Be A One-Issue Voter

In this presidential election, all Americans should be single-issue voters.

For the past 248 years since America’s founders declared independence, we’ve experimented with all manner of policy ideas at the federal and state levels. Some of these policies have been progressive, others conservative. We’ve had remarkable moments of collective action and times when libertarianism carried the day. Periods of isolationism and of interventionism. We’ve had strong and struggling economies under both Democratic and Republican administrations. These debates over policy have mattered: the results have impacted real people’s lives. However, the United States of America emerged resilient from each twist and turn, primed to foster a new generation of ideas.?

A precursor to every one of those policy debates is the imperative that should determine this November’s election—an unwavering commitment from our leaders to democracy and the rule of law. Democracy and ensuring its unfettered continuation must come ahead of any policy view. Respect for the outcome of elections. Commitment to the transition of power. Reverence for the democratic norms and institutions Americans have cherished for nearly two and half centuries. These are fundamental principles of our democratic nation that must be preserved if we intend it to survive.?

I agree with some of Kamala Harris’ policy positions, disagree with some, and am unsure where she stands on others. However, I am utterly confident that in four years, we will have the opportunity to assess her policies and performance, pass judgment at the ballot box, and move forward as an evolving democracy. Based on his own statements, I am not certain of that with Donald Trump—and that doubt is unacceptable.

A man who cannot unequivocally commit to respect the result of our election if he loses cannot be entrusted with presidential power.? We idolize George Washington for voluntarily relinquishing power and setting the norm of a presidency limited to two terms. In stark contrast, Trump envies dictators unrestrained by such limits. This July he said: “In four years, you don’t have to vote again, we’ll have it fixed so good you’re not going to have to vote”.

Either he’s not a serious person and should not be entrusted with deadly serious powers. Or he’s a wannabe autocratic and must not be entrusted with the reins of power. Either way, we can’t take that risk.?Listen to his call to Georgia’s Secretary of State after losing that election in 2020 and ask yourself if that’s someone you can trust with our democracy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbFc9T7KXA0

Concerned about the 1st Amendment and freedom of speech? Don’t be persuaded by a bully who calls a free press “the enemy of the people”. Worried about the 2nd Amendment and protecting your family? Don’t follow a draft dodger who can’t comprehend why a soldier would sacrifice his life for another. Rules are what protect our rights, not strongmen.?

“Donald Trump’s disdain for the American military and admiration for dictators like Hitler is rooted in his desire for absolute, unchecked power.” -?General John Kelly, a highly respected US Marine Corps officer and Trump’s longest serving chief of staff (the role most closely connected to the president).

“Trump doesn’t stand for any of the things that Ronald Reagan did, and it’s another place that I would urge my Republican colleagues across the country to really look at Donald Trump’s policies, to really look at the danger that he presents, to look at what he was willing to do to stay in power. It’s a firm rejection not just of traditional Republican policies, but of the constitutional order on which this country depends.” -?Liz Cheney, former chair of the House Republican Conference.

“The former president is the most dangerous person to this country ... a fascist to the core.” - General Mark Milley, the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff for former President Trump (his senior military advisor).

These are not Harris lackeys; they’re apolitical military leaders or lifelong Republicans, who know Trump well and are waiving bright red flags—not about policy differences, but critical character flaws. Let’s wake up and heed their warnings.?

I’ve studied 1930s Germany, and it’s hard to believe that good people missed or ignored the warning signs. But they did. Antidemocratic rhetoric was normalized, creating a permissive environment in which to flout the rule of law and engage in increasingly brazen conduct without sufficient resistance. Perhaps we’re unlikely to follow that extreme path, and I hope we never come close. But we should all refuse to open the door to that possibility, and there are many lesser examples of democratic decline—each beginning with an election.?

If you or I make a mistake at the ballot box on November 5th, let it be that we supported the wrong policies. Americans have done that for 248 years, then have had the opportunity to try again. Yet that assumes we continue to have free and fair elections. A candidate’s devotion to this principle hasn’t often been an issue. It is today. That means we should all be single-issue voters.

Only one candidate is unquestionably committed to democracy and the rule of law. That’s former prosecutor Kamala Harris. Go vote.