Watchful Waiting

I’ve kept this blog apolitical as best I can, confining my political thoughts to Facebook posts. But I have a couple of almost bipartisan things to say. It’s no secret that I oppose our squatting president with every fiber of my being, and I will vote blue. Beyond that, these are impartial thoughts.

When Democratic presidential candidates first began popping up all over the place, wise heads advised against committing early to any one candidate. Wait and see who rises to the top, they said, like cream in unpasteurized milk. So when asked who I am for, I demur. I am watching and waiting—and trying to keep up.

But among several candidates there are some terrific and sound plans for getting our country back on track after a Democratic landslide in 2019. I am beyond impressed with Jay Inslee’s ideas on the environment and climate change, although I see him as a single-issue candidate. I respect Kamala Harris’ dedication to righting our woeful education system which has been so battered by Betsy DeVos, and I admire Cory Booker’s stance on abortion. Pete Buttigieg, perhaps the surprise candidate of the year, exhibits a sound grasp of policy and some common-sense solutions to America’s problems.

My hope is that the Democratic Party will listen to these people and incorporate their ideas into a solid 2019 platform.

My other insight, which comes to me sort of late, is that I must think beyond Texas and support candidates throughout the country who support the values I treasure. It’s not enough to vote blue—I must vote blue nationally with my wallet to the extent of my ability and in any other way I can. I have a short list of candidates I want to support: Mark Kelly, so he’ll beat Martha McSally in Arizona; Jaimie Harrison, newly entered into the race against Lindsey Graham in South Carolina; Jon Testor in Montana because I really like him and he makes sense; M. J  Haggar in Texas because John Cornyn long ago became a puppet of the Republican Party and does not have an original thought; and, of course, Amy McGrath in Kentucky, because we must unseat the corrupt and dictatorial Mitch McConnell if our democracy is to survive. I am certain others will come to my attention, but for now these are tops on my list. How about your list? Have you thought about it yet?