O P I N I O N

Not That Profound

by Nate Graziano

I had a Ralph Nader bumper sticker on the car I drove in 2000.

I’d had enough with the two-party politicians. I didn’t like Al Gore—I found him drone-like and uninspiring—and there was no way I was going to vote for G.W. Bush and his neo-con handlers.

So I supported Ralph Nader for president.

And I planned to vote for Ralph Nader for president. That was until I stepped into the voting booth and stiffened with terror at the thought of Bush winning. I wanted to vote my heart and my conscience, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. There was too much at stake.

So I plugged my nose and voted for Gore.

Right now, I’m experiencing a similar aversion to the candidates in this year’s presidential election; however, there is far more at stake this time, including our democracy as we know it.

On Tuesday, New Hampshire has a unique opportunity to cement its place on the right side of history by voting, not necessarily for the candidate we like, but for what is right and necessary for preserving the soul of the nation.

That may sound like I’m being hyperbolic. I’m not.

After a convincing victory in the Iowa caucuses on Monday, Jan. 15, the former president and current defendant on 91 felony charges Donald Trump has begun a seemingly inexorable march toward his third consecutive nomination on the GOP ticket.

For the past week, the former president and insurrectionist has been stumping in the Granite State, where he is the frontrunner in the GOP’s first-in-the-nation primary, enjoying a healthy lead over Nikki Haley in the most recent polls—although it didn’t stop Trump from using his racist dog whistles to attack Haley’s race and birth name.

Trump has also made it abundantly clear that he plans to thwart his oath to uphold the United States Constitution (again) and establish an authoritarian government if he is re-elected for a second time. Trump has said that he will use his power to exact revenge on his political rivals, the media and anyone else that the incorrigible narcissist believes has slighted him in the past.

Of course, his most pressing and obvious interest in winning the election to keep himself out of prison.

If nothing else, Trump is transparent.

Now New Hampshire is in a unique position to stem this tide of tyranny, if only to voice the grave concerns of those of us who have not sworn allegiance to his cult, which is rooted in demagoguery, anger, bigotry, vengeance and hatred.

Somewhere the late Senator John McCain—one of the last true conservatives with a backbone and integrity on a national level—is rolling in his grave.

Listen, much like the 2000 election, I loathe my options. I’m not a Biden fan and I believe he should’ve honored his promise to only serve one term then step aside for another candidate—not named Kamala Harris—to take the reigns.

And I’m certainly not enamored with the former governors Haley and Ron DeSantis. The country deserves better options on all fronts. But if plugging my nose and voting for one of those candidates to stop Trump is what is required, I’m willing to make that sacrifice.

At this point, it is unlikely that New Hampshire alone will stop the wannabe-dictator’s march to his party’s nomination. As I said, enough of our fellow Americans have more allegiance to this master manipulator than to their country and democracy and the Constitution.

But in our state where the motto is “Live free or die,” New Hampshire can at least say—if democracy ends up crumbling in Trump’s hands—that we adhered to those core values.

New Hampshire has a chance to stand up for democracy and decency on Tuesday. I hope we will.

Send fan mail to Nate Graziano at ngrazio5@yahoo.com.