ACHTUNG: This is not a “fair and balanced” article. It is an editorial by the editor.
“Who was it that set up a system, supposedly democratic system where you always wind up voting for the lesser of two evils? I mean, was George Washington the lesser of two evils?” — The Fugs in 1968, “It Crawled Into My Hand, Honest.”
Never in my career as a journalist and political observer have I ever attempted to discourage anyone from voting. But I stand ready, willing and able to recommend everybody to pass on next month’s Michigan Presidential Primary.
I almost totally agree with the assertion that voting is the only power we, the unwashed masses, have. So it is unlike me to suggest anyone to sit out an election. But here we are.
Though I understand Michigan’s desire to have one of the first presidential primaries to attract attention, candidates and perhaps business, this political move has been foiled by the emergence of an incredibly boring and worthless exercise.
It was only last Sunday that Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis suspended his campaign. A few others already have done so as well, including former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, Vivek Ramaswamy, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, Asa Hutchinson and Michigan’s own Perry Johnson.
The two still standing (but not for long) are former President Donald Trump and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, the latter who’s “got no chance.”
So the Republican primary appears to be a landslide in the selection of Trump.
On the Democratic side, a voter has just about as much choice as the GOP — it’s President Joe Biden by a wide margin.
So this is the best America can do? A repeat of Trump vs. Biden? This is much worse than the repeat of 1956 over 1952, Dwight D. Eisenhower vs. Adlai Stevenson. At least those two elections featured two quality candidates.
I repeat my assertion I often make: Our political system has deteriorated so badly over the years that we’re struck with two major parties that spend all their time trying to make the other guy look bad rather than offering solutions to problems.
I will sit this primary out, which is incredibly unusual for me. Until now, I’ve voted in every presidential primary since it was established in Michigan. And I have voted in every possible election since 1970, when I first became eligible.
Things have gotten so bad that I just won’t waste my time by returning the mail-in ballot or going to the polls, starting on Feb. 17. The actual election date is Feb. 27, but I’m personally boycotting. You can only pick one from the party you choose. Regardless of your feelings, you’re stuck with either Trump or Biden.
Of course, I steadfastly refuse to vote for the mentally ill man who tried unsuccessfully to violently overthrow our duly elected government (Jan. 6, 2021). But I will vote for Biden only because he’s not Trump.
As the late, great comedian George Carlin said, “The game is rigged. But nobody seems to notice, nobody seems to care.”
“to violently overthrow our duly elected government (Jan. 6, 2021)”
Sez who?
The Media? The Lib’s? Wayland town Broadcast?
Prove it Sir………
This reminds me of the Clinton/DNC Russia dossier, you spewed this story as well.
Please, do yourself a favor and re-read President Trump speech.
Have a great day!
Cheers!!
Mr Wilkens,
There is a plethora of non partisan evidence of what occurred that day.
I fear you are either willfully dishonest, or trapped in a partisan filter bubble created by your propaganda masters within your favorite media boundaries. I would like to believe it is the latter and give you the opportunity to investigate this yourself in order to save credibility.
This was not a protest in any form. Multiple armed breaches occurred with significant damage to property and personnel. The objective was ending the lives of existing elected representatives, overthrowing our electoral process, ending the existence of our federal government, and instituting their own mob rule with DJT as the figurehead.
This was initiated, planned, and encouraged by the former presider. This wholly unlawful and unpatriotic act is known as a self coup. I encourage you and anyone to do their own honest research, as difficult as it may be.
Multiple individuals passed away that day, including law officers. A former service member was shot dead while attempting to climb and break through glass at a secured doorway. She thought she was performing a patriotic act, as she was mislead by propaganda and misinformation.
Unfortunately she found out in the worst way possible, that she had been conned.
A bipartisan congressional hearing took place, it was well televised, and can be found online. Many witnesses gave testimony, many hours of obvious video evidence is on record.
Dozens have been convicted and are already serving out sentences for the unlawful crimes they committed that day. Hundreds are yet to face prosecution, it is likely the numbers will be into the thousands by the time our legal system is through.
One is free in our society to ignore anything they like. They can choose not to see something, and even ignore what they heard.
Ignorance, whether by choice or by happenstance, does not change the facts of the matter, or the reality of a situation.
Wilkens this comment reminds me of a Charlie Brown cartoon when the adults speak you can’t understand them, so apparently you’re Trump is one of the adults. Because you definitely can’t hear what he’s saying. By the way have you taken Mr young out for a burger yet? I remember this is the same guy who questioned his sources then.
This years primary has an incumbent POTUS running unopposed which isn’t unusual and a former POTUS and maybe a former SC governor and former UN Ambassador Nikki Hailey (who Trump appointed). The GOP primary might be more interesting if the MI GOP wasn’t in battle with itself.
There is a significant portion of voters in Allegan County who heartily agreed with 2016 election outcome where the Democratic Party and its nominee accepted the general election results and didn’t requests recounts in MI, PA and WI where the margins of victory for Donald Trump minuscule. In MI it was 0.23% of 4,548,382 votes cast, PA was 0.72% of 5,897,174 and 0.77% of 2,787,820.
Yet in 2020, where Biden won at least 50.1% margins in 2 of the states (49.5% in PA) 2.78% margin of victory in MI was 12 times larger than 2016. It appears people like Mr. Guess will tell everyone and everyone who will listen to his the 2020 results were not valid and accept what Donald J Trump post election spewing.
I accept in Allegan County voters are regularly electing GOP candidates in its state legislative districts and congressional districts who will deny any election result where their GOP candidate doesn’t win as invalid as they have with the 2020 Presidential results. I accept the fact there are commenters who think smaller rural population areas votes should count more than more populous areas in statewide elections to ensure GOP candidates win those elections.
However, former POTUS Donald J Trump calls people vermin. He has regularly degraded and dehumanized anyone who dares cross him. He challenged the validity of the 2020 election results. The first losing Presidential candidate to ever do so. He attempted to have states where he encouraged state GOP leaders form an alternate group of electors to vote for him in The Electoral College to win a 2nd term. He also encouraged then VP Pence to invalidate the Electoral College results. I won’t accept that as behavior conducive to democracy. That appears acceptable to a majority of voters in Allegan County.
I suspect many would feel right at home seeing the US become another Weimar Republic.
And so it goes.
Of course we must remember when at this time it looked like President Johnson was a Democratic shoe-in. So much so (like this year the President was not even listed on the ballot for the Dems), and history repeats. Biden is launching a write-in campaign to win. McCarthy got 42% to Johnson’s 50% (thanks Wikipedia for the %). Biden should get about 75% tonight.
In March the President opted out, McCarthy suddenly had challengers in RFK, and VP Humphrey.
Who knows the future? I’m planning to vote for Ambassador Haley. A couple of months ago it was Sen. Scott.
“at this time” in January of 1968
My husband and I had a similar discussion about whether to vote in the upcoming primary election. Because so many people in the Republican Party continue to deny the results of the 2020 election, we will vote as Democrats in the February primary to show that there ARE Democrats in Wayland Township, Allegan County and Michigan. We vote and our votes count.
LKB,
Hillary Rodham Clinton is still denying the 2016 election results.
Interesting……..the facts you choose to ignore……..
Why does she get a free pass?
Cheers!!
Mr Wilkens has chosen to take the Alternate Truth exit to the parallel universe and he’s going back to the GOP handbook. In the absence of defending the former POTUS Trump’s words about his GOP primary opponents and threats to retaliate against his political enemies using the Office of the President, Mr Wilkens is still vilifying Hillary Clinton with alternative facts.
Fact: The Clinton Campaign did not ask for or file for recounts in MI, PA or WI after the 2016 results.
Fact: Although unhappy with the outcome, neither Democratic US Senators or Democratic members of Congress made moves to decertify The Electoral College votes that officially made Donald J Trump POTUS.
Kellyanne Conway, who served as Senior Counsel to President Trump first used the phrase “alternative facts” on January 22, 2017 when she defended Trump Administration Press Secretary Sean Spicer’s remarks about the size of the crowd at the Trump inauguration.
And so it goes.