Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang put it best during the second democratic debate when he said, "I speak for just about everyone watching when I say I would trust anyone on this stage much more than I would trust our current president on matters of criminal justice. We cannot tear each other down. We have to focus on beating Donald Trump in 2020."
He was speaking in reference to a discussion on the legal system, and I couldn't agree with his sentiment more. Democrats have to remember that, though mud is being slung in all directions, each and every candidate on that stage is a better option than our current leader.
Take former vice president Joe Biden, for instance. Negative comments have been coming at him relentlessly, and I've seen the disdain people feel for him. But would you really risk not voting for him and having Trump for a second term? Biden may not be your favorite, but he is lightyears better than Trump. He cares for the environment, he cares for Americans regardless of race, and he could restore respect to our country where it is currently lost. The same can be said about every other Democratic candidate.
We can't lose sight of the bond we share as Democrats. You may have differences with some of these candidates, but at the end of the day, each and every Democrat running is going to protect your basic ideals. These ideas tie us together. We value acceptance, unity, science and the planet. Trump values none of those things, but even your least favorite Democrat does.
The biggest issue Democrats have is drudging up past mistakes and punishing people for them now. How many politicians have perfect records? None. And you can't say the same for yourself, either. We all make mistakes.
Plus, some of the candidates were around in times when the world was different. Looking back, I'm sure they regret certain things, but it was just the way of the world. Sometimes things are so ingrained in society that people don't see the trouble in them. And in a world of "wokeness," of course we recognize past mistakes, but we can't expect the people inhabiting those times to have had that perfect clarity back then.
Political comedian Bill Maher discussed this fact on his show. "This is the new trick in Democratic politics," said Maher. "Dig up something your opponent said decades ago that looks bad by today's standards and pretend that's mic-drop evidence of your awesome moral superiority."
"People have to stop pretending that if they were alive back then, they wouldn't have been the same asshole like everyone else. Yes, you would!" Maher said.
He goes on to say that we can't fault people for having big hair in the '80s or wearing neon. It's just the way things were. The times change and people get with the times. People grow. It's funny how everyone sees change as a political tactic. Haven't you ever changed your mind? Politicians are people too, and it's a completely human thing to change your opinions.
I believe that one of the reasons Hillary Clinton did not win the presidency during the 2016 election was because of all the hate Bernie directed toward her. Young people saw him as a beacon of light, and when he constantly portrayed Hillary as a cloud of darkness, that was all people saw her as, even when she took on Trump.
So remember, when you're looking at these blue candidates, don't see any of them as "bad" or "evil." They all want to save our country from its current disastrous state and they can do it, too, if we give them the chance. It doesn't matter if your favorite doesn't get the nomination. We still have to rally around the nominee if we want a chance at redemption.
I, for one, would prefer every single Democratic candidate running to Donald Trump. I will be voting blue in 2020, no matter whose name is on the ticket, and if you care for our planet, for our children, for women, then you should too.
