Forgive, if you will, the second political journal in as many weeks; the election is 20 days (I think?) away, and tonight was the last presidential debate.
Donald Trump talked a lot tonight about “rigged” elections, and refused to say that he’d concede to Clinton if she won. It’s hard for me to understate how toxic that is…how downright nuclear that is. It has the potential to rip up this country and light it on fire, because the ONLY thing that keeps this country together is the belief that our elections are fair, and that they represent the will of the people.
Yes, we have mass media and lobbyists and politicians and political parties, all vying for their own agenda…but the only reason we put up with that shit is that we know, at the end of the day, one-person-one-vote at a time, we have some means of holding all those powerful few accountable. If we lose faith in that, this country is over. And I don’t mean metaphorically, I mean literally. We’re fucking done.
…and we have a presidential candidate standing up there during a debate saying that if he loses, the election was fake.
I am the FIRST person to say that anyone who tampers with votes should go straight to fucking prison, for the reason(s) I just outlined above. But Donald Trump is talking out of his fucking asshole. He’s giving himself a way out, if he loses the election. He can blame someone other than himself, say that victory was unfairly stolen from his tiny little grasp, and tell himself and anyone who’ll listen that he’s still a winner. Fuck that. He’s calling into question the foundation of our entire society for his pathological ego.
The FBI has recently issued a statement reiterating what anyone involved in the many, MANY election watchdog organizations will tell you: election fraud is extremely, extremely rare in the U.S. We have two very powerful, very influential parties that vie for power every two years, at least, and you better believe both of them are incentivized as fuck to make sure the other party doesn’t cheat its way into power. That’s why a healthy two-(or-more)-party system is so essential to a healthy democracy – they keep each other in check, and the public faith in the whole system. What Donald Trump is doing subverts everyone and everything.
I was against him before…but I am so passionately against him now, I can hardly contain myself. It’s inexcusable, and the only way my blood pressure can come down from this inconceivable election is if Trump is defeated in a fucking landslide, he praises his opponent for a well-fought race, and he disappears into his fucking golden tower and I never hear from him ever fucking again.
Yes. I’m hot right now. And scared for my country.
Otherwise…today was a good day. Got my work done, all of it. Didn’t get my second writing session in because of the debate, but I did my morning one, so we good. I cannot waaiiiittttt to be done with this second draft. But…at the same time, I’m taking the time it needs. The scene I worked on today still isn’t right, and I think it may be because of some stuff happening (or NOT happening, as the case may be) earlier on. But, we’ll see how I feel about it all tomorrow…and then when I type it in to Scrivener, and then again when I do my copy editing pass.
That’s all for tonight. Keep faith in our voting system, dear readers. And keep vigilant for both those who would actually commit fraud, AND for those who would cry wolf for their own agendas. Both can ruin everything.
Artwork tonight is from Marian Komensky.