Now, I know that there are a number of folks here who think I am just a run of the mill troll, and on the surface of it, this would seem like just another troll diary.
But bear with me, and suffer through another one of these diaries that I write.
I work with a large number of conservatives in my DoD job, and we have had some interesting exchanges over the past week or so. And they got me thinking a little bit...
Now, as anyone who bothers to check knows, I have no love at this point for Barack. I broke with him primarily over two issues which are deeply personal: his appalling treatment of Jeremiah Wright (who I believe Barack has no right or standing to criticize) and his lack of support (or maybe even opposition to) gay marriage.
But if you dig deep enough, you'll see that I was pro-Barack before Barack was cool...while most of the folks here were dithering about Biden/Dodd/Dennis/Richardson (sort of the not-Hillary crowd). Ultimately, I'm a Gore supporter, but that dog wouldn't hunt.
So, what's the point?
Well, even though I am not at all happy with Barack at this point, I feel it is my duty as a Progressive to take no sh*t from conservatives when they want to argue about him. And I am also still deeply conflicted because, while I cannot imagine (and do not want to endure) a McCain Presidency, I also cannot (at this point) bring myself to vote for Barack.
This week, though, the discussion was about who executed the more elegant flip-flops on position. And, yes, I know the use of the f-words in the same sentance with Barack gets me instantly branded a troll, but that is what he did.
Digression: When I supported him, he had certain positions, and now he has changed those positions. Its not that my views have changed (they haven't), and it's not that my understanding of Barack's positions has changed; it hasn't.
Barack's positions on the issues we've all been discussing have changed. Deny it all you like (if it helps you to sleep at night), but it doesn't change the sound bites. He f***-f****ed. End digression.
However, I don't really want to beat that horse any more.
What was interesting to me was the point my conservative colleagues (and, yes, some of them are friends) were making.
They do not argue that McCain has flip-flopped. And even that he has been less elegant than Barack (though their language is far more colorful). Their point is that McCain has flipped TOWARD his base, while Barack has flipped AWAY from his.
This struck me as something I hadn't really considered, and it started to crystallize why I am so disgusted with Barack.
I am a life-long Progressive and to have someone who I THINK is also a life-long Progressive (Barack) turn his back on a number of significant issues, makes me sick to my stomach. I want someone who thinks like me, AND IS PROUD OF IT!, running for office. At one point, I thought Barack was that guy. Now I know he is not.
Or as my conservative peers pointed out: if McCain were to suddenly "flip" to support "open borders", "higher taxes", or "Iraq surrender", he would lose in a landslide. Conservatives would just stay home (or vote for Barr).
Their logic: better to live through 4 years of Barack than to sacrifice their principles!
And they think we are "pussys" (one of their favorite words for Progressives, among others) for not holding Barack's feet to the fire. They think it is a fundamental reason why they've done so well over the last 40 years. When they sacrifice their principles (e.g. Dole), they lose. When they insist on dogma, they win.
Oddly, this leads to the bottom line question for us to ponder: is it better to win on cynicism or lose on principle?
So, for those of you who have asked me the question: Do I WANT McCain to win? It's not that simple. Barack is asking us to figure out who we are as Progressives. Do we JUST want to win? Do we have ANY principles worth fighting for? Do we really believe in ANYTHING deeply enough to fight the good fight, and lose?
I've made my choice. And oddly it took a bunch of conservatives to help me understand why.
Thanks for listening!