Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft said that while he didn’t want to do it, he had to remind people of how “severe” the situation is.
A top Republican official in Missouri is threatening to remove President Joe Biden from appearing on the ballot as retaliation for the determination in two other states that Donald Trump doesn’t qualify because he “engaged in insurrection.”
“What has happened in Colorado & Maine is disgraceful & undermines our republic,” Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft wrote on the social media site X on Friday. “While I expect the Supreme Court to overturn this, if not, Secretaries of State will step in & ensure the new legal standard for @realDonaldTrump applies equally to @JoeBiden!”
Ashcroft’s post came shortly after the Supreme Court agreed to review a decision by Colorado’s high court that found Trump could be barred from the state’s primary ballot because of his actions leading up to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Biden might not reel in that electoral sweep that’s been forecasted for Missouri (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_United_States_presidential_election_in_Missouri)…
Real talk though, elections matter and this is not a “both sides bad” situation. Specific policy disagreements with one side and the systematic dismantling of the American government are not equivalent criticisms.
Vote and bring a friend. Every year, the number of eligible voters who don’t show up at the polls represent a big enough voting block to win the election outright. While you face almost impossible odds persuading a member of the opposite political party to switch sides, after college age, it is entirely possible to convince someone to get in the car with you and vote (even better to mail in where possible).
Mobilization is what will decide 2024, not persuasion. Everyone needs to remember that despite 2020’s outcome, the election was decided by fewer voters than you can fit inside a football stadium (due to our electoral college fun times). If you live in GA, AZ, WI, PN, NC, NV, or MI—You. Must. Vote! …preferably early.
Cynics who tell you otherwise do not understand how much harder it is to rebuild a system than it is to maintain one. This one needs significant maintenance, like back to the shop engine work. We will not have a repair shop left to go to if we don’t get out the vote right now.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voter_turnout_in_United_States_presidential_elections
Yup.
That said, “bring a friend” also means “talk to your friends.” There are a lot of people influenced by both right wing propaganda, and false-left-wing propaganda from bad faith actors that says “Biden is old, don’t vote for him” or “Biden didn’t get us [insert left-wing wish list entry].” The early polls are somehow showing Trump ahead of Biden with under-35 voters, which is mind-boggling.
Be the influence you want to see. Talk to people around you that you think will listen, and make sure they understand the stakes and how much their vote matters. If you want to protest, protest in a way that doesn’t directly create fascism please.