Written by Nicole

In addition to all the chaos ensuing around us this year, from the Australian wildfires to the pandemic to supply chain disruptions to murder hornets to whatever this 2020 Jumanji game is coming up with next, I feel that the usual pomp and circumstance that surrounds American politics in an election year has not been as constant. This may also be in part due to my decision to actively avoid most news outlets for the sake of my sanity. Six of one, half dozen of the other.

I do not consider myself a political pundit by any stretch. In fact, this is my first ever blog venturing into this space, which I feel that I will come to regret. But, like everyone else in the entire known galaxy, I have an opinion and will take this opportunity to share it. I was inspired to write this as the Democratic nominee Joe Biden announced Kamala Harris as his VP running mate yesterday.

As it stands, the two main options are not great.

Me, the last few elections. Orange juice and toothpaste seems the least awful.

As the title suggests, it is a toss-up between mopping the ocean or sweeping the beach. The most likely selections are difficult, arduous tasks guaranteed to end in frustration and will get you nowhere. The current administration leaves so much to be desired. The coronavirus response alone was dismal, and they continue to fail on other issues. The alternative, the woman-sniffer, is not great either.  I’ve voted in every election since coming of age, and will vote in this election too. But the choice I make will be a difficult one. For now I’m still doing my due diligence so I’m informed. Regardless, I’ll still be casting my vote.

Within my friend group and in various comment sections, I’ve seen a lot more people declaring they won’t be voting at all this year. And I get that – the options don’t exactly inspire getting out the house, standing in line, and getting breathed on repeatedly while a pandemic rages on. And voting by mail has been plagued with enough conspiracy theories to make that look like an undesirable option too. To me, the only wasted vote is the vote not cast. But after years of being fed up with the current state of things, I can see why people would just stay home. Not that I agree, mind you, but I get it.

I have also seen a lot more people showing support for the Libertarian candidate, Jo Jorgensen. This is a trend I hope continues, so that she can make it to the debates. I really struggle with the fact that a population of 328 million people are made to pick between only two choices to be the president and leader of the free world. We have more choices in far less important decisions, but every November we only get two. If you haven’t heard of Jo Jorgensen, or had a look at her policies, and struggle with the other two dudes, you can check out her Q&A here. The platform issues of another option, the Green Party candidate, Howie Hawkins, is located here. Is this an endorsement of Jo or Howie? No. Is this an endorsement of any presidential hopeful? Not at all. I just firmly believe that voting for what is perceived to be the lesser of two evils, is still pretty damn evil.

With Kamala Harris selected as the VP candidate, that certainly adds another layer to things. She’s not the only “black” woman on the VP ballot (Angela Walker is the VP choice for the Green Party), but she is certainly far more prominent. Since everyone else can pull biracial people in and out of blackness, I’m claiming Kamala’s selection as a win. Why? Because “Black woman selected as historic VP candidate” sounds a lot nicer than “Biracial non-ADOS Indo-Jamaican woman selected as VP candidate”. Not to mention, I’ve seen a few comments and articles claiming her selection as a win for Jamaican-Americans, and for Asian-Americans too. And Barack Obama wasn’t called the first mixed president, was he? Nope, he was the first black president and it was a win for American blacks, Kenyans, biracials, everybody! In the words of Kendall St. Charles, get you some double standards. Everyone else has. Plus, you know she will come all the way correct in the debates! If people can claim the Cardi Bs and the Rachel Dolezals…I claim this. And if/when she does something that is questionable, I reserve the right to designate her as biracial again.  Since blackness is subjective, and is determined by external factors such as the color of the penis of her partner (ie: Meghan Markle is biracial because her husband is white, but Tia Mowry-Hardrict is black because her husband is black, and so on) I might as well work the double standard in my favor.

What you write on that ballot is between you and that pen you used to check the box. As tensions rise and the election draws nearer, don’t be surprised if more and more articles start popping up about how black women, frequently painted as the cape-wearing superhero, will be the one deciding entity that determines which way the election swings. Black women, the perpetual scapegoat, will be made to shoulder the blame, whether the country stays red or flips to blue (or whatever the Libertarian color is). When it comes right down to it, the best thing for black women to do is build a life for herself that is happy and successful, and does not change too much depending on the resident of the Oval Office. That’s my own goal, personally.

And don’t forget to vote.

Disclaimer: This blog was written by me, Nicole, and my ideas are not necessarily reflective of Christelyn Karazin or other writers on this platform.