The American people, those sufficiently clear-headed and informed to understand their own interests, are forced into a conflict of impulses by the ambivalence of their political leaders. Vote third-party or not vote at all, and risk a grosser of two evils? Continue to support a party that's going nowhere out of fear of a party that's taking us down?

I've decided on my course: I'm going to follow my stomach, and refuse any further donations or volunteering to any but stalwart progressive candidates "" most definitely not to the national congressional or presidential campaigns "" until the Leadership really wows me. I hope they can, somehow. But it's hard to imagine. Impeachment hearings? Protecting and defending the Constitution? Concrete action to prevent an attack on Iran? A truly progressive campaign strategy by Obama? I can wait, I can sit on my wallet.

I'll vote Democratic in November in any case, but someone in the Lofty Leadership is going to have to work a little harder, and give a little more, to pick up my slack.