By Jonathan Zingman
Deadline: No better time than right now –
How ya feeling right now? Is your favorite candidate still in the running? Mine isn’t. But I believe we’ll triumph in the end. I’d like to tell you why – and why that faith is so important right now.
The most important job we have is to get rid of Donald Trump and as many of his Republican enablers as possible. That means we must believe in our candidates. Before you object, let me explain. Are they perfect? No. Are they better than what’s in office now? Absolutely! And that’s what you have to believe. And not half-heartedly or grudgingly, but absolutely and sincerely. How do you do that? Find the belief that works for you. Are the remaining candidates better for global warming (duh)? Social justice? Economic opportunity? And let’s not forget the judiciary.
Remember: In 2016, the US elected the most unelectable candidate in the nation’s history. By any reasonable measure, Donald Trump didn’t stand a chance. He was a blowhard with no political experience and no discernable knowledge of how our government works. His campaign was a joke, showcasing his lack of substance and his lying and abusive nature. But now he’s president, damaging our country and the world on a daily basis. This proves many things, among them this unquestionable fact: no one knows who is electable.
Electability isn’t quantifiable. It can be a self-fulfilling prophecy: Trump’s followers believe in him, no matter what – no matter what facts are produced, no matter what lies he tells, they hold the faith. We need to hold our candidates accountable, but we also need to believe in them. Once you have that belief, it’s easier to abandon negativity and answer challenges with positivity. “You have a terrible candidate” – “I have a candidate with experience, knowledge, and integrity.” “He’s not electable” – “There’s no way to know that, let’s talk about real issues.” Find the answers that work for you.
If we don’t believe, we won’t win. Non-electability can be a self-fulfilling prophecy even more than electability. Remember that those who are pushing the electability scam, like all scams, have an interest in their desired outcome. The Republicans want to reelect their criminal-in-chief. The media want drama and a horse race. Most pundits want to hear themselves talk. So, don’t buy into the electability scam. No one knows who is electable and who isn’t until the election happens.
Above all, no matter how you’re feeling about the candidates, being positive is crucial. If we’re going to win, we need to believe we have a winner. Believe we can win, because we have to.
Jonathan Zingman is a recovering physicist who lives and works in the East Bay. Don’t get him started making puns, please.
