See Disclaimer.
As the 2024 general election approaches, we would do well to reflect on where we are and where we want to go as a country and as a People.
Well informed reflection benefits from listening to others. And, of course, much is written and spoken about (and beyond) the upcoming election. Unfortunately, too often that is done in strident terms, with misleading intent, and without actual knowledge or empathy. The overall result may thus come across as a deafening and confusing noise, more disconcerting than useful.
Because of such noise [1], I often hesitate to add to the national ‘conversation.’ What can I possibly say that will be heard and have a positive impact? After all, I hold no absolute truths, and have no magical wand to cure the ills of country and world. Yet, over the past six years I have written far more than I expected—first to newspapers, and now primarily on my blog.
What drives me to write is the belief that a shared moral compass [2] is an important missing piece in the puzzle of a healthy democracy. We are very diverse, and the complexity of that diversity is a collective strength—if among our differences we can find enough commonalities from which basic organizing principles emerge.
When I write, I am first and foremost reminding myself of what those principles are for me. And (too often unsuccessfully) I am inviting a dialogue around such (or alternative) principles. I am also documenting how my thought process is evolving over time—in the hope that someone (perhaps my grandchildren, or theirs?) will in the future find my writings somewhat useful to better understand the times we live in.
None of this was in my mind when in 2018 I penned a first substantive political article [3], published in the local newspaper and posted (in a slightly longer version) on my blog. At the time, I was just expressing a deep concern with the emergence of Trumpism. A concern so deep that I vowed to vote as needed to avoid the Republican party gaining power while dominated by the then President. That, I knew, would in practice mean voting Democrat.
As an independent, committing to a single party was not natural. It still is not, and I doubt it will ever be. In truth, I couldn’t imagine that my fellow Americans would not raise to correct course clearly and decisively after 2016. I could not believe that voters would keep Trumpism and the Trump-controlled Republican party in or close to power. In fact, I even dared to hope that the two-party system could react to Trump by giving way to a multi-party system that better allowed us to democratically express our nuanced views on government and society [4].
Alas, that was not to be. Trump is now (in all but formalities) the Republican nominee for president. Most Republicans, including senators and representatives, are subservient to him, whether by conviction, cowardice, or opportunism.
Hence, last month I found myself writing [5] once more about the need to take government seriously, which, by in large, the Democratic party still does but today’s Republican party no longer does. That means, once again, voting Democrat—from the President all the way down the ticket. That choice comes from the realization that third party candidates are either meaningless or downright dangerous.
The danger comes first and foremost from the rules that sustain our two-party system, which make real and disheartening the possibility of third-party candidates swaying the election to Mr. Trump (and today’s Republican party). Rules that, I hope, will change over time. But that will still be in place in 2024.
Hence, in 2024 I will vote for Mr. Biden. I will do so with confidence that he is a man of character, someone who has tried hard to make the US and the world a better place. He has succeeded in many essential ways and failed in a few important ones. But no one has emerged, within or outside the Democratic party who—in 2024—is a better guarantor of democracy, and of the idea of a government for the People. A government that balances our short-term needs as Americans with the long-term needs of the country and world’s stability and sustainability.
I plan to address the successes and failures of the Biden Administration in future posts. As facts and data are concerned, I will do so as objectively and knowledgeably as I can, undoubtably learning from the process. As policy preferences go, I will defend mine without stridency or intent to mislead. In the process, I hope to contribute to memories not fading [6], to elevate important issues [7], and to change some hearts and minds about the upcoming elections. But, most importantly, I will write as a reminder that, in democracy, every voice matters and every vote counts. May we use both wisely, informed by reason, empathy, and facts.
— Antonio Baptista
References
[1] The Age of the Open Letter Should End. By Roxane Gay, in the New York Times, Apr. 2024: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/13/opinion/open-letters.html
[2] None of this is OK. What now? By Antonio Baptista, in Outside the Box blog, Oct. 2023: https://outoftheboxblog.org/2023/10/16/none-of-this-is-ok-what-now.
[3] Open Letter to a Republican Congressman. By Antonio Baptista, in Outside the Box blog, Jan. 2018: https://outoftheboxblog.org/2018/01/21/open-letter-to-a-republican-congressman.
[4] It is time for a multi-party system. By Antonio Baptista, in Outside the Box blog, Jan. 2021: https://outoftheboxblog.org/2021/01/03/it-is-time-for-a-multi-party-system
[5] This is not a game. By Antonio Baptista, in Outside the Box blog, Mar. 2024: https://outoftheboxblog.org/2024/03/24/this-is-not-a-game.
[6] Four Years Out, Some Voters Look Back at Trump’s Presidency More Positively. By Lisa Lerer and Ruth Igielnik, in the New York Times, Apr. 2024: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/14/us/politics/poll-trump-views.html
[7] Climate Change should be in our minds when we vote. By Antonio Baptista, in Outside the Box blog, Sep. 2019: https://outoftheboxblog.org/2019/09/21/climate-action-should-be-in-our-minds-when-we-vote.
Outside the box 