The Dust Settles
People I know who share with me a bond of mutual respect have been asking me why I would vote for Trump. (Well… Those who have the common sense and decency to debate like adults.) The reasons are long and complex; however, I attempt to give some idea of my thinking nontheless. The first thing one must understand is my life is long and storied although I may not be much advanced in age. All of these experiences have shaped me into what I am today, and I quite enjoy myself, so there is little chance for change. Without an understanding of what pathways have driven me to my current sociopolitical location, it will be impossible to understand my choices - vice versa would also apply.
In response to a friend, I wrote the following:
Trump is predictable. We already had 4 years of him and I was not killed, lynched, or battered. Trans people still roam about freely (one is a manager at a local store here, I live in a deep red city, county, state). Women still exist outside the kitchen. Poor people still have housing and food. The list goes on... I am not buying the media hype.
He passed dozens of laws that affected me positively. He gave sweeping healthcare reforms. He cut taxes for everyone (not just the rich). He bolstered care for recovering addicts. He gave HBCUs the largest endowment of all time AND made that endowment permanent (Obama's HBCU money had an expiry). Most importantly many of the people I trust trust him (Candace Owens, Maj Toure, Larry Elder, Brandon Tatum, RFKJr, Kari Lake, Lily Tang Williams, Scott Pressler, Hotep Jesus, Royce White, some family members, etc...). Of course it is not all good news: he did warp speed which I think was a total disaster. Also, some people I trust do not trust him (some family members). I grew up in NJ in the 90s: I do not trust him, but he did get my vote.
He is the Unity Candidate. RFKJr, Tulsi Gabbard, Vivek Ramaswamy, the Hoteps, etc... all support him.
Kamala was offensive. Megan Thee Stallion has a degree in Health Management, instead of calling on her to speak about the state of healthcare in this nation, Kamala called upon her to shake her ass and act like a whore on stage. Trump, the very same day, spoke with black executives in the same city to discuss black business leadership.
While Harris was talking about collard greens, Trump talked about taxes and regulation rollbacks. When Harris went on interviews she discussed her middle class upbringing and what her mother did, Trump talked about policy, what he had done, what he will do.
Harris is a prosecutor and DA. With my history under the system, you must know I could never back a prosecutor or DA.
Trump won his primary. Biden won Harris' primary. Harris was installed like an oligarch. Which is less Democratic?
So many more reasons. I might write a post on my site about it soon. No one is perfect, Trump included, myself included. Based on what I know, I believe Trump was the better pick this election.
To another I responded:
I am always up for conversation and will never vilify anyone. I genuinely believe in the Jeffersonian vision that was furthered by Douglass and still further by Malcolm X which currently takes us to my politics: Hotep. I was a never-Trumper then voted as a bloc with Hotep Nation.
We have huge problems with Trump (police, project warp speed, shitty on 2A, etc); however, we are diametrically opposed to the Democrat party. I was considering voting for RFKJr., then he dropped out and endorsed Trump too. Candace Owens, Vivek Ramaswamy, and a host of other characters I trust have all gotten behind one man.
I am also a paper Republican. The Republican party is dead. It has been replaced by a coalition of MAGA, MAHA, Libertarian, Hotep, and others. I do take pause with the morality but none of the candidates are moral characters. They cannot be moral characters. Only an amoral person would take a billion dollars and spend it on a campaign rather than feeding impoverished families. No one moral could become President. It is a position reserved for our most megalomaniacal.
Elections are hard choices. All of them. Bar none. I cannot agree 100% with anyone; I have also found that I cannot disagree 100% with anyone. So, I have to narrow the scope to the 3-5 issues I care the most about and choose thereby. Simple as that.
The thing that strikes me the most is that no one can refute the facts. Sure, they have their own facts regarding the Democrat Party, but they cannot refute the positive work done by Republicans. It is clear that everyone has their reasons for voting the way they vote. It is even more clear that, when we all act as adults would act, we can debate ideas and come to a mutual understanding. The goal is not to agree with one another, the goal is to understand one another. Screaming into one’s phone in selfie mode is not the way (this is the modern-day Narcissus story); the way is discussion, respect, learning, and dignity.
What strikes me the most is how easy it is to be civil with one another. All it takes is a willingness to listen and a willingness to speak. I do admit, that it is easier for people with a dark complexion to forge this path. Liberals at least allow us space to speak; they would never allow a white person to say some of the things I say. It is a step in the right direction. Another notable development is that 34% of voting Texas black males went Trump. Democrats have to take a long, hard look at why that might be; the facts are the facts, and they have to make sense of them - same as everyone else.
Things have been a lot less hectic regarding the election today than the 3 days just thereafter. This is a great sign for national unity. We don’t know what will shake out of this administration; let’s all give it a chance before condemning it wholesale.