What a question! And yet, there's not an obvious answer.
Yesterday, after Trump was convicted on 34 of 34 felony counts, I was watching his devotees protesting the verdicts. One guy was wearing a hat that said, "#1 Fan," and carrying a poster that said, "FREE FATHER TERESA!" Well, the convictions won't affect his vote. He believes that Biden stole the election, and that Trump is being politically persecuted, rather than receiving his just deserts. There is no help for people like him. The only hope the Republic has is that some of them will become too depressed to leave the house on election day.
There is another group of voters who may have once or twice voted for him, and who still view him favorably, but who have said that a felony conviction will change their minds. Should we believe them? They set a mighty low bar for a presidential candidate. Unconvicted! Will they move the goalposts to something like waiting to see if he's convicted in his other cases, you know, the ones that won't be held until after the election? Who knows? We hope that some of them will vote for solid, competent government this time.
Now, here's the group that really concerns me: for one reason or another, they have no notion of what kind of person Trump is, and how much he loves authoritarianism. They seem to have glossed over the January 6 insurrection altogether. In any case, they really aren't sure whether Trump is any different from Joe Biden. They don't seem to remember that no other presidential candidate made fun of the handicapped, bragged about grabbing women by the pussy, denigrated soldiers as losers, made up cutesy little names for their political opponents, made all manner of buffoonish comments on every matter under the sun. These folks need to read something besides the sports page, and take an interest in their own self-interest.
I know that the economy seems to affect more votes than any other issue, at least that's what the media say. These undecided voters (how could anybody be undecided?) need to take a larger look at the economy around the world. Part of the problem with the world's economic well-being is the COVID epidemic. Do you remember COVID? Surely you do. Unless a case of long COVID has played havoc with your memory. In any case, Americans worry about inflation and the price of eggs, as well they should. But they should also note that the U.S.A's inflation rate is lower than that of most other countries. There's a reason for that. Solid, competent government.
Some people really believe the myth that the Republican Party is "better on the economy," even though history tells another story. And some believe the label that the Republicans put on Democrats indiscriminately: the radical left. That's just name-calling and fear-mongering. There are really not many radical leftists around these days, unless that's how you view anybody to the left of Herbert Hoover.
And, now, I'm sure there are Democrats who are disappointed with Biden's handling of the Gaza crisis. They think that Biden's support of Israel's right to exist is screwing the Palestinians. And there are many Republicans and Democrats who think that Biden is being too lukewarm on his support of Israel.
What I am saying is that, if you value your right to choose future presidents, that concern should override difference of opinion on other issues. If Trump wins, that right slips away. He lost in 2020, and fought tooth and nail to stay in power. Remember that?
Oh, and speaking of the right to choose, let's think about women's rights in general. Turning back the clock should not be an option.
