It Would Have Been Nice to Say “Madam President” in 2020

If nothing else, America is an idealistic nation. We are dreamers and fighters, we do not give up because we are told no.

We are also a nation that can be hypocritical.

August 18th is the 100th anniversary of the 19th amendment. In the nearly 100 years since the ratification of the 19th amendment, American women (and women across the world) have achieved what our grandmothers and great-grandmothers could have only dreamed of.

But with every battle that we have won, there is still much more work that is required of us if there is to be true equality between the sexes.

I would have liked very much to use the term “Madam President” this year. But there will be no women in either party on the ticket come this fall.

In 2016, Hillary Clinton’s loss to you know who was heartbreaking. This year, we had brilliant and capable women who might have done a bang up job as President. Senators Kamala Harris, Kirsten Gillibrand and Amy Klobuchar had all of the qualities one would want in a President.

Of all of the female nominees, Senator Elizabeth Warren came the closest. Some in the press are arguing that it was sexism that ultimately doomed her campaign. I can’t disagree with their arguments, even if she was not my first choice for President.

Though it is indisputable that these women will forever have a place in American history, it still does not dull the frustration of not being able to say “Madam President” in 2020.

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If it Comes Down to Bernie vs. Biden, I Vote for Biden

Today is Super Tuesday. Voters in fourteen states and American Samoa will have their say as to which Democratic nominee they want going against you know who in the fall.

As of earlier this week, both former Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Senator Amy Klobuchar dropped out of the race and endorsed former Vice President Joe Biden. After the Vice President won by a large margin in South Carolina over the weekend, it seems that we are headed for a showdown between him and Senator Bernie Sanders.

As much as I cringe that no matter how the vote goes, we will still have another old white man sitting in the highest office in the land, Biden is our best choice. It would have been nice to refer to Senator Klobuchar as Madam President (especially that this year is the centenary of the 19th amendment). But some things are not meant to be, as much as we would wish it to go our way.

The reason I stand behind Vice President Biden is that he has the best chance of getting you know who out of office. My fear is that if Senator Sanders wins the nomination, it will be the impetus that the right needs to give you know who another four years in office.

It’s only 8:50 on the East Coast. We still have a few hours to go before the final numbers are revealed. But I have a feeling (and perhaps a little hope) that it will be Vice President Biden representing the Democrats in the fall.

I’m Voting for Amy Klobuchar

With the Iowa caucuses starting next week, the 2020 Presidential election is no longer a thing that is far away. It is much closer than we think it is.

Among the candidates who are still in the running is Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN). I’m voting for her and I hope that Senator Klobuchar is the one who wins the nomination.

The reason I am voting for her is that in order to defeat you know who, we need a Democratic candidate who is firmly left, but not so far left to push voters into the arms of the Republicans. I like the ideas of Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, but my concern is that their proposals are so far left that they alienate some voters. I respect that former Vice President Joe Biden has decades of political experience, but do we really want another old white man as President?

Former New York City Mayor Michel Bloomberg, Tom Steyer and Andrew Yang, to be honest, don’t have a chance in h*ll of winning the nomination. Mayor Pete Buttigieg has youth on his side (compared to the other candidates), but will that be a help or a hindrance if he wins the nomination?

I like her because she is solidly middle of the road and speak to the needs of the average American, especially the average American woman. As a working wife and a mother, she understands the daily challenges of the woman on the street. She also understands and respects that America is not a monolith. In respecting the differences of Americans, she is paving the way for this country to become what its founders envisioned.

That is why I am voting for Senator Klobuchar.

Thoughts On Last Night’s Democratic Debate

As we get ever closer to the 2020 Presidential Election, the pool of candidates gets ever smaller. Last night the top ten candidates put their best foot forward and tried to prove why they should be the Democratic nominee come next fall.

Though former Vice President Joe Biden is still the front runner, I am not sure that he is the right candidate to go up against you know who. Though his decades of public service are very much appreciated and recognized, I feel like it is time for Biden to hang up his hat. I don’t quite agree with the low blow that former HUD secretary Julian Castro laid on the feet of the former Vice President, I think that he has a point.

You know who is a bully. Like all bullies, he had a way of sniffing out and using his opponents or victim’s weaknesses against them. Whoever wins the nomination must have an airtight campaign. Vice President Biden’s campaign, as I see it, is not airtight.

Senator Amy Klobuchar (MN) and businessman Andrew Yang are the long shots from my perspective. I would honestly not be surprised if in the coming months, they decide to end their campaigns.

Senator Elizabeth Warren (MA) is really starting to grow on me. At the beginning of the year, I was not so sure if she was the right person for the job. Last night, I found her to be a political breath of fresh air. I like that she is not only prepared, but that she had to pull herself up by her own bootstraps. She was not born with a silver spoon in her mouth, she has to earn and continually fight for her place in the world. On that alone, she has my respect.

My opinion of Senator Bernie Sanders (VT) has not changed. I certainly agree with his ideas. What he is proposing is necessary if we are to become the country that is truly democratic and diverse. However, I have to wonder if the logistics of putting these policies into place match the ideas.

Those are my thoughts. Readers, what do you think? Who stood out to you and who do you think has a chance of being the Democratic nominee?

Thoughts On the First Night of the Second Round of Democratic Debates

Last night, the first night of the second round of the Democratic nominees aired on CNN. Over the course of three hours, the nominees debated, argued and did their best to prove why they should go against you know who next fall.

I have a few thoughts about last night.

• As much as I would like to say that Senator Bernie Sanders (D-Vermont) will be our first Jewish-American President, I don’t think he will be the nominee. From my perspective, his plan can best be summed up as a Monet. He didn’t do anything for me during the 2016 Presidential Election and does not do anything for me now. But, he did have the best one-liners.

• Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts) said nothing new or different than she has said before. This round of debates are do or die for the candidates. While the Senator had many good talking points, nothing she said inspired me.
• Marianne Williamson surprised me. I didn’t think much of her during the previous debate. But last night, she sounded like a candidate who might have a shot winning the nomination. However, her limited political experience bothers me. Not that there is anything wrong with a political newbie, but given the lack of previous political experience of you know who, I would feel more comfortable with a candidate who has at least some experience in government.

• Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota) stood out. I read her as a centrist Democrat who is able to walk the fine line of holding true to the ideals of the party while appealing to all Americans. I honestly believe that the ideal Democratic candidate to go against you know who is a centrist Democrat whose appeal goes well beyond the party’s base.
• I don’t agree that immigrants whose status is labelled illegal should just be handed health insurance. Let them pay in, either out of their own pockets or via taxes and enroll in one of the government insurances. I’ve spoken on past posts about my immigrant forebears. They came to this country for the same reasons more than a century ago for the same reason that immigrants are coming today. My forebears did not ask for a handout. They only asked for an opportunity, which what they were given. We should be giving these immigrants the same opportunities that past generations of immigrants were given.

Those are my opinions. Readers, what do you think? What moment or quote stood out to you from last night?

P.S. Did anyone else notice that everyone on stage last night was Caucasian? All of the nominees of color are debating tonight.

Nevertheless, We Persisted: 48 Voices of Defiance, Strength, and Courage Book Review

The world can be a cold place. Many of us are not judged by our abilities or our achievements, but by the color of our skin, whether we are male or female, etc.

But despite those judgments, it is possible to to achieve what appears to be impossible.

The new book, Nevertheless, We Persisted: 48 Voices of Defiance, Strength, and Courage, with a forward by Senator Amy Klobuchar, contains 48 essays about persisting against a world that would deny you your dreams. While the writers are all different, the message is clear: whatever your dreams maybe, they are not impossible to achieve. All it takes is grit, work, a little creativity and the ability to see past the naysayers.

I really loved this book. I loved it because it gives hope to those of us whose dreams are just that, dreams. It is also a reminder that the labels that are used to define us are not barriers to success. They are only barriers to those who believe that because we carry a certain label, that the success we seek will never come to fruition.

I absolutely recommend it.