Thursday night was the presidential debate. It was the last major opportunity for the main parties' candidates to make their case to the American people. Voting has already started, and I have seen posts from some of my Facebook friends indicating that they have voted.
The Psychology of Voting
I am sure that many people are eager for this election to be over. We know that we are unlikely to have a clear winner on election night, but there is a certain finality about the act of voting itself. Apart from practical considerations, for some, the psychological relief that comes from having put the decision in the past means that there is less pressure in the future to analyze or argue about the consequences of that decision.
For others, psychology works in the other direction. Uncertainty over whether new information could come out that would indicate a different decision or difficulty in analyzing the information already available can motivate people to put off the decision as long as possible. People may also be encouraged by their friends' decisions either to act right away or to wait.
Time to Vote?
I am personally in a good position to choose my own timing for voting. Washington State uses mail-in ballots, which can be sent by post office or left in convenient drop boxes. My vote for some down-ballot offices might make a difference, but the state's vote for president is a forgone conclusion. Others in different circumstances might have more factors to consider in their vote, or their timing might depend partly on election security and access conditions. I don't have to worry about those for myself.
It is without compulsion, then, that I have concluded the time has come for me to vote. I don't think that there is likely to be any news before election day that would change my vote, and I feel that I owe it to people who may be swayed by my arguments to be decisive now. Whether they end up agreeing with my argument or not, at least they won't have to worry too much about me changing my mind about my argument. My arguments from this point forward will not be for the purpose of making up my own mind, but for persuading others.
Vote with Confidence
I will circle back in the near future to discussion with friends about my voting strategy. I am sure there will continue to be objections, but I feel confident in my position based on my study and discussion so far. That is the kind of confidence I want to encourage others to have: not to agree with my vote necessarily, but to have the confidence in your own judgment to make a decision when the time for a decision comes.
Once you have prayed for wisdom, done your homework, and listened to what others have to say, you don't necessarily have to wait for others to agree with you before you decide what you are going to do. That may never happen, and the time for action could pass before you feel fully prepared. Analyze, but don't let analysis paralyze you. If action is necessary or even probably necessary, be sure that your timing is as accurate as you can make it. If you are prone to be hasty, you may need to hold yourself back. But if your temptation is to delay or to fail to act where action is needed, prepare yourself to take action within the appropriate time frame.
My Decision
I will vote around noon today for Biden and for Republicans down-ballot unless something drastically changes by then. There is only one thing I can think of that would make me change my mind, and I will come to that in a moment. I have outlined my strategic reasons to vote for Biden and not to vote for Democrats down-ballot. I can elaborate on it further, but I do not feel that is necessary right now. Rather, I want to explain how I am resolving my remaining doubts in favor of an immediate vote.
There are two unknowns that have made me hesitate so far. One is the allegations printed in the New York Post. They may be accurate, and the evidence against Biden himself may be as damning as some are saying. That would be disqualifying. Yet what if this October surprise is a great big nothingburger? That means that voters are being distracted and disoriented less than two weeks before the election. Can you imagine a more effective way of deterring people from voting for Biden?
I am taking my cue on this from Trump's performance in the debate. He did not act like someone who was preparing to bury his opponent with damning opposition research. He acted like someone who was trying to confuse and distract. I think that the most rational course for voters to take at this point is to ignore the allegations against Biden.
My other hesitation was uncertainty over Biden's vision. Does he plan to be the most Progressive candidate since FDR, or does he want de-escalate and reconcile? It is hard to see how he can do both. It is hard to see him both energizing the Democratic Party base and really caring what Republicans want.
Now we have news of an assassination plot against Biden from back in May. The Democrats are on high alert. It is starting to look less likely that anyone on that side is going to be eager to reach out to Republicans. Suspicion and rigidity are more likely. High energy on the Democratic side may be met by low energy from the Republican side, as most must realize that this crazed plot is the natural consequence of the president's rhetoric and tactics. Down-ballot Republican candidates may be hit hardest of all.
Should we, then, abandon Republican attacks on Trump and Republican outreach to the Democrats? On the contrary, nothing but these efforts are likely to convince the Democrats that the violent criminal danger they face from Trump is not representative of the Republican Party. Republicans can de-escalate at a point where Democrats can not without help. This is why, even as hostility against down-ballot Republicans and Republican policy preferences may be about to reach a peak, I think that gestures of goodwill are likely to be the most effective means of averting the danger. I believe it is time to stop being observers and start being actors.
Why I am not Happy
That is the culmination of my argument for voting for Biden (though not for down-ballot Democrats), and I think it is a good one. I think it might even be a moral duty. I certainly see it that way for myself. However, I will not condemn other Christians who don't vote for president or who vote differently. I won't condemn them even though I believe every word I have said about President Trump. Some may wonder why I would not, but I think others know: it is because the Democratic Party is still evil.
There is perhaps no greater proof of the evil of the Democratic Party than its continued support of abortion on demand. Fifty years of institutional opposition to Roe's attempt to end the abortion debate have not convinced the Democratic Party that it is wrong. Even in yielding to the attacks on the perverse process of Roe, Biden and the Democratic Party seek to uphold the heart of Roe by codifying Roe in real instead of fake law. This incremental progress of moving decisions on abortion back to the legislature where they belong is poisoned by the determination to continue the disfiguration of federal law that Roe started.
Although I plan to vote for Biden, I will not vote for him with enthusiasm. Donald Trump's corruption of the legislative process is worse, but not by much. Only the supreme importance of the legislative branch for setting policy could arguably offset the harm of the executive actions on abortion planned by Biden and Harris and preserve a narrow path to abolition of abortion in spite of a Democratic White House.
What Could Make me Change my Decision Today
We have been opposing abortion since before the United States was a nation or Europeans ever set foot on this continent. We will continue to oppose abortion after the United States ceases to exist, if abortion continues that long. As long as we have a voice in government, government policy will be an indispensable tool in that opposition.
Donald Trump has said that he doesn't think Roe is on the ballot in this election. I am putting Roe on the ballot, even if it means voting for Biden. There is only one thing that I think can change my mind about voting for Biden: if before noon Pacific Time today, President Trump announces that he is going to pursue the overturning of Roe through legislation, I will tear up my ballot and throw it in the trash. I have not spent this much energy arguing for abolishing abortion through incremental legislation to shoot myself in the foot now.
The elegant simplicity of the pro-life moral argument ensures that it will endure.
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