What to do, what to do?
Wed Nov 07, 2007 at 11:06:26 AM PDT
Like a lot of people on Kos, I'm beyond weary of the "my candidate farts gardenias" diaries and the candidate bashing and hostility that immediately follows. I'm also beyond weary of "this candidate sucks harder than a black hole and here's why" diaries--and the bashing and hostility that immediately follows.
Before the flames and accusations start, let me be clear. I still don't support any candidate. The entire "yer fer us or agin' us" mentality of these candidate diaries is such an echo chamber of the current administration that I can't stomach it. Would that I could find one candidate diary with a lively debate instead of toxic anger, mindless agreement, personal attacks and unnecessary condescension and sarcasm. I don't need anyone repeating the talking points I've read in candidate diaries already. I visit opensecrets.org on a regular basis, and I know the history of all the contenders. I have enough reservations about all of them that I can see myself standing in a voting booth in Feb and just closing my eyes and letting my finger walk where it may.
And I'm beginning to make peace with that. Because the presidency can't save this nation. The presidency can't destroy it either.
I sat at my desk yesterday, watching openmouthed as it appeared, for a brief, shining moment, that HRes 333 might actually go to the floor for debate. Simply having it read into the record, hearing the text of the document read aloud, was enough to bring a lump to my throat. At last, the balls my party has been lacking. Finally, someone stood up and said it. But no..the framing was a done deal before it even got scuttled to committee. The dems were afraid to debate, the repubs weren't.
I'm unlucky enough to live in a Red State, where you can still see plenty of W'04 stickers on gas guzzling pickups and SUVs (and flags and yellow ribbon magnets as well). Jobs have fled from this state, but even now, almost 7 years later, it's Clinton's fault. However, people that spit when they hear Clinton's name (much like I do when I hear Bush's--a man I've long considered to be Satan's "special" child), are just as angry with their congressmen, and they don't get a pass for an R behind their name. Or a D. Where I am, that's mostly R.
And some of those Rs are going to be in tight races. Some of them, from what I've been able to glean from polls, are going to lose. But the election is a year a way, and I'm willing to bet a lot of those races won't go to the Ds after all. Because they caved. Because they've squandered every opportunity to say "no" to the administration AND the syncophants in congress. Because they keep funding the war, a war that was supposed to be paid for with the oil that is now almost $100 a barrel. Our sons and daughters continue to die and people won't be able to fill their cars to get to work or heat their homes this winter--why isn't the democratic congress doing something about it? Well, apparently its because they have "more important business". On a side note, thanks CNN for telling me where I can go on YouTube for information about how to winterize my home (because that's all I can do, you understand, to keep my heating bill down).
Are we really expecting the people who scrambled yesterday to protect the status quo to stand up for us? Trust me, no one is going to vote for them here. They'll either stay home, write someone in, or let the person who is there stay because there is no viable alternative that represents change. If changing the majority in Congress didn't change a damn thing, what exactly is the purpose of putting MORE of them in there? I can't give them a good answer--I can't give myself a good answer, really, but I don't know what else to do. Toss all the incumbents, regardless, teach every one of those greedy pricks a lesson? Let's be honest, they won't be hurting for speaking fees, honorary board positions or book deals. Whether they stay or go, those wealthy few will be just fine.
In spite of the red state status, people here understand there's something seriously wrong with this nation, and they understand that BushCo is complicit in it (they won't admit it in public, but in private they will shake their heads in shame). But they also understand something else: if the Patriot Act is going to be revoked, along with all the other "hello, police state" legislative packages that have had all of us alternately ranting and crying for six years, Congress and the House is where it will happen. Not the White House. Even if, God forbid, our next president is Rudy, should enough seats in the House and Congress go to truly progressive individuals standing up for we the people, no president will be able to do what BushCo has done. And yet, on this blog, everywhere across the net, on the "news", the majority of the focus is on the Presidential race. If yesterday taught us nothing else, it should have taught us that the means to change starts on Capitol Hill, not Pennsylvania Avenue.
In my fondest dreams, BushCo will be prosecuted and convicted even after leaving office and spend the rest of their lives contemplating their sins in the Hague while the rest of the world learns to be nice and respect each other instead of posturing and pissing on one another. Well, obviously that ain't happenin' with the crowd of spineless triangulators sitting in comfy chairs on Capitol Hill right now.
In reality, if enough seats in the Senate and the House go to honest people who want to save this nation, there will be no more SCOTUS judges of Alito's ilk. There will be no more AG dung beetles like Gonzo. That signing statement, executive privilege bullshit will be nothing but a memory. There will be no more media consolidation and the net will remain a place of freely found and shared information. It won't require a million dollars a day for good people to run for office and get their message out. The Constitution will be respected and adhered to. Our votes will count and elections will be open and honest. Universal healthcare will become a reality. The horrors of Katrina will never happen again. Alternative energy sources will become more affordable than petroleum. When someone says we do not torture, it will be true. Invasions of sovereign nations will cease.
No matter how any of us feel about any of the candidates, D or R, the real fight for our freedoms is not the figurehead in the White House. The compromise whores (Reid, Pelosi, etc.) must be thrown out or outnumbered so that they cannot sell us down the river to tyrants/dictators/greedy corporations. With enough representatives and senators working for us, no corporation, no government regulatory committee, NO PRESIDENT, can control the direction of this country.
So I've decided that my focus is on my state, and changing the representation here (I'm also looking for other progressives to support with what little disposable income I have). I'm focused on helping progressive individuals challenge in EVERY primary, not just the repub ones. No one gets a pass for having a D after their name. I hope Cindy Sheehan wins, I hope someone does a primary challenge on Reid, and Leahy, and Lieberman and all the rest. I want those complacent morons to wake up and realize the people have had enough. I want them to have to work to stay in office and worry that they won't be able to keep their job if they don't look out for "we the people".
I was amazed to see the state legislature here go blue last election round (although it is a true microcosm of the national level, as there is still work to be done removing some corrupt jerks--and yes, some of them are dems). But even now, "party leaders" don't want to listen to progressives, they just want their money. They remain compromise whores, and I want them gone too. The national representatives? May they lose their livelihood, their income, their healthcare and finally understand what it means to struggle to survive. Truly, for every one of those who has sold us out, may they burn in hell.
But the presidential race is not something I can get enthusiastic about. Whether its President Clinton (so what if she parses all the time and won't commit?), or President Obama (his handlers are making sure he's not "too" anything so he's inoffensive to everyone), or President Edwards (maybe he is a liar, but he sounds--and looks--good doing it) or President Thompson (hey, he's played an elected leader on TV) or President Romney (The man has nice hair and he CAN speak a complete sentence without stumbling) or President Huckabee (he DID offer Colbert the vice presidency), or any other last name you want to use, with enough power in Congress (which will require all of us to remain vigilant regardless of the election results), that President answers to us--and works for us--whether they want to or not. And if they refuse, they can be impeached and/or go to jail.
Would that we had that kind of representation right now...
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