“The vote is precious. It is almost sacred. It is the most powerful nonviolent tool we have in a democracy.” – John Lewis

The 2024 United States presidential election will be the most significant U.S. election in a generation – that is not hyperbole. The United States has been at a crossroads since the 2020 Presidential election, with politicians and citizens fighting against progress and enacting laws to restrict the rights of the vulnerable. We can turn in one direction and return to a damaged and unjust society ruled with unambiguous disregard for the lives and well-being of certain citizenry, driven by capitalism and power, or we can turn in another direction and move to a more inclusive society, where all people are treated as if they are equal in the eyes of their creator.

Will there be riots and insurrection from entitled “patriots” following a despot willing to overturn free and fair elections, or will a coalition of the just commit to voting rights, honoring the will of the people?

“Voting is the expression of our commitment to ourselves, one another, this country, and this world.” – Sharon Salzberg

Ensure that your voice is heard and that you participate in a process that sets the agenda and direction for the nation. Please do not let cynicism or apathy take away your voice. As was discovered in the 2016 post-election analysis – each vote mattered.

U.S. News reported data from the Cook Political Report, which showed the margin of victory for 10 states in the 2016 election was razor thin, between .4% - 3.9%.

1. Michigan - 0.3 percent - Trump 47.6 percent, Clinton 47.3 percent - Difference: 13,080 votes
2. New Hampshire - 0.4 percent - Clinton 47.6 percent, Trump 47.2 percent - Difference: 2,701 votes
3. Wisconsin - 1 percent - Trump 47.9 percent, Clinton 46.9 percent - Difference: 27,257 votes
4. Pennsylvania - 1.2 percent - Trump 48.8 percent, Clinton 47.6 percent - Difference: 68,236 votes (99 percent reporting)
5. Florida - 1.2 percent - Trump 49 percent, Clinton 47.8 percent - Difference: 114,455 votes
6. Minnesota - 1.5 percent - Clinton 46.4 percent, Trump 44.9 percent - Difference: 44,470 votes
7. Nevada - 2.4 percent - Clinton 47.9 percent, Trump 45.5 percent - Difference: 26,434 votes
8. Maine - 2.7 percent - Clinton 47.9 percent, Trump 45.2 percent - Difference: 19,995 votes
9. North Carolina - 3.8 percent - Trump 49.9 percent, Clinton 46.1 percent - Difference: 177,009 votes
10. Arizona - 3.9 percent - Trump 49.3 percent, Clinton 45.4 percent - Difference: 91,682 votes

“Democracy is not just the right to vote, it is the right to live in dignity.” – Naomi Klein

In 2016 I drafted the following article the day before the presidential election between Hillary Clinton and  Donald Trump. The idea of national unity was one theme, the other was the behaviors of our leaders and the examples they set. Little did we know that the outcome of that election would threaten civility and respectful engagement for years to come. That article is just as relevant today as it was in 2016.

MOVING FROM “WHAT IF?” TO “NOW WHAT?”

November 7, 2016

We are losing sight of civility in government and politics. Debate and dialogue is taking a back seat to the politics of destruction and anger and control. Dogma has replaced thoughtful discussion between people of differing views. --James McGreevey

Well. Here we are. The Presidential election has arrived. For more than a year we have discussed the hypotheticals of “What If?” and watched the field of candidates whittled down to the standard bearers of the two major parties. We discussed and pontificated and stressed about how we might vote or what we might do afterwards… Ready or not, we are in the “Now What?” moment.  

Every four years we engage in the civic exercise of electing the President of the United States. It has always been a process filled with promise, desire, ego, angst, fear, and hope. This year seems to represents more ego, angst, and fear than in years past.

Both major parties claim to represent the hopes and dreams of the “common people.” One party believes that the way forward is to look to the past, and another believes the way forward is to build on the present. “Make America Great Again” and “Stronger Together,” two slogans that have meaning and value for the candidates, the parties, and the people who support or disagree with them. 

The outcome of this election can determine if we become “great again” by returning to an America that was respected and feared around the world, which (many believe) was founded on Judeo-Christian values that created a manifest destiny for our nation to be blessed with peace, prosperity, and individual rights. Or, as others believe, return to an America that was “great” for some but excluded the rights, privileges, and dreams of others, an America that was more myth or aspiration than reality. 

The outcome of this election can determine if we are “stronger together” because of our diversity and inclusion, our governmental programs and policies, and our focus on equality and fairness. Or, as others see it, stronger together by losing our “American Values,” by destroying the established social norms of family, traditional marriage, individual and state’s rights, and creating a larger, more invasive federal government.

Wherever you land on the spectrum of belief, you have a choice to make. Whether you believe the country must be taken back, or you ask the question, “taken back from whom?” we are all in the “Now What?” moment.

Who we choose as our Commander In Chief is critically important for our nation and arguably the world, but just as important is how We The People will respond after the election. The “Now What?” of moving forward as a nation, as a people, as friends, family members, neighbors and colleagues, will determine how successful we will be as a country.

This campaign season has been ugly and divisive, marred by dishonesty, anger, bitterness, and arrogance. People on both sides label the other as unreasonable, ignorant, racist, elitist, deplorable, criminal, uninformed, and un-American.  

“...Society needs to open its collective mind to all ideas and ideologies. It needs to give its people the chance to listen to the opinions of others, and then examine them critically instead of rejecting them prematurely. Such a creative dialogue based on positive critical thinking can enhance and develop ideas.” ― Raif Badawi

Are we such a fractured and angry nation that we are unable to engage in civil discourse, or debate and disagree without insult or the threat of violence? 

“If we love our country, we should also love our countrymen.” - Ronald Reagan

What happened to our collective common sense, our ability to see goodness in others, and our vaunted national ideology of E Pluribus Unum? “Out of many one.”  Out of many diverse people and opinions comes a nation that has represented the hopes and dreams of many.  A nation that has moved from the birth-pains of exploration and discovery, exploitation and slavery, revolt and statehood, internal war and conflict, hard fought civil and human rights, to become a symbol of hope; a nation of many with a belief in the enduring value of the Power Of The People. 

“The power of the people and the power of reason are one.” - Georg Büchner

All of our struggles have been in support of a MORE PERFECT UNION. This election should validate this belief, not undermine it.

Are we a nation of slogans or a nation of people who can demonstrate care and respect even when we disagree? Have we lost our perspective, our ability to reason and compromise? Have we been ruined by politics? 

“With fear of stating the obvious: Freedom belongs to 'We the People,' not 'They the Politicians.'” - John Ridley

Our leaders should not be our overlords, whipping us into a frenzy so that we storm the gates of our own castle. We The People must always remember that we have a choice in how we act, how we treat others, and who we choose to represent us. We The People decide who LEADS us not who RULES us.

So, we arrive at our “Now What?” moment. As you make your decision about the next four years of governance, be cognizant of the type of nation and society you want to create.

“The only thing you ever have is now.” - Eckhart Tolle. 

Take this “Now What?” moment and make it count.