I wasn’t planning to vote, but I did.
The race between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump looks to be a close one. I had some tough decisions to make this election cycle. I decided I was not going to vote at all.
Back in 2016, I wasn’t a fan of Trump. I hesitated to vote for him at first; I was more inclined toward candidates like Ben Carson, then Marco Rubio and later Ted Cruz. But as they dropped out, my options narrowed to Trump or Hillary Clinton. Though I didn’t trust Trump’s stance on certain issues—especially his views on abortion and his character—I ultimately felt he was the better choice and voted for him.
To me, anyone who can’t take a clear stand on the issue of life and death, like abortion, can’t get other key decisions right. Choosing life is the foundation of moral decision-making.
At the start of Trump’s presidency, I shared a meme comparing him to Biff from Back to the Future, expecting him to be a disaster, maybe even leading us into a world war. I thought he lacked civility and was simply too unpredictable. Others were proudly aboard the “Trump Train,” but I wasn’t one of them. I voted for him, but I was far from enthusiastic.
Looking back, I’m still amazed at what unfolded during his presidency. It was certainly entertaining and eventful. His media interactions were amusing, but they hinted at something more intense. I had never seen the media attack a president so relentlessly in my lifetime. They treated him with a consistent lack of respect, accusing him of everything from Russian collusion to mishandling COVID-19. They even blamed him for the pandemic’s death toll, despite him pushing a vaccine and establishing a COVID task force that updated us daily. Yet, somehow, he received no credit, only criticism.
My view of Trump began to change as the media’s attacks grew harsher. The more unfair they seemed, the more I started to see his side.
On the night of the 2020 election, I went to bed with Trump leading Biden, just like in 2016. The race was close enough that even a small amount of election fraud could swing the result. In the morning, it was decided that Biden won after mail-in ballets were counted. When concerns were raised, they were brushed aside by the media and the majority of Democrats. I saw enough coverage from sources like the ACLJ and The Epoch Times to think some irregularities were plausible.
Those who fought for election integrity faced heavy backlash. People like Rudy Giuliani, Mike Lindell, and Sidney Powell were harshly targeted for expressing their concerns. In the end, the Democrats prevailed.
The past four years with Biden as president haven’t been as bad as I anticipated. I’ll give him credit; I thought we’d hit a severe recession, but somehow we managed a “soft landing.”
My situation has changed since 2020. I went back to school to finish my bachelor’s degree, accumulating $30k in student loan debt along the way. I’ve also declared bankruptcy since then, and student loans are not forgiven in bankruptcy. Democrats have pushed hard for broad student loan forgiveness. As a logical thinker, I believe mass forgiveness isn’t sustainable; taxpayers can’t keep footing the bill for others’ debts. It’s essentially theft. However, I do think that bankruptcy protections should extend to student loans. Widespread forgiveness isn’t the answer.
With a Harris presidency, there’s a good chance my $30k in student loans could be forgiven. In a way, it felt like the Democrats were buying my vote. I was leaning toward not voting, faced with the choice between my own financial benefit and voting for who I believe is best for the country.
I don’t believe Kamala Harris has the skills to negotiate with world leaders or effectively govern. I doubt she’ll make any meaningful progress for our country.
So, who did I vote for?
Did I vote for $30k in potential student loan forgiveness, or did I vote for who I think is best for the country?