You should vote for Kamala Harris

During the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln published a response to a letter by Horace Greely, a newspaper editor who questioned Lincoln’s position on slavery. You can read the entire letter here, but the important parts are as follows:

As to the policy I “seem to be pursuing,” as you say, I have not meant to leave any one in doubt.

I would save the Union. I would save it the shortest way under the Constitution. The sooner the national authority can be restored the nearer the Union will be “the Union as it was.” If there be those who would not save the Union unless they could at the same time save slavery, I do not agree with them. If there be those who would not save the Union unless they could at the same time destroy slavery, I do not agree with them. My paramount object in this struggle is to save the Union, and is not either to save or to destroy slavery. If I could save the Union without freeing any slave I would do it, and if I could save it by freeing all the slaves I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing some and leaving others alone, I would also do that. What I do about slavery and the colored race, I do because I believe it helps to save the Union; and what I forbear, I forbear because I do not believe it would help to save the Union. I shall do less whenever I shall believe what I am doing hurts the cause, and I shall do more whenever I shall believe doing more will help the cause. I shall try to correct errors when shown to be errors; and I shall adopt new views so fast as they shall appear to be true views.

Let’s agree to ignore the bits about slavery. The point is that Lincoln was committed to defending the Union, its laws, and the Constitution, even during a time of extreme crisis. Americans should require any Presidential hopeful to live up to the same standard.

Trump does not meet this standard. When he lost the 2020 election, he incited a riot at the Capitol and pressured several government officials to commit fraud on his behalf. While rioters chanted “Hang Mike Pence” and crawled through the Capitol, Trump tweeted that Mike Pence “didn’t have the courage to do what should have been done.” After Trump lost Georgia, he called the Georgia Secretary of State and asked him to “find 11,780 votes” to flip the results. I want my public officials stopping riots and prosecuting corruption, not the opposite.

With that in mind, I encourage every American citizen to vote for Kamala Harris on Tuesday. Even if you don’t like her or her policies, we can get back to arguing over normal political questions once candidates stop inciting riots at the Capitol and pressuring officials to commit fraud on their behalf. Plus, just look at how wonderful she did on SNL this weekend!

Here are some other important things to think about:

1. The Supreme Court currently has a 6-3 conservative majority. If Trump wins, this could become a 7-2 or even 8-1 majority. If you are lukewarm on both candidates, consider that Trump winning will lock in a conservative majority for perhaps the rest of your life, and maybe even some of your children’s. This will make it increasingly harder to pass any laws that do anything, and also lead to more completely insane decisions like in the presidential immunity case.

2. Donald Trump is trying to avoid jail for several crimes he has committed. Whether you like these prosecutions or not (and there are good reasons to not like them), his only “get out of jail free” card is being President. If you hand a loaded gun to an escaped convict, do you think he’ll go back to his cell when you ask nicely?

3. You can still watch Tony Hinchcliffe if Trump loses. He has a YouTube channel and everything. No one is taking Shane Gillis away.

I admit, dear reader, that if you really don’t like her policies, then it must sting to vote for “lying Kamala.” Maybe someday I can convince you that you should become a Democrat. Or, who knows, maybe in 2028 Republicans will nominate a new Reagan and you can convince me to get on board. Maybe we can even agree to pass some voter ID laws before the midterms!¹ For now, let’s just agree to get back on track.