The only way we can stop Trump is to vote him out in November. It’s horrible that the Wall Street Democrats picked Joe Biden, by far the worst of the 29 Democratic candidates. He’s definitely gropey, possibly rapey, and beyond a doubt incoherent, mentally failing, and unpersuasive. Do we really have to vote for this guy if he’s the nominee?

Yes, sadly, we do. The alternatives are to vote for a third-party candidate, or refuse to vote. Either alternative will bring us a second term of Trump. If you think the US or humanity could survive that, you have not been paying attention for at least 3-1/2 years.

A little recent historical background. In 2000, the race was between Al Gore, an early climate change visionary, and clueless George W. Bush, who brought on the Great Recession of 2008. Gore won 48.38% of the popular vote. W won 47.87%. Ralph Nader, running on the Green Party ticket, won 2.74%, votes that might have tipped the race to Gore. Eventually Gore lost the Electoral College vote 271/266, because the Supreme Court majority of judges appointed by W’s daddy stopped the vote recount in Florida.

If Gore had been president instead of W, we’d be far better equipped to deal with catastrophic climate change. Taxes would be easier on working people and harder on the rich. The US might have responded to 9/11 with global police action instead of two unprovoked and unfunded wars. We also might have avoided the vast “Homeland Security” surveillance apparatus that has focused on peaceable American Muslims and ignored the real threat, White Supremacists.

In 2016, again, third-party voters might have tipped the race. Hillary Clinton got 48% of the popular vote. Trump got 46%. Libertarian Gary Johnson got 3% and Green Party Jill Stein got 1%. Johnson and Stein knew quite well what a disaster Trump would be. The only reason they kept running was ego. Their supporters thought they were avoiding moral compromise by voting third party. We all paid a heavy price for their purity.

Let’s call bullshit on non-voting as well as third parties. 40% of eligible voters do not cast a ballot. Most of these non-voters lean Democratic. They think their vote won’t make a difference; or they think both parties are too corrupt to support; or they’re too busy or tired or distracted to bother. As a group, non-voters are younger, poorer, and less white than voters. The people who don’t vote are exactly the ones who could use the most help from the federal government: affordable health care, housing, and education.

The Blue Wave in 2018 pushed progressives into the heart of the Democratic party. (Thanks again, black women!) This year, we can begin real change in the right direction. But not if we vote third party and not if we fail to vote. Don’t let them divide us. Stand together. Vote Blue.