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As the election draws closer, it is clear that Donald Trump must be decisively defeated on November 3rd. His daily outrageous behavior can not be tolerated. It is clear that he is a danger to all of us in many ways and on many levels. He will do and say anything to get reelected regardless of the consequences for people or the country.

This is not partisan hyperbole on my part. All you have to consider is some of his recent statements. He told his supporters to VOTE TWICE to ensure their vote gets counted. Unlike voting by mail, this is illegal voter fraud. He has called Black Lives Matter protesters  “anarchists and criminals,” which they are not. His inflammatory statements are fueling increasing violence across the country. A week ago at the Republican convention he prompted his supporters to chant not just the traditional “four more years” but “12 MORE YEARS!” What more proof do you need that this man has delusions of being a dictator?  Donald Trump is a danger to all of us.

This is not just my opinion but is also the conclusion of many solidly conservative Republicans. There are now numerous Republican former officials, politicians, and staff publicly endorsing Joe Biden. Most recently Miles Taylor, the former chief of staff at the Department of Homeland Security in the Trump administration said, “The President has demonstrated he’s unfit for office. And those of us who witnessed the chaos of his Administration firsthand from the inside are coming together to ensure that Trump is not re-elected.” A group of 30 former Mitt Romney presidential campaign staff say “...every corner of America is suffering at the hands of President Trump’s erratic, inept, self-absorbed governing style.”  They will be voting for Biden and encouraging other Republicans to do the same.  

We should heed these warnings. These people have not abandoned their political views. They have not become “liberals.” But they are deeply concerned about the destruction of public civility, the derisiveness, the racism, and the hate that Trump promotes. They are very concerned about the danger his behavior creates in both domestic and foreign policy. They are concerned enough to take the unprecedented action of apposing the reelection of their own party’s President.

All of us must unite to defeat Trump. We must have “all hands on deck” to create the biggest voter turnout in the history of this country. We can not let the normal partisan, policy, or ideological differences – the healthy differences of opinion that are inevitable in a democracy –  divide us. Because of the Electoral College a few votes lost in key places can give Trump a victory.

None of us can afford to split hairs over fine points of opinion. Yes, Biden is not the candidate many of us wanted. BUT HE IS THE ONLY CANDIDATE LEFT and he MUST win or we all will lose much much more than just an election.

So those of you who are too pure to “hold your nose” and vote for Biden WILL ensure the reelection of the worst president ever. Remember Trump won Wisconsin with only 22,748 votes – 0.77 percent!! The Green Party candidate got 31,072 votes. The Workers Party threw away 1770 votes. The write-in votes –  the most irrational “protest vote” of all – got 35,000 votes. Liberals elected Trump and unleashed the disaster of the last four years.

Minnesota defeated Trump by only 46,000 votes. As Vice President Pence said in Duluth last week, Republicans think they can win Minnesota this year. One would think this would be impossible, but Minnesota elected Jesse Ventura. The “politics of resentment” is dividing Minnesotans just like the rest of the country.     

This election will probably be decided by young people. Only 43 percent of 18-29 year olds voted in 2016. Voter turnout for this age group is typically 20-30 percent below other age groups. Listen up kids! Us old farts don’t have that many years left. We can survive (unless we get COVID). Young people will be the big losers from the continuing pandemic, climate change, environmental damage, expanding economic inequality, and deterioration of a civil society. It is your future we are talking about. So VOTE!

The same is true for all you people who don’t vote for other reasons. Your life, your job, your health and the well being of your children are literally on the line. Not voting makes you an accessory to the ugliness, hate, racism, criminality, and plain stupidity of the current occupant. By your inaction you give your consent.

Those of you on the front lines of the Black Lives Matter protests also need to stop and think about what you are doing and what the consequences will be. You are handing Trump THE MOST EFFECTIVE ISSUE TO WIN HIS REELECTION –THE TRIED AND TRUE “LAW AND ORDER” SCARE TACTIC. Continuing the protests provides a proven diversion tactic that resonates with many, many voters. It provides the opportunity for radical Trump supporters to escalate the violence. Labeling an opponent “soft on crime” has defeated many Democratic candidates in the past. Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, and George Bush the First all very effectively used this ruse to win elections. Continuing your legitimate efforts to get justice for murdered black lives will definitely help Trump get reelected.

Black Lives Matter protests should be temporarily suspended. Another four years of Trump will be a disaster for the protesters and will kill any possibility that police reform might happen. I say this as a strong supporter of racial equality and police reform. Black Lives Matter protesters need to turn their righteous angry into positive action. We need to remember Jacob Blake and honor his needless murder by removing the white-supremacist-in-chief from office. All of us who believe that Black Lives Matter need to make sure all Black Lives Vote.

This election we need all hands on deck, all pulling together, working harder than we have ever worked before. Let’s get going.