Saturday, November 05, 2016

Anything Can Happen

Anything Can Happen

By Fred Owens

Anything can happen this election day. My forecast is a narrow victory for Hillary Clinton, but your guess is as good as mine.
Hillary has the lead, but Trump is closing fast. All the news is about sex and emails, but does that matter? You look around and ask "Are you better off?"
Employment and wages are up. Crime is down, except on the south side of Chicago. Putin makes a lot of noise, is he really a threat? The civil war rages in Syria. Now there's a serious problem, I admit that. But here in our country, people are making a living -- unless they're shooting heroin in rural Ohio.
It's not a disaster and that means Hillary wins, but as I said, anything can happen. I am seeing, on Facebook  and around town here in Santa Barbara, the emergence of closet Trumpistas, more than I expected. Trump will finish strong, but he will finish second.
Truth
We should remind people that it is a secret ballot and that a polite answer to who are you gonna vote for is none of your business. I'm voting for Hillary, but I don't have to tell you that.... With that in mind I encourage people to vote for whomever they think will make the best President. If you think this election is a joke, then I support your decision to vote for Wavy Gravy. I even celebrate your right to abstain from voting. In sum, I do not believe it is possible to "waste" your vote. Your vote is your coin, spend it as you choose.
And no matter how you vote, I support your right to complain about the results.....
You do not need my approval. I sure don't need yours.
What a country!
Disgusted, Discouraged and Disappointed. So many people say this about the election. Not me. I'm having a great time. I love a good fight. We're supposed to be living in a divided country --  what nonsense. I find it easy to make friends with people who don't agree with me.
The bad things are out there -- hatred and vile language  -- I don't want to seem all happy talk, but by and large people are not losing their minds.
Both candidates have proven themselves. Although they are of advanced age, being 69 and 70, they have both shown exceptional stamina. They talk and talk and talk. Then they go to another state and talk some more. 
It's true they lack wit or style. A good joke now and then would be appreciated.
Voting for Hillary
Like millions of Americans I am choosing Clinton because she is not Trump. She is highly over-rated. She has poor political skills. She is the first presidential candidate to be over-qualified for the job. She has been in the public domain since I was in high school, like forever. But she has that outstanding quality of not being Trump, so she gets my vote.
And when you get to substance, I actually agree with her on a lot of issues. She tends to moderation and middle of the road positions. So do I.
Trump is just a little bit too much for me. You can heap pejorative adjectives on him, but I will not do that. I just think he should not be President.
A Pledge
Somebody is going to lose. Somebody is going to be in a sour mood come Wednesday morning. I pledge to extend the hand of friendship to one and all when this is over. If we win, no  gloating. If we lose, no crying. That's life. Don't get mad, just get over it.



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