Every time something frustrating happens in the political arena it seems like there is a rush of diaries saying the same basic thing - Democrats better shape up or I'm not going to vote for them in the next election. People say they will either vote for a third party candidate or not vote at all. That's their right to vote, or not vote, as they choose. But I've always felt that doing that is a classic example of cutting off your nose to spite your face. And I think the MA Senate special election illustrates why.
I can understand the frustration with the Democrats in Congress and with President Obama. After watching George W. Bush cram his legislative agenda down our throats using his majorities in Congress I want Democrats to do the same. And I get very ticked off when I see Ben Nelson, Bart Stupak, and their ilk take decent bills and turn them into crappy bills - or block crappy bills that are at least better than the status quo from even being voted on.
But I also realize that they at least are better than a Republican. The Republican party has no interest in helping to govern - they just want to destroy President Obama and any hint of legislation that might hint at being even remotely progressive. I'd rather have a Ben Nelson whose will vote with us given the right incentive instead of someone who is going to screw with the bill while still working to defeat it.
In Massachusetts last night we saw McCain voters show up and a lot of Obama voters stay home. And some of the Obama voters voted for Brown. And now rather than having 60 Democrats that are at least open to voting for health care reform and the rest of President Obama's agenda we have 41 Republicans who will basically be able to make passing anything in the Senate difficult. So basically progressive staying home or voting for someone else made us worse off than we were. That tactic doesn't seem to be doing much good.
Yes the situation is massively crappy. I wish President Obama would lay the smackdown on some of the conservadems. I wish Harry Reid would grow a spine and tell the entire Senate that if they want to fillibuster they better grab their adult diaper and the phone book and be prepared for CSPAN to capture it all on tape or otherwise they better shut up and let the bill come up for an up or down vote. Heck, I wish Martha Coakley had actually ran a campaign once she won the primary.
But that isn't how things are. And so I try to make the best of things. And to me that means voting when I can and voting for the person who most closely fits my views (even if they are the lesser of two evils). Because a Republican isn't going to care about a progressive primary challenger - a Democrat, even a Democrat in name only likely will because they want to keep their job. Arlen Specter all of a sudden became much more progressive once Joe Sestak started a primary campaign.
We need more and better Democrats. But we need the more before we can get the better. I don't like the Senate HCR bill. But a friend of mine just found out her brother has a rare form of cancer. I don't know if he has insurance, but no matter what I bet he would appreciate subsidies and knowing that if he survives this he won't be turned down for insurance because he had cancer.
If people want to send a message to the Democratic leadership by not voting or voting for someone besides the Democrat, that is their right. I just think it is counter productive. I live in Minnesota where a third party candidate has garnered 6-16 in the past two elections and which was one reason Tim Pawlenty has been elected Governor twice. People (including my dad) voted for a third party candidate because they were tired of crappy Democratic candidates. And Pawlenty then won with around 45% of the vote both times. And he's gutted funding for social services, including using his unallotment powers to ignore the Democratic majorities in the legislature.
Yes we need to get better Democrats. But we shouldn't let the Republicans win just because the Democratic nominee sucks. Let's get the Democrat elected and then find a viable progressive to run a primary challenge. Seems like a better idea to me than sitting home and letting the guys who screwed up the country claw their way back into power.