Is It Blackmail?

So of course there are people still hating Hillary so much they have dropped any semblance of empathy for anyone who's not up there with them at the apex of the pyramid of privilege.  And they indignantly tell me, over and over, that I cannot blackmail them into voting for such a horrible monster as a person without a penis daring to want to be President.

From today's LGM lineup:

This “demonization” argument reminds me of Doug Henwood’s argument that it’s“blackmail” to point out how bad Republicans are, thus depriving him of his inalienable right to vote for vanity candidates without being criticized or something. Except that Henwood goes Glenn one better, arguing that it’s somehow dirty pool for Democrats to point out that Donald Trump would be a horrible president.

 

Pointing out the raging dumpster fire that is Donald Trump, that he would happily share with the entire country given the chance, is not blackmail.  It is not threatening to create some harm unless an otherwise adverse action is taken.  It is pointing out the real, obvious and predictable result of inaction.  Inaction includes not voting, voting for  Gary Johnson, who sort of seems to be a reasonable person (but that is irrelevant), or voting for Jill Stein, who doesn't (though that, too is irrelevant).  This is just unhappy reality.

Coming to grips with unhappy reality is not blackmail, it's called "being an adult."  I know many people who should try it out.