I’m sorry, but my title is a lie. I confess I have a bit of a dilemma.
It’ll come to most of you as no surprise that I’m not the biggest fan of our current President (shocker), and as such, you can probably guess that I’ve been following the 2020 Democratic primaries with intense interest ever since former John Delaney (who?) announced his run all the way back in July of 2017.
That’s right. I’ve stuck through everything, through all the Butti-bumps and Klobu-charges, reading everything from the musings of the Yang Gang to the spit-balling of Bernie Bros.
My dilemma? Despite staying plugged-in, engaged, and informed, I still do not know which candidate I’m going to vote for on March 17th, St. Patrick’s Day, when Illinois voters head to the ballots.
As of the writing of this blog, after a momentous Super Tuesday, there are two clear front-runners (and two candidates that remain in the race despite dwindling chances): former VP Joe Biden and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, both white septuagenarians, lead the race, with Senator Elizabeth Warren hanging on for dear life behind them (and Hawaii Representative Tulsi Gabbard, I assume, is just staying in the race because she really, really enjoys shaking hands and kissing babies).
That’s the issue. I can’t bring myself to commit to any one of those candidates—but maybe not for the reason you’d suspect. It’s not because I’m not sure whether Joe or Bernie would be better poised to defeat Trump; I think both have a decent chance. It’s not because I’m waffling between Bernie’s calls for a political revolution or Joe’s pledge to fight for a ‘return to normalcy’ (I think either would be infinitely better than the rhetoric of the current occupant of the White House).
I guess if you forced me to choose between Joe and Bernie, I’d be ridin’ with Biden. I’m a bit turned-off by Bernie’s abrasiveness, unwillingness to compromise, and lofty rhetoric without a clear political strategy. I’m a progressive guy, but I’d prefer my politicians unify, rather than divide.
I know what you’re going to say.
“Okay, Brian, that’s easy! Just vote for Joe!”
Yes, yes, that would be the logical thing to do. The only problem is I kind of signed a legal document saying that I wouldn’t.
That’s right. Last December, I signed a piece of paper saying that I would commit to support Pete Buttigieg, the millennial former mayor of South Bend (who also happens to be gay), for the Democratic nomination. It was a crucial part of the process that made me a delegate candidate in Illinois’ Sixth Congressional District, meaning that I would appear alongside Buttigieg’s name on the primary ballot (if you were in my Lit class last semester, you probably remember me coming around with a petition asking everybody and their mother to sign it; that was to get me on the ballot).
That’s right. On March 17th, I would vote for Pete for President, then vote for myself, Brian Zheng, as a candidate for delegate to the Democratic National Convention in Milwaukee this summer. In other words, the first time I ever cast a ballot, I would get to check the box next to my own name.
I was ready to vote.
The only problem? After a poor showing in South Carolina, Pete dropped out of the race and endorsed Biden.
Welp. By any logical measure, my vote should have still been decided. Pete, my candidate of choice, just endorsed Biden. I can technically still vote for Biden and myself as a delegate for Pete (even though Pete’s chances of winning delegates in Illinois are zero). So, that’s that. I’m voting for Biden, right?
Not necessarily. For one, logic doesn’t necessarily play a huge role in convincing voters. Emotions matter more than anything in politics, and that holds true no matter how informed you are.
And since I committed to Pete last year, my second choice has been none other than Elizabeth Warren—she’s a progressive, in line with much of Bernie’s platform (and a lot of my own ideals) but also seems to have real, concrete plans for tackling the big issues. She’s less gung-ho than Bernie, but still not afraid to shy away from a fight.
The only issue? By all accounts, her campaign is also in its final stages. She hasn’t won a single state, and there’s no guarantee she’s even going to be running in Illinois. In the case that she doesn’t make it to the 17th, you can probably count on me voting for Biden. But if she does, I might just vote for her, even if she has a negligible chance of winning.
“But Brian, isn’t that just throwing away your vote?”
Maybe, but of the remaining candidates, I think that Warren would make the best President. Isn’t that what primaries are about?
On the other hand, I completely understand the case for voting tactically, even if I do think that Biden’s gaffes (like confusing his wife and sister, or forgetting the most famous line in the Declaration of Independence) are just a teeny bit worrying.
So, in this blog post, I’m asking for your input. If you were in my situation, would you follow your heart and vote for your favorite candidate, or would you go with your brain and play chess with the ballot? I’ll read what you think, but I’ll just let you know that I’ll probably come to an answer myself.
On a more serious note, I hope this post has inspired you to get out and vote on March 17th! Even if you aren’t registered yet, you can register on-site at most early voting locations! And even if you don’t care about the Presidency, other seats are up this cycle, including for County Board and County Auditor, which will have a direct impact on our families’ lives.
I’m sure I’ll come to an answer to my dilemma by March 17th. In the meantime, take the time to do some research on candidates’ positions, and I’ll see you at the polls in two weeks!
EDIT:
The morning after I wrote this blog post, Elizabeth Warren announced that she would be dropping out of the presidential race. I’m not surprised, but I am disappointed that amidst a field of so many qualified, inspiring candidates, from the first major LGBTQ+ hopeful to the record number of women and persons of color running, the two last viable candidates are old white men.
While I’d be fine with voting for either one (and I haven’t definitively made my mind up between the two, despite leaning one way), and although I believe both would make a far finer President than the current occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, it seems a bit underwhelming that our choices are what they are.
Nevertheless, we persist.
Well, now that Warren has dropped out, your choice is clear. But I would encourage you look at Bernie with a totality, Not just his campaign, but his legislative years. I don’t trust Biden. Bernie can be trusted.
It’s too bad that Warren dropped out after this post, even though it makes your choice a little easier. If she hadn’t, I would have said to vote for her anyway. Voting strategically is all well and good but I believe that your vote should be an honest statement of who you endorse, not just who you think might have the winning hand. As it is, I haven’t decided who I’m voting for either, there’s still a fair amount of research that needs to be done on my part, but I like that you really pushed voting, no matter who it was for. I’ll certainly be showing up on the seventeenth, I hope you have your answer by then!