There exists somewhere in the universe, the ideal version of a stick and a carrot.
I don't have much money, so I don't have much of a carrot to offer. I can't really cajole or entice. I am not a lobbyist or lawyer. I don't have the ear of anyone in power. My voice doesn't count for much. When I yell at the television, no one seems to care.
I’ve thought about it and the the only reasonable stick I have is withholding my vote. I’ll never see those ideals. I have to work with what I’ve got.
I’ve been registered here awhile, reading here for years, but this is my first diary. Drafted a few, but didn’t post them. I suppose some of you might think I am disingenuous. I promise you I'm not. I am speaking the truth, as I see it, of course. I finally had something I felt had to be said, before it was too late.
Whenever people argued that Democrats and Republicans were the same, I’ve always loudly refuted that. Certainly there are some unfortunate similarities between the two parties, but I always saw the Democrats as the party of the social safety net, the party of adults who do the hard work of cleaning up messes, the party of less war. (How sad that there can only be “less war” and not “no war”.)
Gore/Bush/Nader. I voted for Gore, it didn’t turn out well. I remember speaking out about that at the time - telling Nader voters that they had delivered Bush to us, that they had thrown away their votes. Still, can’t stand Nader. From where I’m standing now, I wonder now how much different Gore with Lieberman, and Kerry would have been from Obama and Bill Clinton. I suppose they would have been corporate-elite-loving-Washington tools. That seems the best we can do. Oh, all of them better than Bush, but is that is your standard?
Is that what the Democratic party aims for, to be better than the worst president in history? The right moves farther out and we follow them? Are you kidding me?
I thought the 90's were over. And yet, here we have Lieberman, the Clintons, and now possibly Harold Ford again (major facepalm) all on the major stage. Here we have the party turning into the administration’s plaything, yet again. Here we have an enthused, crazed right gaining traction enabled by the traditional media.
It seems that it is easy to be the opposition party. It was easy to be against the war in 2006 (all the while voting for the supplementals). It was easy to say Bush was bad. It was, and is, self evidently true. Ultra right winger Michael Savage even said that Bush was bad back then. It was politically painless to oppose Bush. There was no sacrifice necessary. And it's easy now for the Repubs to claim that Obama is the boogeyman. So easy to oppose. So hard to govern - competently and fairly.
But is it really that hard, Obama Administration, to do one half or even one quarter of what you promised? In your first year, when you have the most political capital?
Democrats, you have a chance to get me back. Realistically, it is small chance at this point. Bring back Howard Dean as head of the party. End the Iraq occupation. Do something for the millions of poor people (in this country, sorry Haiti), the suffering, the out of work. Don't triangulate against your base. Get rid of Mr. 1990's - Rahm. Get rid of Robert Gates. Forget about bipartisanship. Those would be good starting points, but I’m open. Just don’t throw me crumbs, that won’t work.
I have looked in my heart and I cannot vote Republican in any major race under any circumstances. Yes, you think you have me by being the lesser of two evils. Well, I am god damned tired of the lesser (and weaker!) of two evils. I CAN STAY AT HOME ON ELECTION DAY!
Capitulate to corporate/elite interests as you have done over and over and I will not vote in 2010 or 2012. Continue Bush's war machine like you never learned the lessons of Vietnam and I will not vote. I am the deflated base. I am the liberal independent who finally put aside my worries and registered as a Democrat and not even a couple of years later you are pushing me away. I may be but one useless, little unimportant man, but there are thousands like me who feel the same way. Ignore me, sure, ignore all of us at your peril. Maybe you want us to be apathetic, I sure hope not.
No, I didn't believe Obama would be a liberal superhero. But I expected… something, I think you know what I mean. Moderate progressive victories, blows to the neocon war machine, restoration of the constitution, anything. Anything but a validation and institutionalizing of the last ten years, of the policies that have wrecked our country.
This is very real - the backlash. I’m not part of some abstract group of DFH's(not that there is anything wrong with them). I am a blue man in a red state (Texas). This state, especially the urban areas, is becoming blue. It could be blue. If you keep the dream alive.
I need the President to find a spine. I need him to take a stand. I need him to get weak-ass Harry Reid in line. I need better candidates than Coakley. Pass strong Healthcare. Pass a strong EFCA. Pass Immigration. Support unions openly. Repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell. Forget the neo-liberal bullshit. Reinvigorate our manufacturing industries. Stand up for your base. Stand up for me! This is our time!
Until that happens, I will begin a campaign of No Vote 2010. Word of mouth only, I don’t have a website, don’t have any money, just one man yelling in the darkness. It will break my heart to see Repubs gain seats, but it breaks my heart to be left behind like a used poker chip.
It hurts me to do it and I hope it hurts you - enough to change.
The ball is in your court, Democrats. Victory, in the form of good legislation, is possible. Political, moral, ethical victories all wrapped up together. A strong party is possible. Don’t snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. Don’t force us to form a real third party which will only hurt you. Don’t force me to stay at home on election day.
No, I don't want them to lose to learn a lesson. I want them to learn the lesson before they lose.
David