics have a point, the truth is that the 2016 race was always about something bigger than any single issue. It was bigger than conservatism or liberalism. It was bigger than the two parties. For millions of people – some of whom have never cast a ballot in their lives – this was about the very foundation of our democracy. Is America still “we the people” or isn’t it?
No one’s pretending that Donald Trump is a paragon of virtue. Every single one of his supporters is fully aware of his flaws. But he represents our best chance – perhaps our only chance – to take back this great republic before corrupt Democrats and Republicans drive it off the cliff.
Hillary Clinton, on the other hand, isn’t just another typical amoral politician; she’s the living embodiment of everything Trump (and Sanders) warned us about. She’s not just corrupt; SHE IS CORRUPTION PERSONIFIED. A vote for her is a vote for dirty politics. It says, “You guys in D.C. know better than us rubes; keep on doing what you’re doing and we’ll fall in line like good little sheep.”
Optimistic Republicans have begun talking about impeaching her if she wins the election. They’re either deluding us or deluding themselves. If everything we know already wasn’t enough to keep Hillary out of the White House, then what could possibly throw her out once she’s the most powerful woman in the country?
Now is the time. Now is our chance.
But if you vote for her, don’t complain about corruption ever again. You’ll get exactly what you asked for.
