"I voted straight Republican ticket."
For those of us who are not of the authoritarian mindset, I think we view and can't understand the serious realpolitic of being stuck in an intolerant right-wing community. I've been hearing anecdotes for ages about this and I'm confident that it's just not safe for millions of possible voters to admit that they vote for D's. We should encourage them to lie. At least this November.
I'm endlessly critical of Obama but grateful and relieved about him overall, and I'm confident he can win this fall, but we are all united in needing a Congress that can take care of this country's business. Every downticket vote is so critically important. I believe we should encourage people in unsafe environments to protect themselves but vote Dem.
[The gay analogy:] Probably everyone here sympathizes with the gravity of the challenge that people who are "in the closet" about their sexuality face and the suffering and damage it can cause. I think there is enormous mental/psycho-emotional tension inherent in knowing that one is the kind of individual some reprehensible others abhor or consider unacceptable. There is definitely the risk of inciting violence. [end analogy and insert apologies - the comparison really could be abused]
Our diaries have been filled with anecdotes about the authoritarian mentality as it applies to Obama Derangement Syndrome. I would say this November we need the votes. Voting Dem is pro-country, period. These are not your daddy's Republicans. We need a Congress that works. We need a public sphere that rolls back the clock to the superior cooperation of past decades.
We at least need GOPers who cooperate with Dems as well as the Dems cooperated with W. We're in greater danger now than we were then. Things cannot work at all and go forward with this degree of GOP obstruction. I think millions of decent people who respect (or at least have to accept) their neighbors' feelings about voting GOP know this and feel this but do not want to have to lie about their vote. And it's not safe for them to vote Dem and admit it. We should encourage wives to lie to their husbands about this. We should encourage ministers to lie to their flocks.
It's disgusting. But I like the message and I think it's warranted by the reality. How would we support or flesh out such a message? How can we appeal to people's patriotism and decency to vote their consciences when their consciences would also oppose lying to their neighbors and friends?