As I write this, we are exactly two weeks from Election Day. So, how am I feeling? Let’s start with scared to death. That’s not to say I don’t think Biden will win. I do, but everyone knows Trump will try anything and everything to steal this election. I’m scared because of the inevitable comparisons to 2016. Yes, two weeks prior to that election, Hillary was ahead, but there are several differences between now and then. I’ll list those shortly. I’m scared because there is a large segment of closet Trump voters in our country. Those are the folks who just don’t feel like telling a pollster that they want four more years of bigotry in the White House.
I’m also excited. Why? Well, I honestly believe we’ll have a pretty good idea by the first minutes of November 4th who won. There won’t be a definitive call, but most of us will go to bed that night either very happy or deeply worried and thinking of where in Canada we’d like to move. Joe Biden isn’t Hillary Clinton. He is well-liked and respected, even by some moderate Republicans. Hillary, unfairly I believe, was disliked, even by many Democrats. I’m excited because I truly believe Biden’s lead both nationally and in the battleground states is more real than Hillary’s turned out to be.
So, yes, I’m scared, excited, optimistic, pessimistic, anxious, nervous, and a little gassy, at times. I think what I’m experiencing is the same as most Americans. This election is about more than who will take the oath of office on January 21st. It’s about what kind of nation we’ll be. If Trump wins, and I’m biting my tongue as I write that, the United States will cease to be a Democratic-Republic. (By the way, we are a Democratic-Republic and not a true Democracy) We will become an authoritarian country. Would you like to know a few current members of the authoritarian club? I thought you might. How about North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Russia? What do those all have in common? Their leaders are good buddies with Trump. He’d rather be part of their club than the United Nations or NATO.
The question I’ve been grappling with is how do I handle all those emotions. I’m still trying to figure it out. Life is hard enough these days without the hurricane of emotions I’m feeling. Maybe you have some advice for me, but chances are you’re trying to figure it out, too.
As promised, here are a few reasons why I don’t think 2020 will be like 2016.
- There are far more mail-in ballots being submitted than in 2016, and the vast majority of those ballots are being sent by Democrats.
- In 2016, Donald Trump was an idea. “Hey, let’s try a businessman who’s not a politician. What do we have to lose?” Now, Trump has a record and the majority of Americans don’t like it. We’ve also learned that he’s a failed businessman.
- As I mentioned earlier, Hillary was a deeply unpopular candidate. 20% of voters prior to the 2016 election said they didn’t like either candidate. The strong majority of those folks wound up voting for Trump, especially after Comey announced the re-opening of the investigation into Hillary’s emails. Now, only 7% say they don’t like either candidate, and the majority of those are breaking towards Biden.
I hope I’m right. You should hope I’m right. The country should hope I’m right. The world should hope I’m right. (You knew that’s where I was heading with that, didn’t you?)
TWO WEEKS!
To contact me, please email at mogulnick@gmail.com