Polish Americans: Vote on November 4 as if your future depended on it, because it Does!

While many local and state races are significant, even more so are the election of U.S. Representatives and Senators. In particular, elections to select U.S. Senators are receiving a great amount of attention, as it is unclear whether the Democrats or Republicans will have the majority in the U.S. Senate.

The Polish American community has an interest in these results as they will affect deeply U.S. action and policy toward Russian aggression, defending freedom in Ukraine, and engagement (or lack there of) with Poland and Europe. The elections will also influence Poland's chances of becoming a Visa Waiver Country.

Many Republicans and some Democrats have portrayed the election as a referendum on the Presidency of Barack H. Obama. In many ways this seems to be true. Due to the term limits in the United States Constitution, President Obama will not run for reelection in 2016. The election on Tuesday will determine if he will have a Congress that will generally support or generally oppose his policies. While individual candidates and their character traits are significant, the simple fact remains: a Democrat is player on the President's "team" and will generally support him; while a Republican is a player for the opposing "team" and will generally oppose the President.

I can urge you to vote, and I do so wholeheartedly (joining with the Pope, President, Speaker and President Spula). I cannot, and I will not, tell you who to vote for. You will need to figure that one out on your own.

In order to facilitate this process, I asked two politically savvy Polish Americans to put into a paragraph the reasons why Polish American voters should support Democrats or Republicans, the two major U.S. political parties. I am presenting these views as information for each Polish American voter's decision making.

I flipped a coin and the Democrats won the toss and decided to go first:

Democrat's Views:
The world, America and Polonia have benefited greatly from President Obama's leadership, which broke with the destructive policies of George W. Bush. We need to support President Obama by voting as many Democrats into the Senate and the House of Representatives as possible. This will empower the President to complete his legacy and lay the groundwork for the future: a future of freedom, which we Poles love. The President has brought more freedom to all Americans by expanding health insurance to cover all of us, including all Polish Americans! The President has led the struggle for marriage equality for all, including Polish American gays and lesbians! The President has ensured equality for all Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Americans, including LGBT Polish Americans! The President has defended reproductive rights, keeping abortion safe and legal for all American women, including Polish American women! A vote for a Democrat is a resounding "YES!!!" ("TAK!!!") for the President and for Poland and Polonia!!! (and remember: the President made Polish American Chuck Hagel Secretary of Defense and Polish American Marek Brzezinski ambassador to Sweden).

Republican's Views:
The choice is clear. A vote for a Democrat is a vote for Obama and his disastrous policies that have affected Poland in a particularly negative manner. A vote for a Republican is a vote to fix this. Obama's foreign policy has been one of weakness and defeat. Obama's "reset" policy with Russia encouraged Vladimir Putin in his dream of rebuilding the Soviet Union and its dominance over Eastern and Central Europe. Obama encouraged Putins's imperialism by announcing the withdrawal from Missile Defense on September 17, 2009, the 70th anniversary of the Soviet invasion of Poland. Obama encouraged Putin's imperialism by asking the Russians to be patient in March 2012 as he would have "more flexibility after the elections." The result of Obama's weakness and encouragement of Putin was the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Rather than face up to this failure, Obama has continued it by refusing to send weapons so Ukraine can defend itself. This is the biggest betrayal in Europe since Roosevelt and Churchill sold Poland down the river at Yalta. Just as appeasement raised the cost of stopping Hitler, so to it is raising the cost of stopping Putin. Reject Obama's appeasement! Stand up for FREEDOM! Vote Republican -- America's (and Poland's) safety depends on YOU!

Elizabeth Komorowski