GCV4Harris
Just my two cents
Anyone who knows me will not be surprised that I’m supporting VP Harris for President.
My track record over the course of my life:
‘96 - Bob Dole (no regrets)
‘00 - W (some, but fewer each day)
‘04 - Kerry (poor choice, in retrospect)
‘08 - McCain (my hero)
‘12 - Libertarian (shut up, I was in Afghanistan)
‘16 - HRC (oy vey)
‘20 - Biden (FML)
‘24 - Harris (whatevs)
I don’t want to vote for any of these people, to be honest. I think it’s safe to say that President George H.W. Bush was my favorite president of my lifetime. While I’m ideologically cut from a Reagan cloth, I don’t remember anything from the 80s other than A&M and Cowboys were good. Glory days!
Anyway, where was I?
Oh, yes, why the hell is GCV4 Harris? Well, look, it’s complicated, much like everyone’s rationalizations for their decisions. Like I’ve repeatedly written, I don’t judge anyone’s vote. We can disagree over who should run our country and still be friends. I might hate Trump, but I don’t necessarily hate you.
If you’re an Iraq and Afghan combat veteran, and you hate Biden/Harris with every ounce of strength, I get it. I don’t want to vote for anyone associated with the turd known as the Afghan withdrawal, either.
Maybe you hate Biden/Harris because of DEI. I don’t like DEI. No, sir, I do not. It reeks of over-caffeinated Ivy Leaguers who protest Israel while wearing Hamas, Hezbollah, and Al Qaeda’s colors. Derrida, Foucault, and Said have destroyed academia. The long march through the institutions almost came true.
Burn DEI initiatives to the ground while understanding that humans naturally struggle in old institutions with poor historical track records for inclusivity. There’s a middle ground to be had.
Maybe you don’t like Biden/Harris because of Israel/Iran? You probably think I hate Biden over Israel. I don’t, actually. I think he’s done fine. Not the best, but compared to whom? Trump? Obama? W?
I’m more apt to lampoon him over Iran. He’s been feckless in multiple attacks, but, alas, compared to whom? Trump? Killing Soleimani was the right decision, but deterrence isn’t a one-off. It must be constantly applied. Kill more IRGC QF commanders! They killed thousands of Americans in Iraq and Afghanistan. Like I said, some people just need killn’.
If I graded Trump solely on his Middle East policy, I would probably say it’s better than Biden’s. I like the Abraham Accords. I like moving the Embassy to Jerusalem. I’m Trump’s natural base inside the Jewish Diaspora—conservative-leaning Jews who identify with Bibi Netanyahu’s Likud party. I like Menachem Begin, Shamir, and the Irgun. We can squabble over the Lehi gang if you’d like, but again, we can all reasonably disagree.
But Trump isn’t just his Middle East policy. It’s also the Doha Agreement. It’s also Helsinki with President Putin. It’s also his weird bromance with his little Rocket Man in North Korea. Like, what the fuck? I was there when he visited Korea and shook that Korean’s chubby little murderous hands.
What did we get out of him legitimizing that piece of shit?
Oh, nothing. Great. Thanks a million.
Again, you might completely disagree with me. I don’t care. G*d bless you. I’m just giving you my reasons.
But if you want to really know why I’m supporting Harris, it’s for two reasons:
January 6, 2021 - I trust Liz Cheney and Adam Kizinger. I liked Dick Cheney (sorry, not sorry). If you don’t think Trump should’ve been impeached for trying a coup, then God bless you, but we inhabit other spheres of reality.
Kelly & McCain - General John Kelly, Trump’s second Chief of Staff & Gold Star Father, went on the record that Trump called soldiers “losers.” Who is lying? Trump or the Gold Star Father? And, then, of course, calling McCain a liar. Sorry. He was my G*d damn hero, and I’m loyal.
I would’ve voted for Nikki Haley with joy in my heart! I would’ve skipped down to the booth for Christie. Shit, I think DeSantis is a douchebag, but I probably could’ve gotten there.
These are my reasons, and I’m stickn’ to them!
Again. LET ME BE CLEAR: I don’t expect you to agree. You probably shouldn’t. But I’m just writing, everyone. Take a deep breath and comment below. Be kind to one another. Pretend like my Momma & wife, the lovely Charity, reads the comments section.
Write About Now
I had a great conversation with Jonathan Small on Write About Now. We covered most of my story for those interested. I also cried quite a bit, which I’m leaning into.
Israel, the US, and Veterans
I wrote a little, something, something about my recent trip to Zion. More to come about the emotional aspects of the trip.
IT’S A STRANGE EXPERIENCE, to feel better understood—more at home, even, in a sense—in a country that isn’t your own, a country where you don’t even speak the language. I don’t have to explain myself in Israel. Everyone understands what it means to kill and the horrors it inevitably brings.
I shouldn’t feel more at home in a foreign country than in the country whose uniform I wore for twenty years. Until more Americans spend time with those fighting on their behalf, American combat veterans will continue feeling like strangers in their own country. For all the chest-thumping about America’s powerful military, most Americans know little to nothing about the pilot in the expensive fighter jet, the gunner in the tank, or the sailor in the submarine.
The United States government can spend lavishly on its veterans, but it can’t overcome the challenge of a populace so disconnected from the wars fought in their names. Until that changes, the litany of alarming statistics about veterans’ mental health will worsen—though hardly anyone will notice.
And do me a favor consider sharing our stuff with a friend or two. I would appreciate it.
Two mostly tangential comments. Firstly, I work with a ton of Aggies up here in East Tennessee so here’s some belated rubbing of salt into the College World Series, Go Vols 🍊! Yall are great people 👍🏽. Secondly, not all the DEI is Ivy League rubbish (believe me, grew up 15 minutes from Yale). Here at the real UT, our multicultural engineering programs have been so successful, the rest of the college has no choice to follow in its footsteps from recruiting practices to coursework. I won’t argue how much of it is rubbish since I couldn’t put a % on it if my life depending on it, but it trickles up/down depending on how you want to look at it 😂
Good piece as always, enjoyed reading like normal
I am here for empathy, decency, and compassion for fellows human beings and fellow Americans. Peace, love, and happiness to all here. Ok. We can also debate policy as well, but in a respectful way. In the end end. United we stand. Diverse we fall. Y’all agree?