I wish it need not have happened in my time.
So do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us”
Here we are at the ending of all things. Well, at least the ending of the 2024 election. If the partisans on both sides are to be believed, it may be the ending of all things. I still believe, if we made it through eight years of W, we can handle the next four years regardless of who wins. That doesn’t mean that it’s gonna be all rainbows and bunnies, especially if the NY Dept. of Environmental Conservation is involved, R.I.P Peanut. I think we’ll survive though.
I’m not normally the one to call for “cooler heads” to prevail. I usually root for it, but I don’t like telling folks to temper their passions about important issues. Hotheads have a role. I would like to see a little more serenity come Wednesday (or whenever we get the final results) than we saw in 2020. I get it, I hate the Dems too, but there is no large-scale voter fraud. I also get it, I hate the Repubs too, but Russia is not “hacking” our election. Whoever wins, won. Start planning for the next cycle. Treat it as a learning opportunity, and figure out how to sway more people to your worldview. The number Obama to Trump voters, and then the Trump to Biden/Harris voters prove that people aren’t nearly as partisan as the pundits and politicians would have you believe. People are willing to change their vote if given a good reason. I would say to both sides, if you call people names, or say they’re your enemy because they vote differently than you, you’re gonna have a hell of a time persuading them.
So, as the results roll in tomorrow evening, keep a level head. Freaking out about fraud or Russia only reinforces what the other side is saying about you(trust, they told me). Both sides have a real opportunity to grow their coalitions. The growth of working-class representation (especially non-white voters) in the Republican party has been surprising and impressive. The Democrat’s growth with white folks, has been substantial, though not super surprising. Two functioning parties competing in a battle of ideas is a good thing. Two parties who consider the other party the literal enemy are not. Just remember, your neighbors who vote differently than you are not your enemy. They just support some policies that you don’t or vice versa. Don’t let scummy media folks and dishonest politicians divide us any more than we already are. The citizens of this country are what make it great, not its “leaders”. We have all lived through bad presidencies (see the W reference above), and we can live through another one. I mean, we’re gonna have to, look at our choices.