Give Colin Kaepernick full marks for consistency.
In September, Kaepernick said it was embarrassing that Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump were our presidential candidates: "Both are proven liars, and it almost seems like they're trying to debate who's less racist." On Tuesday, Kaepernick opted to vote for neither.
But the news reports also indicated that Kaepernick didn't plan on voting at all. If that's the case, then it was a missed opportunity for him to champion the causes prompting his refusal to stand during the national anthem. Even for those who might be appalled, sickened or disgusted with Kaepernick's method of protest, most fair-minded people among them would recognize that being against police brutality and for the equal treatment of minorities is a reasonable stance to take.
It is always dicey to assume what's in another man's heart and mind, but there appear to have been candidates and measures elsewhere on the ballot aligned with his beliefs. Why couldn't have Kaepernick supported those? Want to punt on the presidential race? OK, if he really doesn't like the choices, that's his right. But what about someone like Kamala Harris?
Harris was running for the U.S. Senate in California. One of Kaepernick's points in his protest is that "America has never been great for people of color." Well, here was a chance for him to vote for a woman whose mother is from India and whose father is from Jamaica.
Harris won the race. She will be just the second black woman to serve in the U.S. Senate and the first black senator from California. Again at the risk of mind-reading, doesn't that seem like a candidate whose values might mirror Kaepernick's?
Or consider Proposition 55.
This ballot measure called for the increased funding to schools and health care for low-income people in California. Sounds like an idea that would resonate with Kaepernick.
It might be crass to try cracking a joke on such a serious topic, but here is another way that Kaepernick's decision to not vote was an example of his consistency: He missed yet another easy open target:
