Ante Up Part II: Have You Done Your Homework?

Last summer, I wrote that the time for political silence was over. For the majority of this election period (in the United States and beyond) the polarization has been so perceptibly high that even the closest of friends and family members can't talk through the issues peaceably. Back then, I said silence wasn't real peace. Since then, the circumstances in the world have raised the stakes. The Coronavirus pandemic, the economic downturn, and the unrest in the face of racial injustice brought what many people dismissed as the mess of politics home.

So...have you done your homework?

The assignment I gave was to write out a working statement reflecting your political values. The intention was to have a concise test for any primary candidate who you would consider for your vote. At the time, I challenged those of you who wish to break the current political binary to grow the grassroots movement and build the coalition to break it.

Now that we have two US Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates from the major parties and most of the down-ballot races, the game changes. The brand of representative politics in the US requires you now to choose between the candidates available. Primaries are about the high ideals; general elections are about present realities. As the din raises in the country and we all rightly encourage each other to VOTE, I see people already checking out. "The lesser of two evils" is already buzzing on Twitter. While I can't appreciate the idea that both Presidential candidates are equivalent, I do understand the frustration that neither candidate meets all your criteria for the future.

Would you throw out a meal after days of fasting because it wasn't from the right restaurant?

I'll share in a subsequent post which of the candidates for US President meets my criteria. If you've done your homework, consider which of the candidates meets the most of your priorities. Better yet, which administration could you hold accountable as a voting citizen to meet your needs? 2020 has proven one thing: the needs are many and government plays a vital role in solving them.

To my third-party voters: I also do not believe 2020 is the year to select outside the current binary. The growth in the movements isn't there. This is not an indictment: this is the political reality. Democracy means majority rules: the voters are going to select the highest vote-getter by state to elect the President. Even Ralph Nader and Ross Perot had nationwide campaigns and build agendas that didn't wow the population. It's hard work and one that starts at the bottom.

The US Presidential selection is not the only race to pay attention to. Better yet, the United States is only one of many countries figuring out how to hold elections with COVID-19 around. American voters should consider how other countries make this work. In Jamaica, the September 3 elections will give voters one selection: a Member of Parliament. American voters in most jurisdictions select key leaders in their judiciary and law enforcement. Not in parliamentary democracies. Consider how familiar you have become with mayors, sheriffs, and governors in the maelstrom that is 2020. Their decisions have directly affected how you and yours have made it through this year. Holding them accountable at the ballot box is your right and responsibility.

Everyone who has the right to vote should have done their homework. If you haven't, it's late and the deadline is approaching. In some countries voting takes place in only a matter of days. The threats to exercising your franchise can't be ignored. Preventing infection, fighting efforts of suppression, and even in places where voting can get you killed: all these present barriers will show up. I can't separate those challenges from the heroes who have already fought and died for the democratic franchise worldwide. Nor can I forget those who have no voice. What would you say to someone who was born stateless or a fleeing refugee or one between countries about your excuses to not vote? Do they measure up? For me, they don't.

2020 has been a tough year. It hasn't been the first and it won't be the last. Your engagement in the election process means a chance for us to get it right and move forward into a better future. Let's get going.