What Are You Voting For?

A brief departure from humor to talk civic engagement.

Politics Warning: I talk about the upcoming US election in this post. If you’re not from the US or your mental health can’t stand yet another take on an already exhausting election, I completely understand. Feel free to delete and catch up next week when we’ll be back to talking humor.

There are three subjects I rarely talk about in my programs: sex, religion, and the fact that the University of Michigan won the National Championship last year, and politics.

letyi from Unsplash

Of the three, the one I talk about the least is politics. 

The topic of sex usually isn’t appropriate for the workplace, but sometimes it is. Like when I’ve worked with groups such as UNFPA, the UN agency whose mission is to deliver a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person's potential is fulfilled (and where Pretzel, my wife, works (yes, she is amazing)).

The topic of religion typically isn’t relevant to my programs and I’m not one to question other people’s beliefs so long as they aren’t hurting other people. But, on occasion, I have shared my own spiritual views on podcasts when the hosts have asked me about them.

That brings me to politics. It’s a topic I tend to avoid because, again, it usually doesn’t factor into my programs (humor isn’t a red / blue thing, it’s a human thing). It’s also a topic you’re not supposed to talk about, like your salary or the fact that I think ketchup is a perfectly suitable salad dressing.

I wish we lived in a world where we could talk about all three. Our political opinions shouldn’t be so divided that to introduce them into the conversation immediately creates enemies. Not talking about salary only helps employers pay people differently. And it’s my salad, let me put whatever I want on it!

But with election day in the US taking place next week, I’m taking a break from my break from politics to ask you: 

What are you voting for?

Notice the question: what are you voting for? Not who. Because I think that’s part of the problem we’ve had the past few elections in the US.

Javier Allegue Barros from Unsplash

On one side, you have people who are voting for Trump. They like that he’s brash, that he “tells it like it is,” that he’s a political outsider. I know plenty of Trump supporters who can’t actually articulate what his actual policies are (or are disheartened when they learn them), but they know they like him.

On the other side, you have people who are voting against Trump. They can’t name specific policies that they like from the Democrats, just that they aren’t Trump.

Note: this has changed quite a bit since Harris entered the race. It seems more Democrats are voting for her as opposed to just against Trump.

But I don’t think you should vote based on who. Political leaders shouldn’t be cult leaders, put on a pedestal, or revered as holy. They should hold their elected position with gratitude, looked to for guidance (but not idolatry), and held accountable to their promises. They work for us, the voting people, not the other way around.

So what are you voting for? What vision do you see for the next 4 years and beyond? I’m genuinely asking, hit reply and let me know.

Personally, I’m voting along four themes:

A positive outlook on the future. 

Everything has been so doom and gloom and catastrophizing for so long, I’m searching for optimism and answers. Who’s going to stop finger pointing and blaming and actually roll up their sleeves to build a better tomorrow?

A focus on lifting up everyone, not just a select few. 

I think the role of government should be about helping everyone, particularly those who are struggling the most, not only people in already privileged positions. I grew up in so called “flyover country” and have so many friends and family members who could use a bit more support. I’ve worked with a few millionaires and billionaires, they don’t need our help.

Safety and security. 

Growing up, I always felt invincible, like I was never going to get hurt or have something terrible happen to me. Now that I’m a parent, I worry constantly about my daughter’s safety, whether that’s when we’re out walking late at night, going to the mall, or when she’s climbing just a bit too high out of my reach on the playground. Who’s going to fight to protect her, her rights, and her future?

USA! USA! USA!

Finally, I’m voting for a strong, empowered, forward thinking United States of America. My wife is German, many of our friends are expats, none of them truly understand the pride we “Americans” have for our country. Maybe it’s because we pledge allegiance every morning in school or maybe we are really the greatest country on Earth, but I’m proud to be from the US. And I want that pride to continue. I want a candidate who enhances the image of the USA and leads by example.

Trump vs Harris

As of yet, I don’t think I’ve said anything controversial or that would spark an outlash. Who wouldn’t want the above things? So the “political” thing to do would be to stop here, to close out the newsletter and see you all next week.

But there is the question of who gets us to the above what. And depending on where you read your news, you’re going to have wildly different opinions. Some will read those four themes and say that’s what Trump will bring. Others will say only Harris can get it done.

Rather than look at what news outlets report, what have the candidates (aka Trump and Harris) actually said?

And I have to say, I believe Trump. I believe when he says he wants to be a dictator on day one, he means that. I believe he would look at using the National Guard to go after “the enemy within.” 

Note: to my friends who have said, “he doesn’t really mean that, he’s just joking,” we have no way of knowing that. And even if he is joking, I’d rather not have someone who makes those types of jokes. It’s like if you had a friend who constantly made jokes about how he thinks you’re an idiot. Maybe he doesn’t actually think you’re an idiot, but that doesn’t mean I want to stay friends with them.

One topic I don’t believe about Trump is that he’s not connected to Project 2025. And that document scares me. It scares me for a whole host of freedoms I currently cherish and scares me for the future that my daughter would have to grow up in.

I also believe Harris. I believe she does want to look forward instead of going back. I believe she does plan to implement policies to help new businesses and first-time buyers. I believe she’ll work to protect women’s rights.

I don’t believe she’ll be perfect and I don’t believe she’ll get it all done (the same can be said of Trump). But I align more with what she says she’s trying to do than Trump.

Where Do We From Here?

Maybe you don’t agree. And that’s okay. I’m not going to hate you because your perspective is different, though I would welcome the conversation for you to help me understand where I’ve got things wrong, so long as you’re open to the same on your side. Because not having civil conversations about politics is just like not talking about salary, it only helps those in power.

I hope that we can live in a world where we can disagree in one area and agree in another (such as in the value that humor plays in our lives). I want to foster a community where people are open to having their beliefs challenged so that we all get better for it. I want readers who are after personal growth and improvement, not just puns and stories. But if that’s not your style, no hard feelings if you unsubscribe.

Either way, make sure you take the time to vote. But not before you take the time to truly think through what you are voting for. Don’t get caught up in the noise of the news or the cult of personality. Think about what’s important to you, your family, and your future, and vote for who you think will get you there.

(an)drew

PS. Just in time for some post-election stress relief, my Dry Bar Comedy special drops next week. I’ll be sharing more details soon.