There's been so much talk lately, inspired by the likes of Jane Hamsher and FDL, that it may be time for us to visit the past for a moment.
I'll say it plainly and clearly : I voted for Ralph Nader in 2000, 2004, and 2008. I had no choice. I was forced by conscience to vote for the singular candidate that spoke to my ideals and principles. I was forced by conscience to vote for the person whose platform closest resembled that of the America I hope to live in. In fact, Ralph Nader is the ONLY candidate who has actually helped the American people, more than once or twice. Literally.
It's no surprise that this kind of talk is constantly shot down by those who had not the wherewithal to vote this way. People like me are even still, forced to defend our vote in 2000, as if we're the ones who rejected and eschewed our principles, in favor of an illusory "lesser of two evils".
I have some news for you: without people like us, our Republic would be no closer to ideal than it was in 1883.
Without people like us, American women would not be able to vote.
Without people like us, African Americans would not be able to vote, or attend a proper school, or find a job.
Without people like us, a 40 hour work week would be a dream.
Without people like us, labor unions would be a distant dream.
Without people like us, children would still be wielding torches, brazing metals for 12 hours a day.
Without people like us, the New Deal wouldn't have even been possible. We laid the groundwork.
Without people like us, Bernie Sanders and Dennis Kucinich would not be representing us.
Without people like us, thousands would die every month in car accidents, as a result of poor car safety. Thank you Ralph, for your hard work.
Of course, Al Gore losing in 2000 was the direct result of Ralph Nader voters, right? How could it be otherwise? This has been the party line for ten years. What the party says must be true. How could it not be true?
Let's see here...... all speculation aside, what are the facts?
- every sanctioned recount of the Florida results in 2000 resulted in a Gore victory of the state.
- the loss of Tennessee which Clinton won in 1996, shows just how weak Al Gore actually was.
- Gore lost West Virginia, a traditional Democratic stronghold.
- virtually al of Gore's campaign advisers admit now to going soft on the "environment" in 2000.
- 20% of Democrats cast a ballot for Bush. 0.5% of Democrats voted for Nader. ooops.
Okay, okay. We all know this. Some deny it, but the fact is WE ALL KNOW THIS. The Democrats love to blame the Nader movement for being a spoiler, yet the same party denies that same movement has the power to affect legislation. Remarkable.
Here's the thing...... many Democrats insist we'd be living in a much different world were Al Gore president in 2000. I have no doubt it would be different, and here's how I see it:
Al Gore actually won the election. In fact, he also won the popular vote. In some twisted irony, the CHAMPION of the little guy, Gore himself, decided to not fight to retain his victory. He gave up. He let the presidency be decided by judicial fiat. This to me, indicates that he would have led without principle, and without a strong voice. In other words, his actions lead me to believe him to be a weak, compromised leader.
Joe Lieberman was his VP candidate. Talk all you want about how little his power would have been, but the fact remains that even Al Gore himself cast a tie-breaking vote 5 times during his tenure. It's a Constitutional obligation of the VP, therefore, Joe Lieberman could well have done some damage, much as he's doing now.
It has been postulated that 9/11 wouldn't have happened under Gore. Most studies, however conjecture, find that to be untrue. The response would have been different yes.
However, Al Gore advocated the invasion of Iraq. Many times over. It is very likely that some military action would have been taken in Iraq. Also, seeing as how the Democrats practically united in support of the war, it would be pure ignorance to assume that Gore would have been the advocate for peace, especially in light of the Clinton administration's repeated contempt for the rule of international law.
Al Gore was a significant advocate of various domestic surveillance programs, some of which became the basis of the Patriot Act, which our current president voted for.
Al Gore would have signed the Kyoto Treaty, yes. But he would not have had the votes in Congress for it, and without the gusto of a presidential order, there would be no difference than what we have.
The Clinton/Gore years partly paved the way for the institutionalization of corporate irresponsibility, including banking deregulation, and various other "reforms". We must begin to accept their complicity in this mess.
Okay, okay. I get it. I could go on, but we all KNOW this. Some deny it, but the fact is, when we're falling asleep a night, we know deep inside that Gore was a different version of bad...... no better, no worse. His actions and statements can give us no other impression.
I submit that at the very least, we can walk away from these 8 years, knowing that the Bush presidency woke much of this country from its collective slumber. That is the silver lining we can take. Without Bush, I suggest that we would not have experienced this collective awakening - though that seems to be questionable, given the contempt here for people like myself.
You know, I'm just tired of having to defend my position, as someone who has consistently voted FOR my principles. Only in a place this twisted and utterly illogical, would people like myself be the subject of ridicule and abject persecution.
We are NOT the traitors. We are not the ones who have consistently voted against our beliefs, despite decades of betrayal and proof of abandonment. We are not the people who continue to defend our system and process, as if we they were battered wives.... victims of a cold hand, bitterly holding onto a promise, and defending its master at every opportunity.
We are the ones who have fought to better this country, even with our lives.
We are the ones who are on our feet every day, doing our best to hold liars and criminals accountable.
We are the ones who steadfastly profess unity in principle, even if that unity takes years to gain a hold.
We are the ones who have steadfastly upheld our principles and voted in accordance with them.
We are the ones who refuse to betray our very own beliefs.
In the words of President Barack Obama himself, we are the ones we've been waiting for.
My lesson from Ralph Nader? Keep fighting, because someday, someone will thank you for not giving up and giving in.