The 2016 election is one we will be talking about for decades. Trump’s victory was both a surprise and something that should have never happened. Among the many factors that contributed to the win was his closing argument that I’m convinced persuaded a lot of voters who really didn’t like him to get out and vote for him anyway. With that in mind I’d like to make a closing argument to Democratic leaning voters who might consider staying home in 2020.

To review history, late in the 2016 campaign many Republicans who would never vote for Hillary Clinton were so unhappy with Trump that they strongly considered sitting home. Trump, who I think is far from a political genius, made a great closing argument to them. He basically said that they had to get out and vote for him because he would appoint radical right wing judges; who he of course called conservative. (Conservative and crazy are not synonyms and even as a liberal I am offended when that word is hijacked to make people sound legitimate.)

I’m typical of most Democratic voters, progressive or not, in that I am far from a single issue voter. To me there is a top tier of issues and I expect a candidate to have a similar philosophy on most if they want my support. However, no single issue is a litmus test and I understand that stances may very a bit with geography. Ronald Reagan famously said that if a voter agreed with him 80% of the time he could win over that voter. I’m far from a Reagan fan but I have to agree with him on that count.

All that said I am going to concentrate on a single issue today – climate change. That is the lone issue that unites all Democrats and certainly all progressives. Nuclear war could happen but thankfully the odds are that it won’t in the next few years. A plague ala the Black Death could occur but is highly unlikely. Sea level is rising and temperature is warming. This is a certainty and it will adversely affect every human on the face of the earth.

In 2018 a report came out saying we had 12 years to make significant progress toward reversing the carbon dioxide pollution problem. Under the “leadership” of Trump we wasted 2019 and will certainly do the same with 2020. Assuming this report’s assessment was accurate, that leaves us with ten years and then only if we elect a Democratic President and Senate in 2020. These kinds of problems are not resolved by flipping a switch; they take sustained actions to make incremental changes. We cannot afford to squander another four years! The hole we are digging ourselves into is getting larger. Where is the point of no return? What is certain is that we are rapidly approaching it.

The reality is that under Trump the problem is getting worse, not better. Pollution is at an all-time high. Trump is roiling back environmental protection laws and policies. Under Trump we are the only advanced nation to drop out of the Paris Climate Accord.

I could go on and on and cite various studies but if you don’t have the idea by now I’d be just wasting my time and yours. I have yet to decide on who I will vote for in the primary on Super Tuesday. It doesn’t matter. If “my candidate” isn’t the Democratic nominee it also doesn’t matter. On Election Day I have no choice but to vote for the Democrat and if you care about the earth and your decedents neither do you! Very simply a vote for the Democrat –whoever he or she may be – is a vote for humanity on this planet.

I’m not saying the Democrats have all the answers to climate change or that America alone can solve this global problem. What I say with absolute confidence is that the Democrats will pay attention to the problem while the Republicans deny it. The first step in problem solving is recognizing that said problem exists.

I am far from an expert on climate change. If you are on this website to learn about the topic aside from a few books listed in the recommended reading section you are in the wrong place. This much I do know: there is no planet B and when you can’t drink the water or breathe the air your job is useless and your home is worthless. If left unattended climate change will if not wipe out humanity on earth it will make life unrecognizable.

This article was written well ahead of publishing in order to accommodate my year end hiatus and is the property of tellthetruthonthem.com. Its content may not be used without citing the source. It may not be reproduced without the permission of Larry Marciniak.