A lot of premature euphoria is evaporating. The Democrats think that it is imperative to restore FISA, so imperative that they are willing to yield to Bush importuning and give retroactive immunity to the telcos. Even the great liberal hero B. Obama is going along with this: "It's the best we can get", he claims. By gosh, them's fighting words!
What can we do about this? The answer, for most of us, is simple: simply don't vote for them. Vote for someone else.
"Oh! oh! oh!" (I can hear the shrieks way back in Maryland!) "You're going to vote for Nader!! Oh! oh! You'll put McCain into the White House!"
No, folks. No, and again, no. I live in Maryland, which voted for Gore with a 300,000 vote plurality in 2000, which voted for Kerry in 2004 with a 300,000 vote plurality. And this year Maryland will give Obama a 400,000 vote plurality. This means that I have a Free Vote.
This same argument goes for those liberals who live in Massachusetts, or New York, or New Jersey, or Oregon, or California. It also goes for those liberals -- there are quite a few -- who live in Texas, or Idaho, or Tennessee. In these states, and in quite a few others, it makes no sense to vote for the Democrats, either to swell their victory, or to subtract from the overwhelming Republican total. Far better to vote for someone else. To show the flag. To speak up: "Dissent is still alive. Down with the duopoly!"
I am not a Nader fan, 'cause he's a one-man show. I'd rather build a movement. I shall vote Green here in Maryland, and, 'cause I'm a Dreamer, hope that the Greens might take away 50,000 of the Obama plurality here.
But if you are a Nader fan, by all means vote Nader. If you are a Libertarian, vote for Barr. But to join a Democratic avalanche, or swim against a Republican tide, makes no sense. Have your vote say something!
Alan McConnell is a retired mathematician, and
a Co-trustee of the Washington Area Impeachment
Fund, LLC.
