I decided I'm not going to eat breakfast ("The most important meal of the day.") before this appointment. There's no blood work that I know of, but whatever. I'd rather do this than cook and clean up.

I struggle with my anxiety about this election. I ask myself how my life will be different if Trump is (re)elected? Short of starting a thermonuclear exchange with China or Russia, it probably won't be. My problems will largely remain the same. So why should I be "freaking out?"

I guess I just don't like what it means. That there are enough people in this country that think a guy like Trump is acceptable as a leader. I mentioned that we don't have our street festooned with American flags this time, unlike in 2020. And the guy who had a Trump/Pence bumper sticker on his CRV for two years after Biden was elected, hasn't replaced it with a Trump/Vance one.

But that doesn't mean these folks aren't going to vote for him anyway. They may just not be proud of it this time. But they do like the cruelty. They like someone beating up on an "other." And they do think they'll do better economically, even though I think they're just fooling themselves. But it's the former point that troubles me the most.

They want a "strong man" leader. They figure if Trump loses his mind, they've got Vance, every bit as cruel as Trump.

I don't know what's going to happen, but if Trump wins again, it says so many things about America that I'd be ashamed of.

"Well, sir, I guess there’s just a meanness in this world."

Originally posted at Nice Marmot 06:23 Monday, 21 October 2024