Anyone who thinks there is no difference between Democrats and Republicans is simply not paying attention. It was that kind of thinking that got both Donald Trump and George W. Bush elected—the two worst presidents in American history. If it wasn’t for Ralph Nader siphoning off votes, Bush would have lost to Al Gore. If it wasn’t for Jill Stein and Bernie or Bust people siphoning off votes, Trump would have lost to Hillary Clinton. For all those on the left that just couldn’t bring themselves to vote for Hillary, here are just a few of the things taking a stand for purity has cost us:
The United States has pulled out of the Paris Climate Agreement, the Iran Nuclear Deal, and the UN Human Rights Council.
We have a president who thinks global warming is a hoax.
The President of the United States has offended all of our closest allies while buddying up with brutal dictators.
Children and parents seeking asylum in the United States have been separated and children have been put in cages.
We will now have two additional arch-conservative Supreme Court justices, doing the GOP’s bidding for decades to come.
Roe v. Wade will now likely be overturned, making abortion illegal in at least 20 states. Republicans are sending women’s rights back 40 years!
The same goes for LGBTQ rights. With the new Supreme Court, you can count on their rights going backward.
Unions were hit hard by the Supreme Court with the help of Trump’s first justice appointment, Neil Gorsuch, just this week.
We have a president who embarrasses our country daily and encourages incivility and distrust in established, vetted media, like the Associated Press. Dictators declare that the media is the enemy of the people, not presidents in democracies!
I could go on, but I’ve made my point. None of the above would have happened under Democratic leadership. No party or candidate is perfect. I never agree with the candidate I vote for on every issue. On the same token, I don’t agree with my wife on every issue either—yet we have a long, successful marriage.
Saying “Democrats and Republicans are the same” is a common, but naïve talking point. And in the coming elections if you don’t vote, or decide to vote for a fringe unelectable candidate out of a sense of moral superiority, know that you are voting for a continuation of Trump policies.
I hate it as much as anyone that we don’t have a system of government like Australia has, where alternative parties can make a difference. In America, at least for now, we have two viable parties. Choose a side.