General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: An open letter to folks like myself who cannot in good conscience vote for Obama [View all]eomer
(3,845 posts)I understand and respect your personal solution but can't manage the mental self-manipulation that it seems to require. I too will vote for President Obama but because I must, because there is so much at stake and his reelection is the necessary step at this time.
In other words, I eventually resolved to the conclusion that the seemingly more principled position (of refusing to vote for someone who orders extra-judicial killing and other things that are unconscionable) is only such when looked at narrowly. When I step back and consider the wider predicament in all its disturbing detail, I'm convinced, finally, that the principled choice is the pragmatic vote, the vote that will have the greater chance of moving us toward a principled world, the vote to reelect President Obama.
Offered in the same spirit as your OP - that it may help someone else struggling with the same choice.