This diary isn't targeted at daily kos readers but rather my response to the many friends on my social media who are pushing the lazy false equivalence memes.
One of the most frustrating things I've seen on Facebook and social media this election year is the equivalence many seem to think exists in the faults and negative aspects of both candidates. I've seen it from people who probably spend about 20 minutes a year thinking about politics, but also from educated people who are otherwise thoughtful and rational. It's a lazy way of characterizing a race that I know has disillusioned many people. I understand the apathy people have towards the political system because it has been broken for decades, but moreso than ever before. And it's tempting to just call both candidates "equally as bad" and leave it there rather than become invested in the race and do research. But the two candidates are not equally as bad. Not even close.
Donald Trump began his political career in 2010 with the racist implication that Pres Obama was a foreigner, and pushed unfounded debunked conspiracy theories even after the President took the unprecedented step of releasing his birth certificate. Hillary Clinton used a private email and was later cleared by the FBI of any wrongdoing and was found to have broken not a single law. They must be equally as bad.
Donald Trump has tweeted propaganda from white supremacist groups, refused to condemn David Duke and the KKK. But Hillary used a private email. Must be equally as bad.
Donald Trump bragged that his position as a powerful celebrity gave him the right to "grab women by the pussy" (aka sexual assault). He cheated on his first two wives and made sexual advances on other women while married to his third wife. Hillary was the victim of adultery and said mean things about the women who she was cheated on with. Equal???
Donald Trump said an American judge couldn't preside over his fraudulent Trump University court case because his parents were of Mexican descent. Hillary broke no laws over her email system. Must be equal tho!
Donald Trump was sued in the 1970s for housing discrimination because he wouldn't rent his apartments to minorities. In the 1970s Hillary was going undercover in the south to expose schools that were trying to remain segregated. ...equal??…
Donald Trump mocked a man with a disability, is on video fat shaming numerous women over the course of two decades, cast immigrants as criminals, encourages violence at his campaign rallies, and so many other words and behaviors that would not be tolerated by a high school administrator if they had been done or said by a 14 year old. But hey Hillary used a private email. Equally as bad.
Donald Trump said he "loves war", thinks any country should have nuclear weapons, thinks the Geneva conventions are obsolete, we should kill civilians in the Middle East "take out the families of suspected terrorists" including innocent children, and bring back torture as an American foreign policy "even if it doesn't work". Hillary negotiated a ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinians and used diplomacy to convince our adversaries in Russia and China to agree to sanction Iran. Wow, just as bad!
Donald Trump has not paid federal taxes for 20 years while many of the people I see pushing this "they're equally as bad" meme are paying 35% tax on 50k yearly income. Hillary has paid millions in taxes. Taxes that benefit everyone in society. They must be equally as bad.
Donald Trump has said things that directly violate our Constitution. He has proposed banning an entire religion. He has made threats to the press and their first amendment rights. He has threatened to jail his political opponent. These are *literally* things dictators do in the 3rd world and have done in world history. But Hillary used private email. Just as bad I'm told.
Donald Trump went on tv and said the housing market crash would be good for him because he could make money off other people's misfortune. But Hillary.…
Finally, Donald trump shows no intellectual curiosity about any issue. He doesn't study. He doesn't read. His own advisors say they can't get him to read his daily national security briefings. Hillary has spent her life studying, learning, listening to people.
Most of these facts about Trump have been known for the past year and some people will still support him. That's fine. They've shown us who they are. But to those people saying they're equal, posting memes lamenting this race because both candidates are "equally flawed"... Stop and do some research. Hillary does have flaws. Every past president has had flaws. Her position as the first female nominee of a party also makes the spotlight on her flaws different and unique to political history. But comparing a competent highly qualified person to a someone who so clearly isn't qualified to hold any office is beyond annoying, lazy, and unfair to the people who are actually taking this election seriously and understand the stakes.
Feel free to share this list with friends who are pushing this lazy equivalence meme.