Paul Graham, cofounder of Y Combinator, wrote in a thoughtful essay:
“The defining quality of an ideologue, whether on the left or the right, is to acquire one’s opinions in bulk. You don’t get to pick and choose. Your opinions about taxation can be predicted from your opinions about same-sex marriage.…Accidental moderates, on the other hand, not only choose their own answers, but choose their own questions….It’s possible in theory for one side to be entirely right and the other to be entirely wrong. Indeed, ideologues must always believe this is the case. But historically it rarely has been.”
I’m an “accidental moderate”, with a history of voting for and supporting candidates labeled Democrat, Republican, and sometimes other parties. Many years ago, I was Chairman of the Young Jewish Leadership PAC, then the only Jewish Republican PAC in the US.
That said, I’m endorsing Kamala Harris/Tim Walz for President. As an investor, I can work with a CEO or VC with whom I have differences of opinion on politics or on strategy. After all, we all share the common goal of helping an organization succeed. We can “Disagree and commit“. I can’t work with a CEO who’s incompetent, cannot form cogent sentences, and/or is unethical. Trump’s many flaws were apparent in 2016, 2020, and they’re even more apparent now, not to mention he’s 78 years old and showing many signs of cognitive decline. Would you hire Trump for any job at all?
Yes, Biden was and is too old for the job. But he stepped down (after great pressure). Trump hasn’t and won’t.
Never in US history have so many close confidantes and employees of a President been so brutally critical and endorsed his opponent. The list includes former vice president Dick Cheney, top George W. Bush and Reagan officials, and hundreds (!) who served under Donald Trump. (Washington Post). Not to mention his own former Vice President, Mike Pence, won’t endorse Trump. And Trump’s current Vice President, J.D. Vance, has been brutally critical of Trump in the past.
Bill Gates has always stressed his bipartisanship and avoided endorsing candidates. I’ve done the same! But, in a recent interview about his $50m donation to support Harris/Walz, he said that “I have a long history of working with leaders across the political spectrum, but this election is different, with unprecedented significance for Americans and the most vulnerable people around the world.”
I hope you will join me to Make America Functional Again. Here are 4 simple actions you can take:
- Register to vote at IWillVote.com.
- Join me as a member of Innovators for Democracy.
- Share your endorsements on social media.
- Contribute to the Harris/Walz campaign.
Lastly, in response to my many Republican friends: I’ve heard a few arguments.
“Trump is good for Israel.”
I think many Israel supporters perceive Trump as stronger on Israel because of (some of) his rhetoric. However, thinking long-term and strategically, I think Trump weakens America grossly and that’s bad for Israel, not to mention the rest of the world.
I suggest read Israeli-American billionaire Haim Saban (Why I will vote for Kamala Harris as an Israeli-American) and historian Dr. Yoav Heller (Is Donald Trump good for the Jews?)
I would certainly have liked Kamala to be clearer and stronger in her support for Israel. That said, both blue and red parties have an anti-semitic wing. If Trump is elected, his nativist followers will be emboldened because he’s gotten away with spewing so much vitriol against minorities. (This never ends well for Jews.) Harris comes from the mainstream, pro-Israel dominant stream in the Democratic party, and if elected, she’ll continue to keep that stream dominant.
If you’re an Israel supporter, see my Observer essay, How investors and executives can fight terror.
“I’m a Republican; I vote Republican.”
This isn’t sports, where you may blindly follow the Chicago Cubs regardless of the ethics of their players. Voting has consequences. Being “Republican” should mean you believe in some set of principles, not that you always vote red regardless of whether someone observes any of those principles. Trump was in fact a Democrat for most of his life, and his policies are grossly inconsistent with most classic “Republican” principles. See Bret Stephens: A Conservative Case Against Trump.
“Harris is a socialist.” “Democrats/liberals are terrible for America.” “Democrats are bad for business.”
Biden/Harris were in the White House for the last 3.8 years. I don’t recall America turning socialist, unliveable, or becoming poorer. On the contrary, the US economy is booming. See Reid Hoffman, Linkedin cofounder: US Business Leaders Want Harris’ Stability Not Trump’s Chaos.
“Harris is unprepared/stupid/ignorant/over her head.”
Harris and Walz each have far more experience in government than Trump & Vance combined. Both have risen steadily from modest upbringings to local, state, and national leadership roles. Have you done that?
We’re all imperfect humans. But Trump is dramatically outside of the normal and acceptable range.
“I’m angry about how COVID was handled: inflation, lockdowns, etc.”
Just about every government in the world had excess deaths, inflation, and lots of inconvenience during COVID. It was like a SAT test for governments. Did the Trump administration handle the first year of COVID competently? Any President would have, and did, struggle to handle the pandemic. Almost every developed economy had inflation. The President is not all-powerful.
“I’m a social conservative/pro-life.”
I suggest read prominent pro-life conservative David French: To Save Conservatism From Itself, I Am Voting for Harris.
“I’m a libertarian.”
Trump’s policies are the precise opposite of libertarianism. See Faced With Trump, Libertarianism Shrugged.
“I like a candidate who’s successful in business.”
Trump’s reputation for success is a lie. See How Donald Trump Learned to Pass the Buck.
“Kamala will put trans men on girls’ sports teams. And tampons in mens’ rooms.”
Save Women’s Sports, an organization advocating for banning transgender athletes from competing in girls’ sports, identified only five transgender athletes competing on girls’ teams in school sports for grades K through 12, out of many millions of high school students. This is like voting for the candidate who promises to protect you from shark bites. Who cares?
I definitely have bigger concerns in my life than the highly unlikely scenario that one of my daughters might be on a sports team with a trans person. Whatever your sentiments on this topic, the fact that the Republican party is making such a big issue about trans rights is an insult to thoughtful voters. (It also reflects poorly on Democrats that they’ve expended so much political capital on this issue which only benefits a tiny population, as if all of America’s other problems have been solved.)
I have (informally) advised trans VCs. I personally have seen tampons in some mens’ bathrooms. I’ve even bought tampons for my daughters & wife. I have survived those emasculating experiences unscathed. I am confident you can too.
Further reading
