With two days to go until the presidential election, I am undecided.
There are things I admire about both candidates. I like Trump’s new hair color. It’s more natural-looking than his previous shade that matched my wife’s original 1959 Barbie. And Harris’ laugh makes me joyful. It reminds me of the way our late dog Sybil yelped whenever I asked if she wanted to take a ride in the car.
But I am just an ordinary working-class American. Unlike rich and famous singers, actors, athletes, business leaders, politicians and other celebrities, who don't hesitate to endorse candidates they know and respect because they have probably entertained them aboard their yachts, I am incapable of understanding the complex problems facing our country. So I am unsure about which candidate can handle the issues best. I generally wait until two days before the election, as I did this morning, to google who’s supporting whom before I make up my mind.
I learned that Jennifer Lopez is one of Harris’ most enthusiastic high-profile supporters. Not only is J-Lo gorgeous and talented, she and I have a connection. I’m not saying we are so tight we text each other or anything like that, but I once lived next door to a diamond dealer who sold Ben Affleck the pink six-carat sparkler he gave her for their first engagement twenty years ago. J-Lo’s endorsement of Harris almost sold me until I remembered she used to date Diddy, who is facing a lifetime in prison for sex trafficking and racketeering. Now I’m not so sure about her judgement.
Trump’s list of supporters is a fraction of Harris’. It includes a handful of aging Hollywood actors like Mel Gibson, Jon Voight, James Woods, and Randy Quaid. I liked Gibson in Braveheart and Voight as Liev Schreiber’s father in Ray Donovan, but Trump’s Hollywood supporters are past their sell-by date IMO, so their support doesn't give me much confidence.
Harris, on the other hand, has earned the endorsement of some of America’s hippest, most “with it" entertainers — Bruce Springsteen, Harrison Ford, Cher, Robert DeNiro, Barbra Streisand and Rosie O’Donnell among others. Beyonce and Cardi B also support Harris. I’d never heard of Cardi A much less Cardi B, so I looked her up. She is almost as impressive as …
Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, who is campaigning for Trump. I have long admired Musk, as I was reminded when I visited Leonardo DaVinci’s home and museum in Amboise, France, a few weeks ago. (Did you know DaVinci spent his final years in France? Me neither.) There I learned he contributed much more to the world than the Mona Lisa. A true visionary, he created drawings and prototypes for what eventually became the helicopter, underwater diving suit, machine gun, parachute, and armored car. Musk, the brains behind Tesla, Space X and now “X” (formerly Twitter), may well be the DaVinci of this century. I’m guessing he’s smarter than Cardis A B,C and D rolled together.
But I also take seriously endorsements from former presidents like Bill Clinton, Barack Obama and Jimmy Carter. All enthusiastically back Harris. Carter, unfortunately, isn’t looking so good. He’s 100, bed-ridden, and his family says he wanted to live long enough to vote for Harris, which he has now done. (Question: If, God forbid, Carter dies before Tuesday and Harris carries Georgia by one vote, will Trump challenge the result, claiming dead peoples’ votes shouldn’t count?) Monica Lewinsky, who also knows a thing or two about the Oval Office, has also endorsed Harris.
While dozens upon dozens of Harris supporters are household names, Trump’s shorter list consists mostly of businessmen I’ve never heard of. Significantly, only a few women have publicly endorsed him, including Roseanne Barr, Amber Rose, race car driver Danica Patrick, Kaitlin Jenner, casino magnate Miriam Adelson and Brittany Mahomes, wife of Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick. (Two Patricks in one sentence. That’s a first for this reporter!) Mahomes didn’t come right out and say she supports Trump but she did “like” several pro-Trump posts on social media, which infuriated Harris fans. Brittany’s decision to "like" Trump cancels out the thrill I felt when I learned her arch-rival, Taylor Swift, is supporting Harris.
And so, as of 1:25 pm Sunday, I remain undecided. With so many “in the know” celebs making their support public, this run-of-the-mill American doesn't have a clue how he is going to vote. I’m now planning to make my final decision Monday night or even Tuesday morning. Who knows what celebrity will announce his or her support at the last minute to give me confidence I’m voting for the best candidate?
Here’s hoping your favorite celeb has already helped you make an informed decision. And here's to America.
God (whose endorsement might help me decide once and for all) help us.
