I’m Not a Nobody
A piece by Michael Tomasky in a recent issue of the New York Review of Books addressed the question “Will the Democratic Party Break Apart?”. It’s very good - and very scary. Since it was written, the serious contenders for the Democratic nomination have withdrawn, Joe Biden seems to be the last man standing, and he will almost certainly be the one who stands against Trump. I know that many Democrats don’t approve of Biden, and I’ve heard some of them saying they won’t vote for Biden. That can’t happen. We can’t allow that to happen. I forbid it to happen.
Who am I? Who do I think I am, to be able to say I forbid anything like this? Well, it’s true that hardly anyone outside my family and friends and those I’ve had contact with over my lifetime have ever even heard my name. In the eyes of most people, I’m a nobody. But, dammit, I’m not a nobody! It’s true that I’m an extremely lightweight body, but a body I am. I’m a somebody, a somebody who can vote. And with my vote, I forbid Donald Trump to be the next US President, and I choose Joe Biden instead. The question isn’t whether Biden is the best person for the job. In fact, if the Democrats were to field a cocker spaniel, I’d vote for the dog. For many, this may sound despicably unprincipled. It’s not. I hold my principles dear. At this stage of the game, my principles dictate that I do whatever I can to make sure that a Democrat, and not Trump, gets elected. So not only will Trump not get my vote, I will place a vote which will be counted to make as sure as I can that my wish - yes, it’s a wish - becomes reality.
My vote is only one vote, one practically weightless piece of paper among tons of others. But it’s not entirely weightless. I’m writing this to answer Tomasky’s question. No (I dearly hope), the Democratic Party will not break apart. But that will only happen if every single Democrat gets behind whoever the Democratic candidate is and throws one more practically weightless ballot on the pile. The journey of a thousand li begins with a single step. The road to a Democratic victory begins with each single vote, each cast by somebody.
