By CALIBE THOMPSON

 

I was fortunate enough to be among the press at the rally Saturday during which Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton announced her pick for vice presidential running mate at Florida International University in Miami. I hadn’t been to a rally in a while and forgot how charged they were.

Every available spot in the massive sports arena was occupied by supporters, press and secret service. The energy in the room was pure positivity.

When Clinton and Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine came out, Kaine showing off his fluent Spanish to the delight of the sizeable Latino contingent in the audience, they spoke about their personal records of social service.

They also shared why it was important to keep their opponent, Republican Donald Trump, away from the presidency. They drew a powerful contrast over and over, using the opponent’s claim that America is a disaster and in his words, “I alone can fix it.” Clinton’s campaign slogan and its overriding theme on the other hand is “Stronger Together.”

That contrast is the basis of America’s choice this November. Do we want a president who believes decisions must be made with unilateral perspectives, only liberal or only conservative in approach? In my humble opinion, that’s what lost Bernie Sanders the Democratic nomination, and that’s what is going to lose the election for the Republicans as well.

At the end of the day, as much as the extreme right and extreme left may want to ignore this fact, we have to live in this country and get along with people who don’t believe exactly what we believe. For the sake of liberty and justice for all, and for our constitutional right to pursue happiness, we should not force our beliefs upon those people. The folks who govern should do so respectful of differing opinions.

Americans have the option to buy into the notion that the country is not so great anymore, and that only a narcissist can fix it, or that we really are stronger together. We can vote for fear and exclusion, or for inclusion and progressiveness. The difference is clear, the temperature of the voting population unfortunately is not. C’est la vie.

Calibe Thompson is a television producer and personality, public speaker and author. Watch her on Island Origins’ Mon at 10 p.m., and Tues, Thurs and Sat at 9 p.m. on South Florida’s BECON-TV (Ch 63 / Comcast 19), and follow www.facebook.com/calibethompson.