ACHTUNG: The following is not a “Fair and balanced” story. It is an editorial by the editor.
“Four legs good. Two legs bad.” — The sheep in “Animal Farm” by George Orwell.
“Democrats good. Republicans bad.”
It’s really awful that it’s come to this. But because the Republican Party has made a Faustian bargain with not the Devil, but Donald Trump, I see no reason to support, endorse or vote for anyone associated with the GOP. I’ve already voted, and I even left blank the boxes next to Rs running unopposed.
That’s how much my disgust with the Republican Party has grown over the last two years. Recent developments, such as the Kavanaugh confirmation, the trio of hate crime incidents this week and the promise of cutting Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid to handle a budget deficit created by massive tax cuts for the wealthy have only worsened my opinion.
I hope I am not misunderstood. Too many people think only in binary terms and insist that if I despise Republicans, I must love Democrats. Not true. The latter is the only viable alternative when the GOP has become a gaggle of toadies for a serial philanderer, a pathological liar and a sociopath who reminds me too much of Adolf Hitler.
Don’t laugh or brush it off. I have spend all of my adult life studying history and it was my major in college. Through it all, I’ve always been fascinated and puzzled over why a reasonably intelligent society in Germany could be manipulated into such hateful and despicable acts as the attempted extermination of Jews. Ah, the power of propaganda, marketing and advertising. Consult Rod Serling’s “The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street” episode on “The Twilight Zone.”
But I am astonished that so many poor and middle class citizens can be persuaded to support politicians who promise to reduce benefits from the most popular government programs in history in order to pay for tax cuts for the rich.
NICK DANGER: “What kind of a chump do you take me for?”
ROCKY ROCOCCO: “First class!”
With all of that in mind, the following is a list of people on the ballot Nov. 6 whom I support. These endorsements and 73 cents probably would get you a senior’s cup of coffee at McDonald’s.
• GOVERNOR — Gretchen Whitmer.
• U.S. SENATOR — Debbie Stabenow.
• CONGRESS — Matt Longjohn.
• ATTORNEY GENERAL — Dana Nessel.
• SECRETARY OF STATE — Jocelyn Benson.
• STATE SENATOR — Garnet Lewis.
• STATE REPRESENTATIVE — Ron Draayer and Mark Ludwig.
• COUNTY COMMISSIONER — Mike Salisbury (4), Ben Snape (6) and Rachel Collingsworth (7).
• STATEWIDE BALLOT PROPOSALS — All ayes.
I am endorsing by default. I pronounce anyone who agrees to have an R next to his or her name on the ballot to be disqualified. He or she is an enabler who has agreed to march in lockstep with the most divisive, hate-promoting, lying and bullying politician not seen since the 1930s in Germany. This madness must stop.
I do feel slightly bad about not supporting Mark DeYoung for County Commission, someone I have voted for consistently over the years. But he’s running with a bad crowd.
It is interesting that U.S. Senate candidate John James trumpeted his support from Trump in the primary, as did gubernatorial candidate Bill Schuette, yet nary a word about the President during the general election campaign season. The same is true for enthusiastic Trumpies Mary Whiteford and Steve Johnson (for state representative) and Aric Nesbitt (for state senate).
These politicians have demonstrated clearly they’re more interested in winning and being loyal to their tribe than doing the right and moral thing.
Russian President Vladimir Putin recently was quoted as saying America’s empire is going down in flames, and I fear he is correct. We only have ourselves to blame when we have voted for our hates rather than our hopes.
Once again, the wise words of cartoonist Walt Kelly in Pogo:
“We have met the enemy, and he is us.”
It’s very sad, isn’t it? There have been fine members of the GOP. It was the Republicans that stood up to Richard Nixon. Dems too, of course, but when the Republicans told him it was over, he knew it was time to go. Where are the Republicans that put country ahead of party? Where are the decent ones? Why do they bend to support what they know isn’t right?
Everyone is entitled to choose whomever they want.
I just totally disagree with how you came to your line of reasoning……when people choose the lesser of two evils….you and up in the mess you have today..
If a person is doing a very good job in their elected office….why vote against that person?
I’m sorry but a man/woman running for an elected position should be voted for what they have done not which party they belong to. Do you honestly believe because Mr DeYoung has a R after his name…..the Republican Party Is really going to have an effect on how he handles his job as County Commissioner???
Let’s say for the sake of conversation there was a person with a D after their name but comes no where close to doing the job Mr DeYoung has ….do you advocate voting for them??
Everyone claims the vote is a powerful tool. This is a fact…but, like all powerful tools without understanding how you are using it….it can be a disaster.
Thinking back to the Presidential election.. here comes a man saying and proclaiming to do all the things he is currently doing. Just because his roderic was what a majority wanted to say and hear.but were afraid to and the Democratic party ran someone even may Democrats were not happy with.
We now have a President who is trying to do all he said he would…..today many are not pleased they cast their vote for him
Everyone had been so conditioned that politicians hardly ever do what they say they will. So the voters followed your line of thought…things have to change gotta vote the R…
Not many agree with my definition of vote. I believe casting a vote means you believe in the person or proposal ..you also show your trust and support for that person or proposal….
To cast a revenge vote is not a wise vote…that is what I believe happened in the last election…casting another revenge vote is not the answer in this writers opinion
The clock is running for “”Don’t Tread On Me” to chime in comparing Dems to Socialists or Marxists and spouting about how great the liar in DC is. We’re waiting.
Good article, Dave. Some say Trump is doing everything he said he would — Drain the swamp, fix health care, unite the country, make America great again. Not! What he has done is promote hate, make up stories, tell lies every day.
Good example for the younger generation who will inherit this BS.
Disagree with you on Proposal 1 because I am not comfortable with the opt out feature and don’t think MI has adequate testing set up for product before sale and testing. I am in agreement on the rest of the ballot.
AG Bill Schuette has never been interested in an issue until he senses political gain. Haven’t figured out how Gretchen Whitmer is a a career politician and Bill Scheutte isn’t. Schuette’s running mate, Kent County Clerk Lisa Posthumus Lyons, is the typical anti-government Republican who was a term limited state rep who didn’t want to find a job in the private sector so she ran for the county clerk job. Four-year terms and no term limits.
As noted, President Trump is MIA in the general election. I’ve seen a plethora of campaign ads since the August primary and none of the GOP candidates in the November who weren’t shy about telling everyone how they supported the President aren’t mentioning him at all in any of their TV, radio ads or mailers. How can John James go from claiming he supports President Trump 2000% to never mentioning President Trump on his campaign ads?
Can anyone explain how Fred Upton has morphed from a congressman who cared about fossil fuel emissions in his first decade in Congress to supporting the Keystone Pipeline where a failure could poison the aquifer for our nation’s corn, soy and wheat belts after a pipeline failure dumped more than a million gallons of raw crude oil into the Kalamazoo River and is still undergoing cleanup at a cost of $1.2 billion? Congressman Upton said he wants to protect people with pre-existing health conditions too, yet he voted to repeal the ACA with a bill that had zero provisions addressing those people’s conditions.
Another conundrum is how to reconcile voting for Tom Leonard, the GOP nominee for AG who is running a tough on crime, incarcerate offenders, with voting for incumbent State Rep. Steve Johnson, who vows never to vote to raise taxes. If we have an AG who wants to put more people in prison, how do we pay for state prisons if Steve Johnson refuses to consider raising any additional revenue to pay for feeding, housing and guarding an increasing state prison population?
To me this election was summed up in one TV ad sponsored by the Republican Governors Association (RGA) with the message” DON’T VOTE FOR DEMOCRATS.” If that doesn’t scream pay attention to the R behind the name of a candidate, nothing does.