For decades I've envied Parliamentary forms of democracy where a small party of dedicated activists and organizers, whether Greens, Progressives, Vegetarians, Socialists, Communists, Trade Unionists, Gays, etc., can have real strategic impact in exchange for temporary support in Parliament of a major party. But alas, we have a two-party system not about to change.
Currently the Republicans are the mean-spirited party of greed, war and religious intolerance as exemplified by their three presidential candidates. Like their Islamic counterparts, the "Fallwell-Robertson wing' wants to impose a theocracy on us. Huckabee advocates this while doing his down home Golly Gee Ah Shucks act. Will he reprise the role of Gomer Pyle Goes To Washington?
Romney is their "greed is good" candidate and, given the chance, McCain will kill us all in a third World War. That's unless he forgets the secret nuclear code at the time of attack, or just has to pee again while we take incoming missiles. I'm his same age, so trust me on this.
Conversely, the Congressional Democrats are the party of cowards and wimps in need of spinal transplants. Since the November "06 election, Pelosi and Reed have talked the "stand up to Bush and fight" talk, but each time the chips are down they fold.
Each time Bush-Chaney says, "9-11, radical Islamic terrorists", or "support our brave American troops with billions more," the Congressional Democrats retreat to a corner of the room in the fetal position with their thumbs in their mouths, eyes tightly closed, desperately trying to remember the words to God Bless America. They shame themselves and shame the rest of us.
But the truth is those are the only two voting choices in "08. So pick a side, Comrades. To act otherwise, like so many infantile left wing progressives, is to be a Political Baby. A Political Baby is someone who won't admit that voting for a third party is the same as voting for the Republicans, since your vote is one less they have to offset to win.
Have you forgotten Nader the Traitor in 2000? He and the misguided that voted for him bear a lot of responsibility for the present day mess. Now some Political Babies want him to run again.
Comrades, please! Take your meds.
I speak up here not out of purity, but as a former Political Baby myself who once voted for the Peace and Freedom Party (didn't that turn out well). And who refused to vote for Humphrey out of "principle' and instead ran a pig named Pegasus for President, but a much bigger pig named Nixon won thanks to all the Political Babies at the time like me.
Nixon, for god's sake! NIXON! Some Political Babies, wallowing in their own political purity will decide not to vote (like there are any virgins in electoral politics). What, you think that gets you the Muslim equivalent of 70 virgins in the hereafter?
Not voting is wrong since it means your non-vote doesn't have to be offset for Republicans to win in "08. Do the math, Comrades. For those so-called progressives who say there isn't a dimes worth of difference between Republicrats and Demoblicans, you are quoting a racist third-party candidate, George Wallace. How progressive of y'all! You must be so proud.
Consider: Staying in Iraq, starting a war with Iran VERSUS ending the war and stop killing people. Criminalizing abortion VERSUS a woman's right to choose. Spying on phone calls, emails, web searches, library books, all the unpatriotic Patriot Acts, ending habeas corpus VERSUS not doing any of this. Torture, water boarding, Gitmo, Abu Ghrab, renditions, secret CIA prisons, ignoring Human Rights Treaties VERSUS ending this madness. And what about Bush, Chaney, Rumsfield, Rice, Rowe, Libby, Gonzales and dozens more war criminals like them VERSUS their permanent departure.
Even with the weak U.S. Dollar there seems to be at least a twenty-dollar difference between the parties, not jus a dime. Our choices are two fold: Door Number 1. Whine, snivel, bitch and waste valuable time and resources in dubious battles of 1960's demonstrations like the anti-war Political Babies did in the 2004 election while the Republicans win. Instead of registering voters and turning them out on Election Day, they squandered untold hours and money to parade past the Republican Convention once, chanting feel good slogans. Strategic morons and tactical idiot are the quintessence of Political Babies. Door Number 2. Grow up and register all the Democrats you can and make sure they vote early and often this November. In 2008 voting for the lesser of two evils comes down to voting for three strike Republican felons, or misdemeanor miscreant Democrats. Otherwise, like it or not, you are helping the damn Republicans and I'll see you down the road in one of McClain's concentration camps. I'm told the guards will be social workers, that staff will wear white coats and speak politely during our interrogations. But if you are a Political Baby, don't ask me for any cigarettes.
For decades I've envied Parliamentary forms of democracy where a small party of dedicated activists and organizers, whether Greens, Progressives, Vegetarians, Socialists, Communists, Trade Unionists, Gays, etc., can have real strategic impact in exchange for temporary support in Parliament of a major party. But alas, we have a two-party system not about to change. Currently the Republicans are the mean-spirited party of greed, war and religious intolerance as exemplified by their three presidential candidates. Like their Islamic counterparts, the "Fallwell-Robertson wing' wants to impose a theocracy on us. Huckabee advocates this while doing his down home Golly Gee Ah Shucks act. Will he reprise the role of Gomer Pyle Goes To Washington? Romney is their "greed is good" candidate and, given the chance, McCain will kill us all in a third World War. That's unless he forgets the secret nuclear code at the time of attack, or just has to pee again while we take incoming missiles. I'm his same age, so trust me on this. Conversely, the Congressional Democrats are the party of cowards and wimps in need of spinal transplants. Since the November "06 election, Pelosi and Reed have talked the "stand up to Bush and fight" talk, but each time the chips are down they fold. Each time Bush-Chaney says, "9-11, radical Islamic terrorists, or support our brave American troops with billions more," the Congressional Democrats retreat to a corner of the room in the fetal position with their thumbs in their mouths, eyes tightly closed, desperately trying to remember the words to God Bless America. They shame themselves and shame the rest of us. But the truth is those are the only two voting choices in "08. So pick a side, Comrades. To act otherwise, like so many infantile left wing progressives, is to be a Political Baby. A Political Baby is someone who won't admit that voting for a third party is the same as voting for the Republicans, since your vote is one less they have to offset to win. Have you forgotten Nader the Traitor in 2000? He and the misguided that voted for him bear a lot of responsibility for the present day mess. Now some Political Babies want him to run again. Comrades, please! Take your meds. I speak up here not out of purity, but as a former Political Baby myself who once voted for the Peace and Freedom Party (didn't that turn out well). And who refused to vote for Humphrey out of "principle' and instead ran a pig named Pegasus for President, but a much bigger pig named Nixon won thanks to all the Political Babies at the time like me. Nixon, for god's sake! NIXON! Some Political Babies, wallowing in their own political purity will decide not to vote (like there are any virgins in electoral politics). What, you think that gets you the Muslim equivalent of 70 virgins in the hereafter? Not voting is wrong since it means your non-vote doesn't have to be offset for Republicans to win in "08. Do the math, Comrades. For those so-called progressives who say there isn't a dimes worth of difference between Republicrats and Demoblicans, you are quoting a racist third-party candidate, George Wallace. How progressive of y'all! You must be so proud. Consider: Staying in Iraq, starting a war with Iran VERSUS ending the war and stop killing people. Criminalizing abortion VERSUS a woman's right to choose. Spying on phone calls, emails, web searches, library books, all the unpatriotic Patriot Acts, ending habeas corpus VERSUS not doing any of this. Torture, water boarding, Gitmo, Abu Ghrab, renditions, secret CIA prisons, ignoring Human Rights Treaties VERSUS ending this madness. And what about Bush, Chaney, Rumsfield, Rice, Rowe, Libby, Gonzales and dozens more war criminals like them VERSUS their permanent departure. Even with the weak U.S. Dollar there seems to be at least a twenty-dollar difference between the parties, not jus a dime. Our choices are two fold:
Door Number 1. Whine, snivel, bitch and waste valuable time and resources in dubious battles of 1960's demonstrations like the anti-war Political Babies did in the 2004 election while the Republicans win. Instead of registering voters and turning them out on Election Day, they squandered untold hours and money to parade past the Republican Convention once, chanting feel good slogans. Strategic morons and tactical idiot are the quintessence of Political Babies.
And you reminded me of 1972 when some of my liberal friends, after the Chicago police riots, decided against voting. Some even voted for Nixon. I'm no longer in touch with them but I've often wondered how they felt about their vote in that election.
Who knows, maybe some voted for Regan and Bush in order to send the Democrats another message. Maybe by now the Democratic Party has gotten the message they were trying to send, but it seems more like the Democratic Party misinterpreted the message. Instead they apparently heard the message that they had to become more conservative.
by
PrMaine (8 articles, 4 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 243 comments)
on Sunday, February 3, 2008 at 9:41:46 AM
"Retired on Social Insecurity. Long time grunt in the war on poverty, racism and war itself."---Well, Mr. Cordray, That phrase could describe me, also.
However I must respectfully disagree that if I don't vote for one of the Corporatist Dem's that we've been forced to choose from that I am automatically a Baby. How dare you! I'm sooo tired of this argument that we must just hold our noses, forget that we have consciences and hit the "lesser of 2 evils" button out of fear of Rethuglicans, I wanna go RRRRAAAWWWRR! Until we send a message to the Democrats that there is an alternative to the same old-same old, they'll just keep on going their merry way of business as usual. Not for this Ol' Hippie Radical, who refused to serve in the Military in '70 and payed the price. (conviction, probation, 2 yrs alternate service in a mental hospital that was a priceless experience!) Not for this Adult who has counseled hundreds of young people on alternatives to military service. Not for this man of conscience who will vote for Nader if he runs or write in Kucinich if not. I couldn't live with myself if I did differently. I understand your argument, James, but voting what is my conscience is more grown up that rollin' over for a broken system and phony candidates. I'll pass on Shillary and Mr. Huge Military Obama, thanks. Maybe if enough voters would do the same on both sides we might actually send the message that we need REAL change!
by
Papawhale (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 58 comments)
on Sunday, February 3, 2008 at 9:59:22 AM
My question to you is, will you bring back the dead? Voting for Clinton or Obama is a vote for continuing combat operations in Iraq and possibly Iran. As the father of an active duty soldier, I not willing to let either pro war Democrats or Republicans kill my son for a failed foreign policy and an illegal occupation of sovereign nation. Your argument is an old one which supports our corrupted political system in which those who have the corporate backing and money to win. I don't accept your premise that by voting issues instead of parties that I am a "baby". I consider it immoral to vote for those who will continue the death and destruction in Iraq, if you choose to do so; the blood is on your hands.
by
Dave Peter (4 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 19 comments)
on Sunday, February 3, 2008 at 10:40:22 AM
I sincerely hope your son makes it home with his body, mind and soul intact and a prayer is in my heart every day for ALL those who have been put in harm's way (including the Iraqi and Afghan people, remember them?) by the damn criminals who put us into this damn war and the gutless Congress who won;t stand up to Chimpy. Hillary and Obama make the right noises but still want to maintain the MIC, which is so deplorable to me that I cannot vote for either in good conscience.
Keep the faith, brother and the good work you do in Las Vegas.
by
Papawhale (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 58 comments)
on Sunday, February 3, 2008 at 11:03:28 AM
Sorry Jimmy but the fact remains that there is a substantial effort to build a consistent, long-term political strategy to change the American political institutions. A third party effort inherently confronts the obstacles to multi-party government. There is no forward movement that does not run into obstacles from the powers that be. The fact remains that the two-party system has not established any mechanism for representation of minority views. There is no input for policies for a large number of marginalized and mainstream voters.The two parties are in fact contributor-based parties and not constituency-based parties. This means the dollar counts more than the vote.
Cynthia McKinney is running for the Green Party nomination for the Presidency. Her effort is an expression of how even many political officials and public representatives have been squeezed out of the two party system. Just like Nader she once worked within the system. No novice to political realities of America she has come to realize that a third party route provides a mechanism for those who have gone unrepresented for too long. A vote for her goes further than a vote for the two parties and creates a distinct scenario for the future which can be built upon.
by
Martin Zehr (36 articles, 2 quicklinks, 2 diaries, 76 comments)
on Sunday, February 3, 2008 at 1:23:03 PM
Thanks for your comment on my Slay the Dragon piece. We both got some silly resonses so I made a comment back on mine. [I thought readers and commentors would be thoughtul and intelligent. Except for James Cordray, none of you understood what the point is. If you don't get it, why comment and appear so uninformed? This article did not tell you to give up your values - it said to get active and change the system so we can all vote our convictions - but until then, if you don't chose the 'lesser of the evil,' you get the 'worser of the evil.' You all seem to think that the 'worser' is the 'better' - silly you.]
by
Sharon (3 articles, 0 quicklinks, 5 diaries, 33 comments)
on Thursday, February 7, 2008 at 12:28:50 AM
