Americans: You Should Vote (Patreon)

Hello, my lovelies!

It's been a rough year for trying to keep this Patreon apolitical, and I can't pretend I don't have an obligation to speak up right now, so... well, you've been warned. 2020 is a trip, isn't it?

In the interests of full disclosure here, Joe Biden was not my first choice in this primary. He wasn't even my second or third or fourth. I am deeply uncomfortable with his politics, his conduct towards women, and his belief that his election will "reset the clock", like our only problem was Orange Man Bad and resetting to mid-2016 is somehow a good idea. I don't like Harris, either, for many of the same reasons. The Democratic party platform this year is an insulting mess that treats neither the pressing need for Medicare-for-All nor the urgent crisis of climate change as anything more than idle daydreams. I am considering the Democratic leadership to largely be in direct opposition to the Democratic electorate.

It's been a rough election year. Fundamentally, when and if Democrats retake the White House, my country is going to be in the same spiral it was four years ago that started this whole mess. I don't consider Joe Biden an ally in any meaningful capacity—not with his opposition to basic common-sense policies like M4A.

I'm saying all of that to emphasize that I'm not naive about this situation. I consider the Democrats to be adversaries. It is, however, my firm position that the people who care about fixing things are in a better position to organize and effect that change than ever before. I am genuinely optimistic. But if we have to have an adversary to rally against, we are much better off with the Democrats, who are easier to pressure and more reluctant to have us shot.

Our democracy is under serious threat right now, and as promising as the polls are for Biden, polls are hard to trust when Republican leaders are so willing to toss ballots under the couch cushions. If we're going to have any chance at making a difference, we will need to keep Republicans from doing more damage first.

This isn't about Trump or Biden or Pelosi or McConnell. This is about throwing a wrench into the gears of the machine actively trying to tear us all to pieces so we can survive to start fixing it.

No matter what, if you are American and can vote, you should immediately move to do so. Early voting is our last electoral defense against ballot tampering.

Vote for small seats. Vote for measures, vote for state senators and representatives as well as the national races. If you're Californian, vote for Kevin de León and, if you're in the right district, Shahid Buttar. If you're in Portland, please vote for Chloe Eudaly and Sarah Iannarone.

And though it pains me to say this, if you are in a swing state, please vote for Joe Biden.

Voting isn't the end of this, but it is the least we can do right now.

We'll work on bullying Biden into giving people health care and, y'know, other basic human rights in a few months.