2020 Primary Update

The last time I posted about this topic was in June, and in some ways a lot has changed since then, but one thing has stayed constant: my support of Elizabeth Warren. It's not long after I wrote that post that I decided I was all in for her, and nothing has ever caused that stance to waver. I love her detailed plans, her enthusiasm, her fighting spirit, her willingness to learn from her mistakes and ability to bring other candidates' ideas into her platform -- always with permission. I think she would make a stupendous president, and I dearly hope she has the chance.

It disappoints me that she hasn't done better in the earlier states -- although she beat her polls in Iowa, that fact never got any traction in the media narrative, and I fear it's hurt her in the later states, especially among voters concerned about electability. But a lot can change on Super Tuesday. And for that change to happen, I think it's important that her vocal supporters actually be vocal about it, so I've finally gotten involved with the campaign: putting the bumper sticker on my car, being more intentional with posts like this one, and signing up to send texts to voters. I've only done three batches so far -- you need to keep up on responses, and that's a challenge during the week because I'm not allowed to use work resources for political campaigns. Still, I feel like I'm contributing -- I've convinced a few Warren fans to volunteer, and at least one person who was on the fence committed after speaking to me! That was a super-exciting moment.

While at this point, I'd rather focus on the candidate I do like rather than the rest of the field, I do have a few thoughts.

( Behind the cut )

As for the electability issue, I'll say just one thing: we have no idea what makes a candidate "electable". The term is essentially meaningless. Any of these candidates could win in November. And any of them could lose. I know that's not what most of us want to hear right now -- we want a sure thing, a guarantee that this nightmare will come to an end, or at least move into a more manageable state, in January 2021. But there is no such guarantee, and anyone who tells you that any candidate is certain to win or to lose is just flat out wrong. A candidate is electable if we vote for them. If we work for them. If we convince our neighbors to do the same. There is no such thing as a "safe" choice, and that's a truth that I find liberating.

Super Tuesday in three days. Best of luck to us all.