‘This is not the time for a protest vote’

By Álvaro Fernández Last updated Sep 20, 2016

The Trump Party, that’s what it will now be called. It’s what Donald, our new president, wants from January onward. In fact, he’s made sure to inform the old GOP stalwarts — you know, the Bushes, the Romneys and others — that they’re not welcome in HIS party anymore. And yes, it’s capital H-I-S. Because Trump’s Party is HUUUUGE!

There’s more. He has talked of changing the president’s home to The Trump House. The White House seems a bit antiquated, he’s said, and not gaudy enough for the Trumpsters. They’ve decided to color it in shiny gold. Oh! and he will build a tower on the roof to suit the Donald’s lifestyle. The president’s penthouse suite will sit atop The Trump House. Some say there’s a planned gold toilet for his fat ass.

Improvements will be paid for with tax dollars, of course. It’s been well documented that Donald Trump parlayed his millions into the billions he claims to have via the government subsidies and tax breaks he received for his projects. Did you expect things to change when he became president? The man, who has been critical of immigrants taking what belongs to us, has proven to be the country’s biggest moocher, in fact. And he’s proud of it.

A bit exaggerated? Maybe. Probably. Are you sure?

Consider this:

Obamacare or some kind of affordable health care for most Americans, out the door with Donald.
$15 an hour minimum wage some cities have adopted, forget it nationally. (And the Trumpsters will help governor’s fight it locally.)
The Supreme Court. The Donald will name a few Supremes himself. One as soon as next year. (Scary!!)
Unions? Are you kidding me? Outlawed.
Cuba policy will go back to the W Bush era. (Remember government officials warning you to plan your mother’s death for your allowed once every three years visit to the island.)
Abortion. Gone. Illegal. (What the hell, says Trump, if my youngest one gets knocked up while attending one of those wild Southampton Meadow Lane parties, we’ll just fly her — on our private jet, or maybe Air Force One — somewhere she can get the job done. But not in this country!)
Gay rights, equality for blacks, women and other minorities… didn’t he say he wanted to ‘Make America Great Again?’ Yeah! Like in the 1950s and 1960s.
With the Donald, police may be given the right to shoot first and ask questions later — especially if you’re black or latino.
If you’re poor, he’ll keep you that way. He and his one percent buddies need to employ the poor — and pay them as little as possible.
Prisons. It’s a big, big business. (Privatized and outsourced to the one percenters again. There’s money to be made for these guys — from our tax dollars.)
Protests on the streets… expect to get the snot kicked out of you (if you’re lucky and not killed) by vigilante Trump goon squads — or the police in militarized riot gear. Or both.
Imagine what our foreign policy will look like. (Get the nukes greased and ready…)

There’s more. I know. But the aforementioned should give you an idea of what I’m thinking.

And it has much to do with your vote in November.

I’ve heard. And it’s recurring. There’s a whole bunch of you not planning to vote in the presidential. Both candidates suck! I’ve been told. Others are thinking of the Libertarian option. The Green Party. And all the others.

My candidate was Bernie. But he’s now working for Hillary.

Other candidates?

If they had a chance, any chance, even a sliver of a chance, I too would probably consider others.

But…

I hear you. I too cringe when I think of the Clintons. But I’m scared shitless when considering a Trump presidency.

Here’s Bernie Sanders’ advice, spoken recently somewhere in New York while campaigning for Hillary:

“This is not the time for a protest vote, in terms of a presidential campaign.[…] I ran as a third-party candidate. I’m the longest-serving independent in the history of the United States Congress. I know more about third-party politics than anyone else in the Congress, okay? And if people want to run as third-party candidates, God bless them! Run for Congress. Run for governor. Run for state legislature. When we’re talking about president of the United States, in my own personal view, this is not time for a protest vote. This is time to elect Hillary Clinton and then work after the election to mobilize millions of people to make sure she can be the most progressive president she can be.”