Reply #6: The Whigs didn't disappear because they overreached [View All]

[Oak2004]

They disappeared because they tried their damndest not to take any position that would offend anyone on the great national crisis of their age, slavery.

The party of treason, the Democrats, survived the inevitable storm. The third party that arose because the Whigs were not functioning as a healthy opponent to the Democrats became a major party. But the Whigs, by trying to stand for nothing at all in an all or nothing age, became exactly what it was that they aspired to -- nothing.

The party today most like the Whigs are the Democrats. And I see signs that indicate that they may just follow the Whigs into nothingness. Look around you, and see the number of faithful Democrats who are starting to talk about a third party.

I know that if and when there's another presidential election, the Democrats will have to give me some very good reasons not to vote Green. I've never voted for a third party presidential candidate. But I've concluded that my vote for Kerry was a wasted vote, a vote wasted on a man and a party more concerned with their futures than with the future of democracy. I've concluded that Cobb, or Nader, or even Badnarik, each of whom stood up for America when America needed him, should have gotten my vote.

That the Dems will be financing their 2008 campaign with some of the money I gave them for the 2004 campaign will not count as a good reason for me to come back and vote for them.