Anyone who knows me will tell you I’m an avid third party advocate. It probably wasn’t good that I once cared more about people voting for someone who wasn’t a Democrat or a Republican, disregarding the policies of the candidate for whom they were voting.
I grew up in New Zealand, in a responsive parliamentary system with many parties and thought that, despite its issues, worked well at representing our people. As such, I’ve always thought a lot of American political problems are a result of its polarizing system. In the last election, I convinced my dad to vote for Gary Johnson instead of not voting at all.
But in this election, I’m voting Hillary Clinton, and I’m not thinking twice.
Why? Because I’m voting Not-Trump.
Being white, cisgender, and heteroromantic, I’m lucky enough that I have the privilege to vote for a third party candidate without fear of being forcibly deported based on my name or being forced to hide who I love. However, I’m voting Not-Trump because many of my friends would suffer greatly under his administration.
I went to high school in liberal San Francisco. Though I supported Barack Obama more than Mitt Romney in 2008, I had no fears for my safety and livelihood or that of my friends under a Romney administration.
Under Donald Trump’s administration, I would fear for the well being of the world. Voting for Johnson over Clinton in this case might mean Trump winning the electoral college.
While some may admire his ability to say whatever comes to mind, Trump has little diplomatic tact. I worry about how the international world will perceive this. When I went home to New Zealand to visit family before summer, all of my relatives said, “So, how about this Trump wacko?” I have definitely been embarrassed to have a passport to a country where such a man can receive so many votes, and I don’t buy his supposed “surprise” miracle plan of defeating any aspect of terrorism.
Having spent the past year studying in the United Arab Emirates and in Morocco, while visiting an array of other countries, I will vouch that Islamic people are some of the most welcoming in the world. Trump has displayed rampant Islamophobia and refuses to see that people are individuals with their own backgrounds and experiences that shaped them as people. Just as my international friends welcomed me to their countries, I want to be able to welcome them to the United States.
Trump has showed no economic sense, having lost a majority of his inheritance and having led many companies to bankruptcy. A simple internet search will find you many statistics showing his lack of expertise. With his commending citizens who exploit loopholes instead of working to close them, the United States will hurt economically.
And I will openly admit that I am biased against Trump supporters. Yes, I am biased against anyone who supports a man who will try and deport many of the most intelligent and most kind people I know; yes, I am biased against anyone who will try and take away hard earned rights and erase years of progress. I do not find the idea of repealing the 19th amendment to be humorous. I am not amused by his desire to take away people’s rights to marry and right to be safe and secure. Taking away one right is a slippery slope to the next.
I am not Clinton’s biggest fan; however, as she has proven herself more than competent many times over, I will happily take her as president over Trump. I hope that the time for third parties will come in the United States, but the time is not now. It is too important that Trump does not win this election.
I implore you to vote, even if it is a write-in for Santa Claus because you don’t support any of the candidates. A vote for Santa Claus will at least show your dissatisfaction with the two-party system.
But I whole-heartedly encourage you whole heartedly to vote for Clinton.
