Get Out and Vote

This Tuesday, the day after Labor Day, is primary election day across the state for both national and state offices.

Although primary elections in Massachusetts generally are of little or no consequence because of the overwhelming Democratic voting enrollment and because most Democrats run unopposed, this year’s primary election is different.

Thanks to the chaos that reigns throughout the country because of the situation in the White House, every election this year — both primary and final — has taken on more significance than in any non-presidential year election in our nation’s history.

The elections of 1860 (prior to the start of the Civil War) and 1932 (when we were in the midst of the Great Depression) arguably were the most important Presidential-year elections, but the current election cycle of 2018 may be even more significant than either of those.

The pundits talk much these days about the existential threat to our democracy and institutions because of the situation in the White House. Unfortunately, a good argument can be made either way and only time will tell.

However, what undeniably is true is that our democracy certainly will come to an end if we fail to exercise the most important right we have as Americans — the right to vote. There is no greater threat to America than our own apathy.

We urge all of our readers to get and vote this Tuesday. A strong voter turnout not only will be determinative of the candidates who move on to the November final election, but it also will send a message to those who seek to destroy our nation (and that is not an overstatement) that we will exercise our right to vote to thwart them.