To be sure, for many people, politics is somewhat of a game. It is about the contest. It is about the personalities. And if their team loses the election, they express frustration...make some disparaging comments about the other candidate...and then go about their business. After all, there is always next time.
For many others, however, politics is anything but a game. It is about their lives. It is about their jobs. It is about their health. And for them, there often is no next time.
In other words, for millions of Americans, elections really do matter.
This is particularly true with respect to the upcoming presidential election where the differences between the two major party candidates could not be more striking and their potential impact on people’s lives could not be more significant.
Specifically.....
For the 140,000 Americans serving in Iraq, this election matters because only one candidate – Barack Obama – plans to bring the troops home soon and end this tragic war.
For the 15 million Americans who belong to a labor union, this election matters because only one candidate – Barack Obama – supports the Employee Free Choice Act and other pro-worker measures.
For the 47 million Americans without healthcare, this election matters because only one candidate – Barack Obama – supports universal healthcare coverage.
For the 55 million Americans with a disability, this election matters because only one candidate – Barack Obama – supports the Community Choice Act, which would provide supports for independent living.
And for millions and millions of American women, this election matters because only one candidate – Barack Obama – supports their right to comprehensive reproductive healthcare.
Simply stated, for these Americans and their families, the importance of this year’s election could not be overstated.
Against this backdrop, the current division within the Democratic Party – between supporters of Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama – seems trivial and wholly irresponsible. After all, this election should not be about personalities or about "pay back". Rather, it should be about the millions of Americans whose lives will be directly affected by the outcome of the election.
Granted, the wounds from the brutal primary campaign season have yet to heal. The sexism. The false charges of racism. The double standard. For many of us, the candidacy of Hillary Clinton was treated unfairly by the media, by the pundits, and by the campaign of our Party’s new standard-bearer. And we are still mad.
But it would be wrong for anyone – particularly us supporters of Hillary Clinton – to talk about sitting out this election. From the perspective of millions of Americans, there is simply too much on the line. And no one should know this better than us Clinton supporters, because we backed a candidate who fought – most of her adult life – for these very things.
Again, for many Americans, elections matter in a compelling way, because their lives literally hang in the balance. The stakes are real. The outcomes are critical. And there is no next time.
For their sake, there are millions of reasons to support Barack Obama.
Paul Aronsohn served for 8 years in the Clinton Administration and has been a longtime supporter of Hillary Clinton.
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