I was about to leave the Democratic party this afternoon.

[Kablooie]

I was about to change my affiliation with the Democratic party today because I am sick and fed up with them after the latest vote to support Bush's spying program.
I had the web page open and started to fill it out.

Then it occurred to me, I want someone as president who is NOT AN EXPERIENCED ESTABLISHMENT POLITICIAN. The only person that has a chance of winning and fits the bill is Obama.

Therefore I have delayed my leaving of the Democratic party in order to have one more shot at supporting Obama as a candidate. If he loses, I'm outta here.

I really have no faith in any party any more. Obama may not be able to change anything, he may be terrible. I don't know.

But at least he is someone relatively new and untried and that gives me a small amount of hope. Trying something new is the only hope we have left for keeping America alive since the old time piggish politicians, on both sides, seem intent on eliminating the Constitution and creating a new Animal Farm for us to live in.

Flame me all you want. I'm just stating what I believe to be true.

[maddezmom]

1. Glad you're going to give it one last shot

:)

[quinnox]

2. no flame

I'm glad you still have a faith in one of the Democratic candidates. About leaving the party if Obama doesn't win, maybe some will flame you over this but not me, I'm confident Hillary will have enough support to win the presidency.

[Lucinda]

3. That would be the last reason i'd support a candidate but

I totally see your point. I'm glad you see the potential in Obama. Dont let the bashers get ya down. :)

I'm still candidite surfing, but I'm glad to see that you've found someone you can get behind.

[journalist3072]

4. Just a few things to keep in mind if you think Obama is so different and new

and not a part of the establishment.

- One of the first things he did as a new Senator, is to vote IN FAVOR of reporting Condi Rice's nomination out of the Foreign Relations Committee, and sending it to the full Senate for a vote.

Obama lost me right away when he voted to report Condi's nomination out of the Foreign Relations Committee. I do not believe she understood her job as National Security Adviser and I don't believe she was qualifed to be Secy of State. If Obama really wanted to set himself apart from the establishment, he would have voted NOT to report her nomination out.

- Just recently, when the Senate was taking the vote on whether to even hold a no confidence vote on Alberto Gonzales, Barack Obama didn't even bother to vote.

He was recorded as "not voting" when the Senate was taking a vote on whether to hold a no-confidence vote on Gonzales. Now, ask yourself why is it that Obama did not even want to be on record as stating whether or not he thought the Senate should have the no-confidence vote. This was political cowardice.

Barack Obama, in my opinion, is not ready to be President.

[Olney Blue]

7. You illustrate very well why it's hard for Senators to get elected.

[Clintonista2]

8. Don't forget his position on renewing the patriot act

Vote 29: H R 3199: Reauthorized a slightly modified version of the 2001 USA Patriot Act.

Obama voted in favour of renewing it.

[Kablooie]

12. I realize the Obama isn't perfect.

I expect he will make mistakes, partly because he is new, but I also believe he will be one to quickly learn from these mistakes.

He has impressed me as an intelligent, earnest politician, something that has been sorely lacking recently.

This, combined with the fact he is relatively free of old world connections, makes him someone I want to support at this time.

[journalist3072]

16. I just have a different view on that

I think Obama has show he's not ready for prime time yet. I think we've seen that in many of his responses to questions during the debate, as well as other instances.

I think one of the important traits of a leader, is being someone who doesn't just shoot from the hip without thinking first. Someone who doesn't just open their mouth, but has the ability to think things through first.

And when I watched Obama respond to the diplomacy question during the YouTube debate, I felt like I was watching someone who responded without even really thinking first.

With Obama, I'm worried that people have gotten caught all up in the hype of a man who gave one good, inspiring speech at a Convention, without really examining his record since then.

[Olney Blue]

5. Glad you stayed, and glad Obama inspires you!

[EV_Ares]

6. I think you are one of many who have the same thoughts as you. I really

don't know what kind of a decision I am going to make in the end. I am sick and tird of this leadership and the last vote did it for me.

How can they go on and on about Gonzo and then turn around and give him basically unlimited powers as they did.

Makes no sense and I am sick of we don't have enough votes etc., on and on.

Still giving it some time but that has just about ran out.

[regnaD kciN]

14. I'm in much the same boat...

At this point, I'll watch what happens in the next few months. But, if things don't change, I'll be dropping my Democratic Party affiliation and going Independent or finding an amenable third party. I'll probably still cast the majority of my votes for Democrats (I'm not one to cut off my nose to spite my face Nader-style), but I can't see myself belonging to a political party that comes in preaching disgust at the ruling regime...only to "cry uncle" to the rulers on virtually every issue that really matters.

[Fed_Up_Grammy]

9. Oh ye of little faith! I've been a registered Dem for 50 years

and I lead a fairly comfortable life thanks to past Democrats.

Hang in there------this too shall pass.

[journalist3072]

11. Do you really think they should "hang in there?"

What happens once you feel as though a political party no longer represents your interests or values?

I think we need to make sure we put country above party.

I left the Democratic Party in 2005. I was so fustrated and angry that only ONE Senator (Barbara Boxer) would sign on to the House objection of the certification of the Ohio electors. I felt as though the Dem Senators should have been falling all over themselves to do the right thing: sign on to the objection of the certification of the Ohio electors.

And when only one of them did so, that's when I left the Party. I felt like my values hadn't changed. The values that made me a Democrat had not changed. Rather, I felt like my Party had changed. So I left and became a registered Indepdent.

I say all of that to say that I don't think we should necessarily encourage the original poster to "hang in there." I would ask them if they feel the Democrats still represent their interests and values. And if the answer to that is NO, then...they basically have their answer.

[EV_Ares]

22. 50 years? I would say you do not belong to the same party you did and

it is very difficult to just "hange in there" or accept these idiots as you say. I will continue to try and wait it out. Where do you go? However, there is beginning to be not much difference between some of the corporate dems and some of the corporate repubs.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

10. We need someone who hasn't be totally tainted by the system such

as it is, it is by design, a machine in which people lose their way, much to the delight of the puppetmasters.

[AtomicKitten]

13. If you can still muster the hope it takes to persevere -

you're still in the game. And I agree that of the current batch of candidates, Obama stands out.

I too realize he isn't perfect - and I'm reminded of that by * ahem * diligent DU'ers on a daily basis - but I'm putting my money on him. He instills hope and I see he got some on you too. :)

And I look forward to the general election in a big way.

[ruggerson]

15. So I guess it will be up to the rest of us

to make sure a Democrat gets elected and appoints progressive Supreme Court Justices.

[Honeycombe8]

17. I know how you feel. I can't believe the Dems voted in that bill, either.

That vote blindsided me. It makes no sense. I'm still in shock.

This may hurt the Dems in '08.

[Progressive Friend]

18. Yes

The ability to vote in the primary elections is much better than being an "independent".

[Ress1]

19. What makes us Democrats so damned thin skinned?

Everytime a decision goes against what some of us want, a bunch of us find a reason to bail out. It's hard to count on single issue voters, the opposition's best friends.

[Booster]

20. Where have you been for the past 6 years? No one in Wash DC

has voted FOR anything that could help the middle class. It's hard to get behind anybody when it's obvious they sure aren't behind us.

[smalll]

21. lol you've taken it to a whole nother level -

The "I'm leaving" swan song is an old ego-drama gambit here. And because of so many of those recently, now we even have some of our major members getting away with "I'm not leaving" reverse-swan songs (which are even more satisfying I would guess, because that way you don't have to actually leave (or at least lie low for a few weeks until most people forget.))

But now you have just invented the "I was just about to leave ... BUT I'M NOT!" post. A whole new genre! :applause:

[BigDDem]

24. Well put!

"If he loses, I'm outta here." aka "I'm taking my marbles and going home!"

[Perry Logan]

23. I heard that Barack actually has more legislative experience than Hillary.