My thoughts on the 2016 Presidential Election

An advantage to having severe insomnia combined with an intense obsession with research is that I have had a lot of time to carefully consider this presidential election. The following thoughts are a compilation of various journal entries over the past several months, so do not expect continuity!

Excerpts from computer journal (which includes the "potential Facebook post" draft section of my Gmail account) -- September - November 2016:

There have been years where it has not mattered to me, and other years where I have felt like it was crucial to vote for a specific candidate. The 2008 and 2012 elections were significant for me, and thankfully my choice to vote for Obama exceeded my expectations. I will cry when the Obama family leaves the White House, and my heart will be forever impacted by Michelle's speeches and President Obama's fearless candor in relating to the people of this country.

This year, it matters more than anything to me that people pause and consider why they find it so difficult to accept Hillary Clinton as a valid candidate.

Honestly, I would find more comfort in being told that we were all on something similar to the "The Truman Show" than I find in considering people's logic during this bizarre election season (see Ezra Klein's analysis,"It’s a strange election" http://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2016/11/2/13496614/clinton-transparent-trump). I cast my vote by mail this week, and I am at peace with voting for Hillary Clinton.

I have tried to be an observer instead of jumping to conclusions in recent months, learning as much as I can about the relevant policies of the country I have been inhabiting most of my life (except the three times I lived in Canada and the one time I lived in Mauritius). This is not because I have been undecided regarding my vote. However, it is only in the last few months that I have made a real effort to get to know the details of Hillary Clinton's extensive service with and to the people of this country, as well as to people all over the world. I have been reading, listening to, and watching as much as my brain can absorb about her, and I am encouraged. I have appreciated the balance and thoughtfulness with which analysts of many kinds have attempted to share unbiased views. (Again, wisdom shared by Ezra Klein: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hIFDaGs8l8)

However, there is so much that is unsettled inside me. I have reached a point of sadness -- beneath my frustration and anger -- regarding the lows we feel entitled to go to in order to defend our positions or boost our own egos about our political views. It is tragic to witness the lack of careful consideration regarding the election of someone who might lead a country. Too many assumptions are made out of fear and hatred, often packaged in conspiracy theories instead of fact.

But there is something happening way, WAY outside of the partisan politics, and I am not able to accept it on any level. I am talking about public behavior that perpetuates (in its attempt to justify, excuse, and deny) the continuance of sexual violence. Donald Trump may appear to be honest in his unedited, vainglorious behavior. His egomania seems to have the power to either mesmerize and hypnotize, or traumatize those who come into contact with it. For others, there seems to be a frightening apathy lurking around, a kind of paralytic ambivalence about whether or not to support him.

I often imagine having Donald Trump as a client, mainly to convince myself that he is an actual human being. Even though his behavior indicates that he would never consider therapy, there is a very insecure child inside, who is throwing an enormous tantrum. He is an anomaly, regarding how easy he has made it for most people to recognize his moral character -- at least what he chooses to display as his identity. From a psychosocial perspective, I see Donald Trump as a kid who struggled to resolve developmental identity crises as early as toddlerhood. I am curious about this giant kid's ability to be so completely honest in his presentation of dishonesty. I am almost entertained, but more disgusted and sad to observe a person so unabashedly lacking integrity, so recklessly rooted in a lack of self awareness.

Donald Trump has allowed us to recognize (well, most of us -- I can't believe there are still 

some who are able to see Trump as a valid candidate) -- as a public figure, at least -- that 

he is not capable of performing the most basic duties involved in leading anything without 

serious damage. This does not mean that underneath all of his grandiosity there is not a 

good Trump inside. But we can clearly see that he is not fit to stand (literally 

and figuratively) in the office without making a fool of himself and harming a lot of people . 

The line has to be drawn somewhere when it comes to logistical concerns, not to mention 

the whole problem of Trump's denial of being guilty of sexual assault (among a number of 

other crimes). 

If there is one moral statement that is 100% true, it is this: it is NEVER all right to sexually violate anyone. No one has the right to be sexual with another person if that person does not (or is not able to) choose it. To even consider someone who is guilty of doing this as a valid presidential candidate is a dangerous form of denial.

The Hillary Clinton I have come to understand reflects what Michelle Obama recently echoed Martin Luther King, Jr. in stating, “Who are we? . . . We are a nation founded as a rebuke to tyranny. . . . We are a nation that said, ‘Give us your tired, your poor, your huddled masses.’ ”(Phoenix, AZ - Oct. 20, 2016)  https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2016/10/20/remarks-first-lady-hfa-rally-phoenix-az

If I am wrong about my opinion, I am willing to accept the consequences. Sure, there is that possibility that Hillary Clinton somehow did something bad enough to label her a criminal. However, I find it compelling that people who actually know Hillary trust her. There is value to the opinions of those who have actually worked with her or who have benefited from her tireless work to improve their well-being.

We can all benefit from the exercise of reflecting on our personal biases, and the environments that reinforced them as we grew up in our various cultural contexts. How do we really feel regarding a woman becoming President of the United States? Is a woman who many do not consider cool enough . . . or warm enough . . . or masculine or femine enough, a valid option for leading a country? Would a woman behaving like Trump make it anywhere past a psych ward? How would you feel if you were being blamed for your husband's past mistakes? Are people uncomfortable because Hillary does not live up to the impossible standards of being absolutely perfect in every act and appearance in her entire life (sound familiar, women?). I am sad that these expectations are parroted among Hillary supporters AND protestors, whether it is a disclaimer like this one, "I know she is not perfect, and I don't really like her, but she has my vote . . . ," or some wild suspicion based on a wildly suspicious opinion piece like, "I knew it. Hillary is evil, just like Obama!"

I am especially sad that people will go to extensive lengths to find a pathetic strand of evidence that HIllary Clinton is a horrible person. I was equally sad when it was done (and continues to be done) with President Obama. I was even sad at the amount of hatred expressed towards George W. Bush in 2004, and I did not even consider voting for him. I was in a social work program in North Carolina, and there was a hate party planned for people who opposed George W. This was planned by social work students. I was so sad about it, even though I voted as a Democrat, that I sent out an email with my concerns.

Of all the reasons I would never vote for Trump, the most important to me is the traumatic impact he has on people . Politics can become so ridiculous at times, that we just need to check out of the media hype. But it is nearly impossible to block or shut off the impact of the harm inflicted and re-inflicted on people by Trump, and in such a careless, cruel manner. Even close friends and family members of mine have wondered why I am making such a big deal about the insanity of this election. It is not really about the election. My concern is about the masses of people who justify voting for someone who is so clearly harmful, when Hillary Clinton's heavily scrutinized past reveals nothing that would disqualify her from being a candidate. In fact, she has more combined and consistent political experience than any candidate running for the same office. Further, she has remained true to her life's mission to prioritize the needs of children and families all over the world.

it is all too easy to dismiss and deny the severity of the impact of sexual abuse and assault on EVERYONE who lives in a place where it occurs -- so yes, that is everyone in the world, pretty much -- to any degree, whether in public or private. This is more than enough of a reason to disqualify a candidate for the highest office of a country. So why, why, why . . . HOW is it that so many people choose Trump?

"To vote for Trump as a protest against Clinton’s faults would be like amputating a leg because of a sliver in the toe; cutting one’s throat to lower one’s blood pressure."

-- David Frum (Senior editor at The Atlantic and the chairman of Policy Exchange. In 2001-2002; speechwriter for President George W. Bush.)

I am not a Republican, but I this quote is the reason I keep hoping to see among Republicans I know. It is painful to read some of this article, knowing that I do not agree with David's views on the Clintons.

However, I was actually moved to find sound reasoning and humility in a good portion of David Frum's analysis. In a sea of chaos and deception, so close to election day, this is a view that makes some sense. If you are a Republican who has concluded that voting for Hillary Clinton is a greater nightmare than supporting someone who publicly creates nightmares on a daily basis, I urge you to pay attention to the words of someone who demonstrates integrity without compromising his views, and who has not lost sight of the values he associates with his political party.

I am with her, for her, and I think I would like her if I knew her. #hillarygotmyvote #utahnsforhillary #iamwithher