Last week, I realized I was running out of time to take part in early voting here in Georgia, so on Halloween, I ran over to one of the polling places in my county. This particular suburban county has turned from firmly red to mostly blue over the last couple of decades, but it remains fairly diverse. While we border Atlanta, we also border Marjorie Taylor Greene's district, and we're just minutes from the more rural areas that sit between Metro Atlanta and the Alabama state line. We also have a large Latino immigrant community.
For a long time, I felt like I could look around the polling place and guess who each person was voting for, but last week, as I stood in the basement of our old county courthouse-turned-museum, I realized I don't think I can do that anymore. This election is different.
I know what you're thinking — everyone says that every year: This election is different. This election is the most important one in our lifetimes. But this time, it actually feels true. This year isn't like the others, the old Democrat vs. Republican, everyone votes down party lines.
This year, it feels like Us vs. Them.
Who is "them"? They're the establishment. The elites. The swamp. The people who have been in power for decades. They're the people who have Rs and Ds by their names, but they all end up ruling the same way. They bow down to foreign leaders and send your tax dollars off to other countries, they're hungry for war, and they never seem to put the American people first. Instead, they'd rather grow the nanny state while they sit in their elitist bubbles and laugh at us idiots who are struggling to buy groceries, open businesses, or even do something as simple as raise a pet squirrel.
All you have to do is look at the Republicans who have endorsed Kamala Harris, led by Dick Cheney and his insufferable daughter, Liz. If you actually believe that either Cheney or their friends believe Harris is intelligent and a great candidate with good ideas for the future of the country, I'd like to offer up some oceanfront property in Des Moines. They simply know she's a puppet who is willing to play their game and keep up their charade.
I even see it among my friends. True, there are some far-left people who will vote for her because they feel like she'll make progress on their ultra-liberal agendas, but I've heard many who always vote Democrat admit they're voting for Trump because they're tired of the same old things. And I've heard a few lifelong conservatives admit they're voting for Harris, even if she doesn't represent their views because Trump scares them. They've fallen for the narrative, the idea that he'll destroy this country. Or maybe they're afraid of change. They've become comfortable with "Them" in power. Maybe they're just not paying close enough attention. Whatever the reason, I get it. I was like them once.
Personally, I've never been a huge Trump fan. In 2016, I voted third party because I thought he was yet another big government guy. In 2020, I held my nose and voted for him. While I still wasn't totally convinced, I was pleasantly surprised at the way he handled his first term. When I found out he would be the nominee yet again this year, I was ready to sit this one out until I realized what was at stake.
It happened in July when I watched this man nearly die at the hands of a would-be assassin and then saw people, including prominent members of the media, mock an incredibly serious situation. I saw them wish a man dead because they didn't like his ideas. I think that's when it hit me. I didn't run out and buy a MAGA hat or anything, but I realized this is the best hope we have for real change. Since then, I've paid closer attention. I eliminated the noise and actually listened to Trump and his running mate, JD Vance, speak, rather than relying on secondhand news. And I can say that last week, I proudly voted for Donald Trump, not just for or against a certain party.
For better or for worse, he has no fear. He's willing to shake up the status quo, and I think many us crave that now as we watch our country lose its exceptionalism. I think that's why you see groups that traditionally vote for Democrats, like black men, for example, voting for this guy with an R next to his name. And I love that. I'm tired of the media and politicians trying to keep us divided into groups based on stereotypes, and the only way to break free is to show them they're wrong.
When I voted for Trump last week, I didn't feel like I was voting for a Republican or a Democrat. I don't feel like he's the most conservative or liberal guy. I feel like for once in my life, I'm voting for a pro-America candidate for president, someone who is willing to push the establishment aside and give "Us" back the freedoms we deserve and all the things that make this country great. If you haven't voted yet, I hope you'll do the same on November 5.
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