If the political landscape changes this fall, as much as it did this summer, we are all in for a challenging conclusion to the 2024 presidential election. Last month, I joined with others in lamenting the dismal performance of Joe Biden in the June 27th debate with Donald Trump. Part of my lament was my sincere feeling that Trump was going to sail back to the White House. Following the debate, I shared a few thoughts and wrote that I still intended to vote for Joe Biden. A reader commented that she would like for me to follow up on that post, reflecting on the political whiplash we’ve all experienced since I shared that piece. 

Now that Biden has dropped out and Kamala Harris has secured the Democratic Presidential nomination, I’m cautiously optimistic that the Harris/Walz ticket has a shot to defeat Trump/Vance in their bid for the Presidency. Much of my optimism comes from the perception that Harris/Walz is riding a wave of energy that didn’t exist previously for the Democratic ticket. I feel this energy and was keenly aware of its absence with Joe Biden atop the ticket. The enthusiasm gap for Biden/Harris felt like the one we all witnessed in 2016 that delivered Trump to the White House over Hillary Clinton.

New energy for The Democratic Ticket

 What I’m feeling now is more akin to the groundswell of enthusiasm that surrounded Obama during his historic run. Certainly, I’m aware of my own biases and understand how the last decade of politics has shaped my perceptions. When I reflect on my personal political evolution, considering that my first vote for any Democrat was for Hillary Clinton in 2016, I’ve come to understand that the Republican Party’s embrace of Donald Trump has played a big part in redefining my politics and perceptions. I suspect that many have also followed a similar trajectory in their lives. The disconnect between the kind of candidate the Republican party of my youth was willing to endorse and the kind we now see represented by Trump and Vance are light years apart. But more than just the political expediency of winning, I’ve come to understand that these two represent a logical conclusion of a movement that insisted on conflating a version of Christian values with American patriotism. This conflation has been a long time coming and is one that I served zealously in the past.

Something happened on the way to an American Theocracy

On my way to the American Theocracy, I met Jesus. But not just any Jesus. I met the Jesus of the Bible. This Jesus was very different when compared to the white, American Jesus that was at the center of the civil religion of evangelicalism I once embraced. I met the Jesus who fed the poor, embraced the outcast, and challenged the status quo of power and authority without ever insisting on his status. Indeed, “He came not to be served, but to serve.”  Despite how others may want to characterize it, instead of becoming more conservative with age, I’ve become less so. I now find myself excited to vote for Kamla Harris instead of merely voting against Trump. I no longer feel obliged to defend and protect the status quo.

This fall, I intend to cast my vote for the future instead of the past. A future that is reflective of the person I am now and the one I’m becoming. A vote that reflects the promising realities of a nation that sees its strength as diversity. I’m voting for Kamala Harris because this is a historic moment for our nation that I believe will serve as a cultural breakthrough.  A breakthrough that will open all kinds of possibilities for progress that have previously been unimaginable because we haven’t summoned the collective will to envision such a change. Consider how much progress has been made in our nation and in the world, and yet, we haven’t had a woman occupy the highest office in our land.

Progressive policies are best for all Americans

 I’m convinced, now more than ever, that progressive policies that seek to provide equity and ensure equality for all Americans are critical to unleashing the full potential of the promise that was first articulated in our collective “Declaration of Independence.” When this phrase was first written, it was abundantly clear that America didn’t live up to its fundamental idea that “All are created equal.” Indeed, this is an idea we have yet to achieve, but one that we must continue to pursue. For me, the choice in this election is clear: Trump/Vance wants to take us back, while Harris/Walz wants to take us forward in a continuing pursuit of the central thesis at the founding of this country.

Political campaigns notoriously morph in response to popular winds and certainly must often govern differently than they campaigned based upon the checks and balances of our system. As designed, these challenges of our republic should be considered a feature and not a bug. In these instances, I favor a kind of centrist pragmatism. I understand that I live in a nation that was designed by people who look like me, for people who look like me. I enjoy the privilege of pragmatism. Many others in our nation do not. It is my hope that a Harris/Walz administration will deliver a more just, equal, and inclusive country for those who, because of the insults they’ve endured, are tempted to embrace the flames of extremism. But I am certain that the extremists on the political right are determined to fundamentally impede that progress and may not release their hold on power should they gain it once again. Project 2025, anyone?

We know what kind of President Donald Trump will be

We have past experience in knowing what kind of President Donald Trump will be. Every indication is that a redux will be far worse. We have yet to know what President Kamala Harris will be able to deliver, but we certainly know it will be a historic representation that will inspire countless generations to come.

Come November, I intend to vote for hope, representation, and change. And now, I’ll be voting with enthusiasm.

Image: Pamela Reynoso

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