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Thursday, August 04, 2011

If you still have any hope at all that anything of this nation can be salvaged...
Posted by Jill | 6:08 AM
Right now I find myself inclined to sit out next year's election, unless something amazing happens, like Jeff Gardner deciding to run against Scott Garrett (my I Was a Teabagger Before It Was Cool Congressman who voted No on the debt deal because it didn't make draconian cuts to Social Security and Medicare), or there's an actual alternative to the hacks and cronies who will be running to keep their council seats in my town.

I loves me some Randi Rhodes, but listening to her this week really HAS been listening to a leftist equivalent of Fox and Friends, because she's been twisting herself into pretzels in some alternate universe in which Barack Obama is the winner of this debt ceiling battle. It's the 11-dimensional chess theory run amok and it makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. At what point do we recognize that the guy who managed to get guys into Pakistan and finally kill Osama Bin Laden is, in fact, doing exactly what he wants to do, and what we elected in 2008 was a Wall Street Republican?

So if we assume that Obama really does want to cut entitlements and despite his rhetoric, is just fine with the wealthiest people in this country not having to share in the shared sacrifice being demanded of everyone else, then what reason is there to vote next year?

Well, there are a couple of reasons if you live in one of the Congressional districts that is featuring actual progressive candidates. And The Blue America People Who Ignore This Blog But Are Still Doing Great Work have assembled them in one place so that if you are so inclined, and if you still have a job, you can toss a few shekels to these candidates (and yes, one of them is Alan Grayson), who really DO offer an alternative to the wussy, gutless wonders who currently populate Democratic Washington.

If you're so inclined, check them out here.

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8 Comments:
Anonymous tata said...
At what point do we recognize that the guy who managed to get guys into Pakistan and finally kill Osama Bin Laden is, in fact, doing exactly what he wants to do, and what we elected in 2008 was a Wall Street Republican?

How about now?

The Democrats in New Jersey, in a showing of true colors, just served state workers like me with pay and benefits cuts. Our Democratic President just shredded the social safety net and plans further cutting. I would never consider voting for a Republican, but because I believe what I see and trust my own experience, I will never vote for another Democrat as long as I live.

I will still vote, but I will vote for candidates that reflect my beliefs.
8/4/11, 9:00 AM  
Blogger mbarnato said...
Jill, I stop by nearly every day, and so admire your writing and your perspective on things.

Randi's great, but haven't listened to her lately due to her broadcast time. However, was in the car listening this week when she went on about how smart Obama was in the debt ceiling budget deal, and I could hardly believe it. Obama has been extremely disappointing since he failed to support a single payer health plan in summer 2009, but I was willing to give him the benefit of the 11-dimensional chess argument for about a year. No longer.

We are fortunate to have excellent Congressional representation in our district (Geo Miller, D-CA) and I have never missed voting in a national election. At the moment, I'm prepared to hold my nose & vote for Obama in 2012 but let's see what the next year brings. My community has a Green party mayor and I'm involved in the local Transition Town movement, so I know what can be accomplished with an alternate party not afraid to try new ways. Of course, we are Richmond, CA, so we could take a bold leap without much to lose. Maybe that's what it takes in the US; a central meltdown with local recovery. The shock will be great, but GovCorp is putting us through shock & awe anyway - may as well bring it down as more of a controlled demolition with a back-up plan...

Meanwhile, I'm feeling the need for more sustained, cohesive non-violent action & civil disobedience directed at GovCorp. Been thinking about some "umbrella" organization to pull things together a la Mobe during the Viet Nam war. There's a lot of undercurrent, discussion & writing going on - much untapped energy.
8/4/11, 10:54 AM  
Anonymous The Wifely Person said...
tata said: but I will vote for candidates that reflect my beliefs.

that's the problem...they're morphs. They reflect whatever they need to reflect to get into office and then do whatever the hell they want that will increase the chances of keeping office.

We have a congress of idiologues...morons who don't know when to stop being morons. They are only interested in serving their party honchos and the party pockets. It has absolutely nothing to do with their constituencies.

And just like Diogenes, we will have to keep looking for an honest representative.
8/4/11, 11:55 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...
Thank you, Nader voters -- your distaste for the conventional candidates was acknowledged by everyone and caused President Bush to adopt policies that benefitted everybody, not just the millionaires and billionaires !

I'm not particularly happy with Obama, but "flirts with evil" is still better than "evil"!

To show your distaste, help elect candidates of your political views to state legislatures, Congress and the U.S. Senate.
8/4/11, 12:13 PM  
Anonymous Dave said...
Jill,
Like you, I am VERY disappointed in President Obama. But you can't let the bastards win by not voting. As tata said, vote for who and what you can and leave the rest blank.
8/4/11, 1:45 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...
Here is a reason to vote Democratic:
Mitt Romney (R) announced his presidential campaign’s “Justice Advisory Committee,” along with its co-chair Robert Bork.
8/4/11, 2:45 PM  
Blogger Demeur said...
It's all becoming a clown circus to me. Until there is campaign finance reform none of this will change and I don't see it happening any time soon.
8/5/11, 12:16 AM  
Anonymous A very tired AlphaHusky said...
Well, pretty much what I said in my comment on the Carlin thread.

As for state workers, here in CT. Well, yes. Gutted. My toddler with Down syndrome lost all of her services in one clean swoop two and a half weeks ago. Now it's day-by-day. I have quarrel with some state funded agencies for deeply personal reasons I cannot go into. But for the most part, they are essential in so many ways (if they use their own brains and not just their bureaucratic structure- though ~sigh~ I know they must). I hate that her workers are now forced to live on a week to week basis, never knowing if they will be able to return again. She's about to age out of her program and into preschool in a few months. Sadly, her Birth to Three teacher is most likely to be forced out, meaning my little girl's transition into preschool is going to be rockier.
8/5/11, 6:59 AM  
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