from Barak, see barakgila.com for more of my writing

Logistics

1. Did you get a ballot?
   1. If not: It only takes 5 minutes to register/reregister to vote at your current address, do so here
2. If so, does it have Dean Phillips and (Bilal Mahmood or Mike Chen) on it? (Are you a registered Democrat?)
   • If not: Reregister as a Democrat. I don’t care if you support Trump; in San Francisco, you get to vote on more stuff that matters if you register as a Democrat. There’s no good reason to register any other way (you can tell your less-progressive friends you only registered Democratic as a ploy).
3. You’re not sure if it’s “worth it” to vote when you could spend your energy hanging out, or saving the AI or shrimp.
   • Sick of gerrymandering and the electoral college? Local and state ballot props are by popular vote and are less partisan: your vote counts!
   • Is your rent too high? Control of the Board of Supervisors and the SF Democratic Party and the Mayor’s office is on the ballot. No one else has more impact on your pocketbook, if you pay rent in the Bay Area.
   • Ambitious and/or ethical? If you might ever get involved in politics, your voting record (which is public) is super important! Just ask the EA who ran in Oregon. Wouldn’t you rather live in a world in which educated, reasonable people like you voted? By deciding to vote, you’re creating that world.
   • Finally, young people and renters vote at a much lower rate older people and homeowners do, so by voting you'll be helping to correct that imbalance and ensure your interests are heard.

Resources

My local media diet: the SF Standard, the SF Chronicle, the Nonprofit Slacks, and Twitter.

I consulted these other organizations’ endorsements.

• YIMBY Action (sf endorsements; ca endorsements) — the increasingly nationwide nonprofit advocating for building more housing of all types, in all cities
• GrowSF (endorsements) — a centrist, pro-growth group which advocates for more housing, common-sense/pro-policing positions on crime and public safety (they supported recalling Chesa Boudin, the DA, and the school board), and other civic issues.
• Jonah Mann, an Anonymous Person, and <you?> helped contribute to my political thinking here.

Feel free to comment/ask if one of my endorsements seems misguided.

How I’m Voting

Each race is listed in the order it appears on my ballot. I’ve sometimes listed not just how I’m voting, but cases in which you might vote differently (either because you can’t vote on the same race, or because your preferences are different).

President, Democratic Primary: Dean Phillips

Why not Biden? I love Biden, my favorite President since probably FDR. I will gladly vote for him in the general. Biden promised Congress and suggested to the country he’d be a transitional figure, a one-term President. He broke that promise, and worse, he has a very high shot (45%+) of losing to Trump. Sorry! I hate Trump more than I love Biden, personally.

Sure, but this race is hopeless. Of course it is! Biden has no serious opponents, and his most serious one has a 94% chance of not winning any states. That doesn’t mean you can’t lodge your dissatisfaction with octogenarian Presidents.

What could happen if Dean Phillips does better than expected?

• Biden could get cover to move to the center.
• Biden could replace his unpopular Vice President
• Anyone energized by the Democratic Primary would be more likely to cast a presidential vote. Except for the toxic Bernie Bro case, it’s more likely to help Biden than Trump.