By Jeeni Criscenzo / San Diego Free Press
I haven’t been one of your biggest fans and I still think that the DNC used some dirty tricks to defeat Bernie Sanders in the primaries, but today I’m ready to put that behind me. Until last night, my only reason to vote for you over Jill Stein would have been to make certain that Mr. Trump is not elected president of our country.
Since I live in California, I thought I had the luxury of waiting to see how the election was going in the rest of the county before casting my vote. And that was my plan – to wait until the last hour to choose you or Jill Stein. Since California is not a swing state, it was highly likely that I could have used my vote as a form of protest without risking Trump winning.
Wednesday night my plan changed. When I listened to Donald Trump hedge about ceding to the winner during the debate, I knew it isn’t enough just to make sure you win, it is paramount that you win in such overwhelming, indisputable numbers that Mr. Trump’s accusations of rigging look ludicrous. It is critical that any refusal on his part to accept the wish of the majority makes him look like a sore loser to his supporters.
So Tuesday morning, I completed my absentee ballot with the bubble next to Hillary Clinton filled in. And I am going to beg all of my friends who are considering a vote for Jill Stein to do the same, because there is only one way to prevent the terrorism of the hordes Trump is instigating to violence and chaos after he loses, and that his to soundly whump him in the polls beyond all dispute.
Please do not take my vote as a blanket approval of your past policy decisions, or your cozy relationship with Wall Street or your predisposition to war, or your support of Israel’s oppression of Palestine. While I cheer your clear support of marriage equality and every woman’s right to make her own medical decisions, after your election I intend to rally my folks to hold you to your promises to advance all of the progressive positions you have lately added to your campaign. Mostly, I will press you to take bold actions toward addressing climate change, something that supersedes everything.
If we end up with Trump’s racist minions terrorizing us after this election, our President will be justified in calling for martial law, and it will set a dangerous precedent against all kinds of protest in the future. We already have a militarized police and this would further empower them. A highly-armed, violent, radical right uprising after the election could destroy what we have left of the First Amendment and democracy itself. My progressive friends will not have the option of holding Clinton to her promises if we can’t take to the streets. So our directive is not just to make certain Trump is not elected, it is to defeat him beyond question, so his most radical supporters know they do not represent the majority, and hopefully, they will reject the sore-loser trumpet call to violence.
With that argument, I hope to persuade anyone considering a vote for anyone other than Hillary Clinton that this is not the time for it. Please join me in making this an unquestionable win for Hillary Clinton so that the only thing we need to worry about on November 9th is planning Bernie Sander’s non-violent, progressive revolution.
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{ 25 comments… read them below or add one }
Jeeni, this was great – and Patty loved it. She saw it on facebook and read it to me – then we reposted it today. Thanks.
Sorry – absolutely cannot do it. She is a war monger through and through, and a shill for Wall Street.
… and what is Trump? More of a war-monger, and a fascist who doesn’t care a whit about democracy.
Trump more of a war-monger?
Clinton wants a no-fly zone over Syria, gloated over the death of Gadaffi, goads Russia, and loves Henry Kissinger. Can Trump top that?
And Hillary Clinton will affirm the soon to be official US stance for one apartheid state solution – Israel alone
Too me that is very scary. Bin Laden spoke to that issue foremost as reasons for 9/11. I cannot vote for a candidate who is endorsed by many neo cons and George H.W. Bush who has stated she will exacerbate war torn situation in Middle East.
The backlash from Trump presidency in Congressional midterms might be very helpful in the long run. Not endorsing him, just sayin’.
Agreed. Having read her remarks to AIPAC, I just shuddered. That is one reason I loved Bernie – he was too busy to show up but sent a note arguing for recognition of Palestine.
Hillary has been too busy courting Republicans to pay attention to progressives. I personally cannot jump in bed with Henry Kissinger (hasn’t formally endorsed yet .. wink wink) but vacations with Clintons often, and vote for Hillary. The only good things from election will be the focus on broken political system and totally corrupt 2 corporate party system which dominates it.
Israel is not an apartheid state.
I should have used the hebrew word –hafrada. But few Americans have heard it. Israel separates, occupies, and disallows voting rights of Palestinians- so call it what you want.
There are Palestinian/Arab Israeli citizens who are born and raised there and enjoy full citizen ship and voting rights. There’s even a Palestinian women (Haneen Zoabi) serving on the Knesset. There have been previous Arab members. There are Palestinians who serve in the IDF, and unlike Jewish citizens who are conscripted on their 18th birthday, it’s fully voluntary for citizens of Palestinian/Arab decent. As far as the occupied areas, that’s a whole different matter and a whole different discussion, the Israel itself is not an apartheid state.
Can’t talk about one (Israel)without the other one (Occupation WestBank, Gaza etc), friend. Zoabi views Netanyahu as fascist, btw and Israeli govt has tried to disqualify her from holding office. So there is one Palestinian in their Knesset and she is constantly under disqualification attempts and attacks each election–Great point– Thanks for making my case. Nothing more to add in this forum on this issue except that Hillary is indeed looking forward to cozying up to fascist Netanyahu on her 1st day in Office.
“gloated over the death of Gadaffi, ”
That’s a bad thing?
RUKM? We civilized humans do not take glee in fellow human’s death.
Prolly should delete that profile.
We’re talking Gadaffi here. Guess we’ll just have to agree to disagree.
And…….it looks like Bernie will get the gavel and become Senate Majority Leader !
So you will vote based upon reaction rather than principle now?
This is simply is a variation of ‘lesser of two evils’ and plays into ‘fear Trump’ mantra.
Personally I would rather vote something I want and don’t get then vote for something I don’t want and get. BOTH major party candidates are repulsive in many ways.
For a long time i have been saying we need a benevolent dictator.
All the Trump haters scream, he is a fascist, he has no policies, no experience, he is the man from hell.
Trump is the bull in the China Shoppe, with very few allegiances. The partisans are beside themselves, what will happen to our agenda’s they cry? What will happen to our social engineering?
I would say that my biggest concern is that he might further the police state.
On the other hand he says legal Cannabis should be left up to the states. Hillary is vehemently against legalization.
Trump has flushed out the great American Cabal, so many are in a harried state at the prospect of President Trump.
For one man to accomplish what he has, to me is astounding.
Hillary 1984, is a machine, programmed to serve Wall St and vested American power.
Just saying.
mjt – Very astute! Clinton truly is Hillary 1984, a machine with a crocodile smile.
Hillary endorsed DOMA. Is that what they mean by “Hillary is feminist”?
She voted for Iraq War. Is that centrist when some Republicans voted against??
Vote 3rd party –we need to end this BS for good!
Jeeni- I think this piece should be reworded and directed to the hundred million eligble nonvoters in the country. Why is there alwayd this type of veiled attack on third party voters in each and every election cycle??!
Screw both of them. Vote Jill NOT Hill.
Don’t vote for what you believe in – vote against what you fear?
Democrats (and Republicans) do try to rig elections. Maybe not on the scale Trump suggests, but how much gerrymandering, disenfranchisement, and outright fraud is there? The 2000 US Election come to mind. Obama talked about how ridiculous it is to say the Democrats rig elections in states like Florida where the process is governed by Republicans.
Many Democrats blame Nader for Gore’s Florida loss. 24,000 Democrats voted for Nader in Florida, and Gore lost by less than a 1,000 votes. The problem with that logic is 308,000 Democrats voted for Bush. The DLC did polling in FL that asked how Nader voters would have voted in a two-way race. Bush won by a full percentage point.
We’ve cast our absentee ballots in 92012 already.
Everyone seems to forget there is another option, the “Write-In” Candidate; Vote. . . “NONE OF THE ABOVE”
Giant Meteor 2016!
Giant flaming meteor, extinction level event, 2016 presidential candidate, probably your best option.
votegiantmeteor.com
“NONE OF THE ABOVE”…
Now, there’s a thought. My options were to:
Leave the top of the ticket blank.
Color in the little button for Jill Stein
Write in Bernie.
Or write in Mickey Mouse.