ANTHONY WATKINS – Tallahassee, FL, USA

Many years ago, I enjoyed listening to Cornell talk on various shows. He is truly brilliant, and says what he thinks. But over time, he took positions that offended me, and eventually, I decided he was just crazy, and wrong about things. I still agreed with him on many issues, but his “disrespect” for Obama, who I felt was maybe the greatest president of all time, and to whom I feel I owe even being alive at this point, was more than I could take.

Rereading West’s platform, I realize I agree with nearly 100% of his positions, and it occurs to me, the main thing I have been offended about by West is his “uppity N—–“  presentation. His unwillingness to make his message palatable to us good white liberals. In my little old wicked preprogrammed heart, I was being racist. I may or may not vote for him. I am 100% aware he isn’t going to be president. I am also aware he knows he will not EVER be president. But he is clearing a path, either inside the Democratic Party or as an alternative, a new real progressive morally responsible party for the future, much as Goldwater and Wallace did in reverse for the new rightwing GOP.

In 1980, when, as a first time voter, I voted for John Anderson a third party former moderate Republican with some truly innovative and progressive ideas, because I couldn’t stand jimmy Carter (I still can’t), and I wasn’t about to vote for a man I saw as the American version of Hitler, Ronald Reagan.

Of course, my vote in Alabama didn’t matter, it was almost as red then as it is now. Since then, though, I took away the lesson that 3^rd party voting was a way of electing your least favorite candidate and I have ALWAYS voted for the Dems up and down the ticket, though they have let me down massively so many times. I remember being so angry at some of my friends and at Nader (I still don’t like Nader) same for Bernie, because I felt they let us down by allowing W. first, and then Trump to “steal” elections.

Even earlier this year when the daughter of old friend and I were discussing what to do about Biden’s strong support for the fascist occupying state in Palestine as it carried out the most ugly and obvious genocide in a long time, (of course there have been worse genocides before and after the Nazis in Germany, but they weren’t, for various reasons, done so clearly in front of our eyes,) When the young women suggested the only thing we could do was vote 3^rd party, I was shocked. She is incredibly smart, and generally what I consider level-headed.

I, again live in a state where my presidential vote is more or less wasted. Florida will vote for Trump, or failing him being available, they will vote for Nikki before Biden. I may still vote for Biden. If he stops the arming of the criminals in Israel, I will certainly vote, volunteer and donate to him, but as it is, it is very hard to watch him lie about his part in the murders of nearly 40,000, (so far) innocents.

This brings me back to West, 3^rd party, and what is right and wrong. It is true, Trump will not be better on ANY issue, and will surely be even worse on the issues I am most upset with Biden about: Palestine, the US-Mexico border, and the willingness to support fossil fuel. Trump is also a very evil man about things I care about almost as much: Race, Gender and Queer issues, among others.

Yet, I understand, the most likely result of the Democratic Party’s and especially Biden’s immoral stance on Palestine is that a few million voters, voters who in 2020 helped assure Biden of victory, young people, white and non-white, will stay home this election, barring a major turn-around in Biden’s attitude and behavior. Voting 3^rd party isn’t a choice between Biden and West. It is a choice, for them, between staying home, and voting third party. The main difference is if they go to the polls to vote for West, they will also vote for SOME of the down ballot Democrats, especially any Democrats who stand with Palestine, but even Dems who aren’t clear on the issue but are clear on a host of other issues these young people care about. This means, sure Trump will likely be elected either way, but if these young voters stay home, Trump wins the white house and carries a rubber-stamp congress in both houses. Along with the already rubber-stamp court, he would not have to do much to be the dictator he promises to be. By drawing them out to the polls to make a moral choice, West is also possibly saving both houses of Congress from the GOP.

I am still on the fence, 50 years is a lot of programming to undo, but no matter who I vote for, I will not resent those who vote West, and I will not resent West for giving them a reason to vote.