A Vote is Validation

I feel like a lot of time there is this argument that logically Kamala and the Dems are obviously incrementally better than Trump and the Republicans on the Middle East, but if you are angry enough we won't judge you for emotionally voting against your interest.

I've been thinking about what it would mean for me as a Jewish American to vote for Kamala. What does it mean to vote for someone, even if it's just to spite someone else. I think that the idea I've settled on is that a vote is validation. A vote is validation that even though you racially profiled a man at one of your rallies, at least you didn't propose a Muslim ban. You weren't as bad as Trump therefore I'll vote for you.

I voted like that last election and the only thing I've seen it do in the past four years is enable Democrats to come so razor close to Trump that they are better because a vote is just a validation of winning the margins. I'm sorry but I don't agree, logically.

My vote for Biden last year validated the centrist. It validated the not bad enough.

My vote this year is down ballot "uncommitted". Mostly it's for Palestine, the most pathetic apology I can give to my student from the West Bank whose family is being gassed daily by Israeli soldiers. But it also means more. It means I'm not committing to, I'm not validating your half-racism. I'm not validating your semi-authoritianistic dismissal of the democratic process of primaries.

I will commit to a positive vision, and right now I see none of that from our national politicians.