I'LL DRINK TO THAT

In the first presidential election I was eligible to vote, the Vietnam War was in full swing and I was eager to end the policies of the nefarious Richard Nixon. It was a proud moment for me but it didn’t compare to my performance a couple of months earlier when I walked into a bar, showed my ID and ordered my first legal drink. The fact Jack Daniel’s has a much better ring to it than George McGovern, and a longer shelf life, makes the comparison a bit unfair to such a great anti-war candidate. Unfortunately George lost that year and I vaguely remember spending that disconsolate evening with Jack.

There was a period of time when I did not vote at all, mainly the ‘80s. I had gone from protest vote to protest non-vote. The Democrats were beginning to fade quietly into the sunset and “the better of two evils” wasn’t enticing enough for me to contribute.

During that period of time I was continually reprimanded and scolded for not voting. “Unpatriotic,” was a common epithet directed at me. I was further advised that I couldn’t complain about the condition of the country since I didn’t do my civic duty. By failing to participate in our quaint quadrennial social gathering, my opinion was rendered worthless. I had been a gregarious young professional, eager to participate in the lively lunchtime banter. Alas, I spent the entire 1980’s eating egg salad sandwiches alone in a corner.

Eventually, I was worn down and re-registered to vote. I keenly looked forward to again being part of the chitchat at the water cooler, the lunch room, the Friday afternoon cocktail hour. Incredibly, I was still denied entry into the world of worthy opinion. I remained an outcast.

The reason being, I had the audacity and bad judgment to vote for Ralph Nader. “You threw your vote away!” I was rebuked. “How dare you waste your vote on a person who has no chance to win!” I was reminded. “We could have had Al Gore,” they threatened.

I was heartbroken. I thought I was back in the club. I did what they told me. I marched with the crowd. Signed up, showed up and cast my vote. Saluted, genuflected, groveled. Not good enough, they said.

Not only must one participate in the ceremony, one must also follow certain strict procedures. Vote for one of two parties: Democrats or Republicans. No Independents. No Greens. No Libertarians. “But, but,” I stuttered, to no avail.

In the most recent election I voted for Jill Stein instead of one of the official state-sponsored choices, Trump or Clinton. The Fall of the American Empire rests squarely on my head.

This brings me to “The Most Important Election in American History.” The November 2018 election may determine the fate of the entire world, maybe the universe. If the Democrats do not regain control of the House of Representatives the country faces annihilation. This is not to be taken lightly and I am determined to do the right thing, especially since my place in the lunch line hangs in the balance.

My reasoning goes like this: The Democrats had eight years of power under Obama, the first four almost unlimited, controlling House and Senate. Their accomplishments include having a critical Supreme Court nominee stolen from them, failure to close Guantanamo, a healthcare bill so pathetic it was even cheered by the insurance industry, and a continuation of war in Iraq and Afghanistan.

On the other hand, Trump, without any consultation with his Republican majority House members, has appointed people to the Departments of Education, Environmental Protection, Consumer Protection, Energy, Treasury and State who have systematically destroyed protections against corporate abuse, denied rights to minorities and encouraged environmental degradation. The House of Representatives has

no say in Presidential appointments; that responsibility lying totally with the Senate.

The House has become a meaningless institution. Meanwhile the Democrats mounted no defense against the Republicans abuses and obstruction during the Obama Administration and have shown absolutely no ability to function during the Trump Reign of Terror. Even if the Democrats could somehow eke out a majority victory in November they have no power against the already entrenched Trump appointees. The Senate will remain in Republican hands, a foregone conclusion. So why is this election the turning point in world history?

Oh, I forgot. The word on everyone’s lips, the terror-invoking word Democrats fear to utter, the forbidden I-word! Yes, this election is so important because if the Democrats win the House, this spineless, weak-willed, cowardly assembly of Protectors of the People may, gulp, possibly, conceivably, find the courage to stand up to Trump and impeach him.

First, there is no evidence to support even the remote possibility that Democrats have the will or moral resolve to accomplish this Herculean task. Second, even if they manage to achieve the impossible and successfully impeach Trump, the Senate will never convict him.

The country is in the maniacal grip of Trump and barring a Presidential meltdown, (always a possibility), the November election will be about as momentous as Robert Mueller’s report on the Russia investigation: two days of head scratching and back to the deluge.

Still, I have hope. It’s true that some of the great candidates who fought for justice are gone. George McGovern is dead. Jesse Jackson is no longer on the scene. Ralph is not the figure he once was. But there will always be Jack.