I came across this sentiment in another diary: "If you don't support our party's nominee, then get the hell out!" What follows is my reaction.
I recently joined the Democratic party. It was a tough decision; I have an allergy to party-politics. I have never been and will never be an uninvestigative straight-ticket voter. I have respect for Republicans like Arlen Specter, Richard Luger, Chuck Hagel, Walter Jones, and even "thousand years in Iraq" John McCain, to name a few. I don't agree with all of their positions. But I respect them. And if the choice comes to a Democrat I don't respect and don't trust, and a Republican I do trust and do respect, I will consider voting for the Republican, or abstaining.
I have urged, on other sites, civility toward the opposition, because I don't believe anybody wins when everybody acts like Karl Rove. Every time I see the word "repug", I cringe. When I complained (this was many months ago) at Crooks and Liars that I thought it was inappropriate to wish Tony Snow's cancer would get worse, I was assumed to be a "niceness troll", or something equally bizarre. I find the level of mindless vitriol hurled at the opposition deeply disturbing. We have better things to do with our time. The occasional frustration vent, I can understand. But the constant, contentless jabber that goes on at liberal and progressive sites (and is perfectly mirrored in freeper-land, with "surrendercrats", "dhimmicrats", etc., in place of "repugs", "rethugs", etc.), is destructive. I find it even more disturbing among our own ranks, as this election cycle has evolved.
Believe me when I say: I want the progressive agenda to move forward as much as anybody here. I want universal health care. I want to see the desperately needed improvements in our educational system. I want public financing of elections. I want habeas corpus back and Guantanamo closed. I want us to get the hell out of Iraq, and I want to see the defense corporations who profiteered in Iraq charged with war crimes. I want Bush and Cheney impeached yesterday. But, unlike the modus operandi of New Republican party, I'm not willing to sell my soul to get what I want. If that means conscientious abstention, then I will conscientiously abstain. If it means voting for a Republican because the Republican is the better candidate, that is what I will do. And I do not believe that contradicts my progressive principles an iota. Quite the contrary.
I came across this sentiment in another diary: "If you don't support our party's nominee, then get the hell out!"
If that's really what you want...fine. I'll take my passion, my time and my resources elsewhere. I'll spend more time on my work, on fulfilling my own varied ambitions, I'll volunteer somewhere and I'll forget about politics. Because if that's the kind of politics that's being glorified, I don't want a thing to do with it. I don't think it's moral or practical. In general, there are two ways of getting something big accomplished: the people recognize you have a moral imperative behind you, or the people see you have guns pointed at them.
There has been talk of a "schism" in the Democratic Party. It's hard to gauge just by internet comments...but I think it's safe to say that the combination of a disastrous Republican administration and an exciting Democratic race have been responsible for the tremendous voter turnout we've been seeing in the early states. We have the opportunity to bring an entire generation under the progressive umbrella. If we don't blow it by harping on the past and getting snagged in the little things.
It is probably pretty transparent where my sympathies lie in the primary, if I haven't stated it publicly elsewhere. But that's not the point of this entry. The point is, an attitude of "You had better support whoever the hell our nominee is, even if it's a slime monster from outer space, or else we don't want you in the party because you're a destructive traitor", isn't going to attract a lot support. We will take our money, time and passion elsewhere. And the business of governing will be left to the people who care more about power than principle.
I know someone is going to call me some curious variety of troll for not towing the line. Go ahead. I said what I believe needed to be said.