Anyone else sick of this shit?š©
America deserves better than Biden, and also we have a responsibility to vote Trump out of office.
America is an oligarchy organized by the hierarchy of the white supremacist patriarchy. Pancake Brain is a (free) Friday newsletter dedicated to replacing the status quo with equitable public power. If youāre into that kind of thing, I hope youāllĀ subscribeĀ andĀ share. This project is based onĀ How to Start a Revolution, which you canĀ readĀ (orĀ listen to)Ā here.
Dearest Pancake Brains,
I couldnāt wait to write to you again this week. In case you missed it, hereās my endorsement for Please Donāt Drink Bleach 2020, which is to say, I would vote for Joe Biden over Donald Trump in the General Election in the same way I would rather swallow a little ball of lint than have my leg sawed off by an angry clown named Jeremy.
To be quite clear: America deserves better than Joe Biden, and that was true before New York magazine released further evidence corroborating Tara Readeās allegation of sexual misconduct against then-Senator Biden in the 1990s. (Iād also recommend this article, which ran on the front page of the New York Times today, on the way the Biden campaign is responding to the accusation, which is to say, why it hasnāt yet.)
Iām so frustrated by the Democratic party. What does it mean when the most diverse primary field in history is winnowed down to the same white male mediocrity, including but not limited to the sexual assault allegations? In processing Bidenās presumptive nomination, I feel a less ferocious version of the outrage I experienced over Brett Kavanaughās Supreme Court confirmation. He didnāt deserve the office even before being accused of sexual misconduct.
Weāve heard the āof a different timeā argument on behalf of Biden already. I wish he would have stayed there. And yet, here we are.
Itās devastating to think that less than two months ago, it was reasonable to be excited about the possibility of an Elizabeth Warren presidency. I am praying for the miracle that will be required for a better nominee, though god is noticeably ignoring many of my prayers lately.
If the current political and media gatekeepers have their way, itās looking like weāll be held hostage in the General Election. Is anyone seriously convinced that America is a free country at this point? Being told to pick between a racist authoritarian who brags about being a sexual predator and a old, white man refusing accountability and anything even remotely resembling leadership is about as real a choice as youād get playing āWould You Rather?ā with Beetlejuice.
And so, we must seek the energy of hope elsewhere, which is to say inside of our big, beautiful hearts and also down-ballot.
The fight for equity and sustainability will be much more challenging without the sort of leader Warren might have been, but we must push onward, no matter what happens in November 2020. That means empowering ourselves with information and committing to daily disciplines of democracy. It means getting pumped about local elections, volunteering for a candidate, or maybe campaigning for office yourself. And, at the most basic level, it means registering and voting, even when it doesnāt seem like much of a privilege at all.
In striving for the future we deserve, every day is a chance to imagine brighter days ahead, and I certainly think that we can dream up an eventually that transcends the limitations of choosing between the same old shit and diarrhea that is currently on fire.
Until next week,
Lauren
p.s. If youāre interested in the case for hope and hard work, I humbly recommend How to Start a Revolution as your next quarantine read. Iād love the opportunity to inspire you.
I love this!! I have been SO FRUSTRATED. Wish we could choose a woman.
Iām so frustrated and saddened by this whole Biden situation. I was supposed to phone bank for Biden this weekend but Iām feeling sickened by the prospect of telling people to vote for someone who may have committed sexual assault. I know Iām going to have to campaign for Biden eventually, Iām part of a number of orgs who will be organizing for the Democratic nominee come fall.
Iām terrified of what four more years of Trump would do to this country and (although thereās no equivalency between Hillary Clinton and a man who committed assault) I remember āthe vote for the lesser of two evilsā rhetoric that people used in 2016 and I think that lack of enthusiasm was really harmful. I already know too many progressives who are saying they wonāt vote in 2020 because āBiden is just as bad as Trumpā. And on the one hand! Yes, we do deserve so much better, but there is no comparison to be made between Biden and Trumpās competence, and, perhaps more importantly, the competence of the people staffing their administrations. Trump has already done so much harm to so many Americans and I donāt even want to imagine how bad another term could be.
I will definitely focus on local politics but I donāt think I can avoid the presidential race in good conscience. Itās just such an infuriating situation and I feel so gross.