Let's be clear.
Let's be realistic. I know we'd rather wax poetic about how the world shouldn't be (it's always been that way), how the President should be (we've never had one that was, whatever that means), how the Democratic Party should be (as we actively work against its unity - yes, I am explicitly claiming that there is a conspiracy against Democratic unity), but let's return to the real world, where most of us adults (and some babies, big and otherwise) have to live, work, and try to change things for the better.
If you don't vote in the 2012 presidential election, or vote for the Republican, or vote for a 3rd-party candidate that has zero chance of winning, you will be *directly responsible* for global warming, the rising price of gold, Brad and Angelina divorcing, and a terrible LOLcatz drought on the internets. Think of the kitties!!!! No, kittiesssssss!!!
Oh, so you're going to vote? "Oh, but it's one vote....it's a big deal?" You clearly think it's a big deal, otherwise you (and not just the link, but those with this general attitude) wouldn't have posted publicly about it, and repeatedly reminded us how happy and awesome you are that your one or two issues have been dealt with adequately. Well, I learned in 3rd grade civics class (and I suspect you did too), that every vote matters. Your vote may not matter - even though I just said in the previous sentence that it did! - but your vote within a group of 5,000 not-voting-this-timers in one state matters....and a 3rd-grader could tell you this. But probably won't, because 3rd graders usually do other things than write silly stuff with no guiding logic on the internets. If you aren't convinced by a 3rd-grader, go ask some folks in Ohio and Florida what they think about relatively small groups of people staying home in important elections. And then ask them about an activist Supreme Court that stole an election and a presidential candidate that gave up the fight, and see which one they think is more important for determining the outcomes of elections.
So yeah, you're responsible. Remember you're a liberal/progressive? It's not all about you. Get that? It's NOT about you - but you are DIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE!
What's better for all of us:
1. Bailing out banks, selling out ordinary people.
2. Refusing to prosecute or even investigate major financial crimes, the ones that got us in the shit state we find ourselves in right now.
3. Putting Social Security and Medicare "on the table" - WTF is that about?
4. Pressuring state attorneys general to accept a bullshit settlement on mortgage fraud and head off any investigation into certain criminal malfeasance.
I'm not going to give you a choice, even though the term "what's better for us" implies that there is one, because none of that shit is good for us.
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Think that any of this doesn't make any fucking sense? You're right - it doesn't, except for that last part. But it makes as much sense as the main point of the diarist whose diary - which, incredibly, made the Rec list - whose writing I parodied (poorly, but look what I had to work with). It's not about you - yet you are personally responsible. Unless you vote for the Democratic candidate - no matter what you feel - then it's **you** who is responsible for a President Romney's actions. You owe the Democrats your vote, no matter what they do. And if you make your feelings of disappointment known, with the hope of pushing them in the right direction, then you are sabotaging "Democratic unity".
And, worst of all, there's the idea the ordinary possible voter is more responsible for the President's election than he is.
Yet this is recommendable. O...k.... Anything to the idea that politicians, Democratic and otherwise, have to earn votes? Or do we just have to accept that all responsibility goes down and all the benefits go up?