Hard Choices

Hard Choices is the title of Hillary Clinton’s memoir. That is very appropriate since the American electorate is facing a hard choice in November. There are certainly plenty of passionate Clinton and Trump supporters but many of us must choose the lesser of two evils.

So what do we do? Some will give up and stay home. That’s a copout. Our democracy asks very little of us so we should be willing to stand in line and cast a ballot. Some may vote for a third party candidate. There is zero chance of anyone getting a single electoral vote so that’s just throwing your vote away. We need to vote for the candidate we think will be the best president.

I had an early experience in making a hard choice. I first voted in 1972. I was pretty liberal and the incumbent senator was a hard-core conservative. A national columnist said he was the worst senator in the country. My father didn’t think much of him even though he was his county campaign chairman. Yet I voted for him because, believe it or not, the other guy was worse.

Please vote even if you have to hold your nose to do so.