If any American is unaware that the election for the White House is well under way, then they are living under a rock. If readers are familiar with previous pieces that this author has written, then they are also aware of the concerns many have about the variety of candidates currently pursuing election. Other than the lack of liberal candidates and the country’s recent tendency to list to the right, we face an even greater threat to the prestige and health of our democracy.
Anyone who took social studies classes until their early high school years was no doubt forced to read about Robber Barons and attempts to buy elected officials to get what the wealthy classes wanted. More recent threats to democratic equality are the infamous Citizens United decision and paper trails that link Senators and other political leaders to lobbyists or other interest groups. All of these patterns of developing oligarchy are certainly cause for great concern, but there is an even greater threat gaining traction that is currently fooling Americans into thinking it is the change they want. This threat comes costumed in the visage of Donald Trump.
Trump appears to be everything that the American people want: a deviation from political correctness, not being afraid of supporting unpopular policies, and someone who is not cut from the cloth of the usual career politicians and dynastic politics. While at face-value this seems like the course a conservative disheartened with the Republican party should take, the reality is that voting for Donald Trump is only taking a step closer to handing the republic over to the wealthy only. This is a billionaire candidate who does not require any outside financing, has failed to create a platform of any substance, and holds no respect for any of the reputable aspects of the democratic system America has remaining. Trump often compares how he runs his business ventures to how he would run the country, a message that should carry red flags for most Americans but has strangely been welcomed with open arms. The United States has faced innumerable trials since 2001 and the recovery from these obstacles was done on the backs of the middle class and the poor. Instead of voting out corruption and shunning complacency the American people went along with the “politics as usual” mentality of Congress and the President over the next election cycles. We now have the opportunity to elect a President to try and remedy crises on an international and domestic level, but support is being funneled towards a dynasty politician and a mogul. Can we as Americans claim to have the right to complain and protest against government when it appears that we are the ones who are perpetuating these common complaints?
It would be improper and undemocratic for this writer to tell you to not vote for a candidate or to support one in particular, so perhaps it is better to ask a favor. Before walking up to the ballot box please research information about a candidate and look at their past. Imagine yourself as nothing more than a neighbor with a candidate, or perhaps at a dinner with them. Try to envision what your conversation with them would look like based solely on your backgrounds. If these qualities do not lend you to believe either of you would care very much for each other or that, like Trump, they don’t really care very much about anyone, then perhaps they are not deserving of your vote. Your vote as a citizen of the United States is the most powerful decision available in the world and citizens should learn to covet that power to even a miserly degree. As Americans we should value our votes more and not do ourselves the injustice of selecting leaders who couldn’t care less about us. Donald Trump sees this as a personal opportunity to make a great change in America. The question is whether or not he has decided to put you on the list of trustees.
