Three Old White Men

I delayed mailing in my absentee ballot and ended up voting for Joe Biden in the primary. He wasn’t my first choice but he was the only viable choice left to me as a moderate democrat. I’m disappointed in myself and the American people because we don’t seem capable anymore of electing the smartest, most articulate, and temperate person as our leader. In my opinion, towards the end of this particular primary cycle the most capable candidates were Amy Klobuchar, Elizabeth Warren, and Pete Buttigieg. But they pulled out, leaving behind two old white men as the only viable Democratic choices. Yes, Tulsi Gabbard is still in it, but her chances of winning the nomination are slim to none.

How is it that the same American electorate that put Obama in the White House for eight years gave us these dismal choices? Obama represented us around the world with dignity and was well respected. He was intellectually brilliant, thoughtful and articulate, put forth policies that uplifted millions, saved our economy from a depression, kept us safe from another 911 terrorist attack, was scandal free, was empathetic and caring, and was a role model for our children. His wife was beautiful and brilliant and put forth a platform that actually made sense. And then we elected an old white man with none of these admirable characteristics and a wife whose platform is incoherent if not downright hypocritical.

This November, we’ll be choosing among three old white men, each much older and each less capable than Obama. The incumbent is a lying criminal narcissist whose ignorance is on display every day. He has singlehandedly discredited the office of the presidency in the eyes of the world and has become a laughingstock among world leaders. No reasonable parent would point to Trump as a role model. But most importantly, he is a threat to our security, the planet, and our health and general welfare. And our choices now left to replace him are better, but certainly not the best we were offered.

There is Bernie Sanders who is calling for a revolution that will likely result in a government stalemate, getting absolutely nothing accomplished. He isn’t able to compromise and his years in the Senate have shown this. His ideas of socialism go farther than the countries he says he wants to emulate. And he can’t show exactly how he will pay for all these freebies he is offering. While I do believe that healthcare should be a right and I’m for a Medicare for all type of system, I’m not on board with everything he’s promoting. I believe there is dignity in working and investing to earn a living and too much free stuff is a disincentive and causes major shortages of everything. I believe his policies would ultimately bankrupt the country. Besides that, his personality is that of a grumpy old man and his supporters have taken on his nasty personality on social media. At least he is honest, but I don’t believe he is electable in November.

The third old white man is on the ballot is Joe Biden. He is a kind and temperate, empathetic and moderate democrat. His policies are good and less dangerous than both Trump and Sanders. However, he opens his mouth and who knows what will come out. He is likeable, experienced, and just smart enough. He is certainly smarter than Trump and more likeable as a human being than both of his competitors. He might embarrass us on occasion with a gaff here and there, but he won’t be a laughingstock around the world. His belief in science, the reliance on experts rather than his own “hunches” and knowledge of history and the world would make him an acceptable president. I hope that he chooses either Klobuchar, Harris, or Warren as his running mate. These are smart, capable, and temperate women who would be able to step in as president on day one if necessary.

And who knows, if Biden chooses Klobuchar, Harris, or Warren as his running mate, the next president of the United States in 2024 or sooner might just be a brilliant and capable woman that we can all be proud to call “Madam President”.