Since the 2000 selection, every day watching politics has been for me a trial of seething anger and depression. I've been a Democrat since my first vote in 1980, and although I have not always been proud of some actions/views of some members of the party, overall that's where I felt at home. I am a proud Liberal, but I will no longer be a Democratic Liberal.
The 'drug' vote was the last straw. When the House minority leader is so inept that she can't hold 'no' votes...when the Senate minority leader can't muster a fillibuster and is undercut by two reactionary DINO's(again!) it's time for me to throw in the towel.
Since the Reagan landslides this party has slowly deteriorated. There is no unified message. There is no propoganda effort, nor did the party ever even see the need to combat the RW assault. This is an inexcusable level of incompetence.
On the one hand, we had reactionaries that refused to budge from dogma. On the other hand we had reactionaries that sold their own reactionary dogma as the 'third way', while sucking down corporate money and shifting further right.
I watched in horror while the Dems had an election stolen without a fight. I then watched in horror as they gave us Ashcroft and Rummy without a fight. I then watched as what was left of the party cower in fear while Rove divided the party over an unnecessary war. I watched them vote for the Patriot atrocity, only now to blame Ashcroft- the very person they consented to as AG. Then they act horrified(!) that the FBI is keeping files on dissenters.
Every day brings another assualt to our values, and the only fight I've seen is over the three most horrendous of the chimp's judicial nominees. This is all the party has to show for 'fighting' the most rightwing, corrupt, and inept administration in history and is why despite all of these faults is still at 50% approval.
Yet because I've given the DNC and their candidate's money in the past, on an almost daily basis I get letters in the mail begging for more of my meager dollars....packaged with phony 'surveys' that no intelligent person believes they read or respond to. This is the sole extent to what the DNC has to offer me in terms of participation: send us a check, and give us your vote. Then our 'leadership' will sell you down the river while pretending to fight for your interests.
F'-em. I'll continue to support some candidates I deem worthy, but on a much more limited basis. I'm sick and tired of being angry and depressed, and it's become nearly impossible to be proud of the party as a whole and nearly impossible to defend their lack of action/results.
