Elect a Republican, End America.

[Mythsaje]

The dream that was the United States can't abide another Republican in the White House, be it Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney, or Mike Huckabee. To allow such a person to continue this administration's disastrous domestic and foreign policies would be a terrible thing in itself, but to elect one of these creatures to the highest office in the nation would sound the death knell of our credibility with the rest of the world. There would be no coming back from it. Electing George W. Bush twice was bad enough--electing someone we know would continue on the same destructive path would be unforgivable.

If this should happen, whether by election fraud, a problem of electability with the Democratic candidate, or some other quirk of causality, it's not mere hyperbole to say that it would be like driving a sword through the chest of American Democracy.

We've already got a problem with "moderate" Democrats in congress bending over for this administration's single-minded pursuit of its goals--whatever they may be. Electing a Republican again would give that party and the black hearts behind it all they'd need to declare yet another "mandate" and push forward with the most anti-democratic agendas they could imagine. And the quislings and capitulators would rush to carry out their will just to be on the winning side, just to hang on to the illusion of their value and relevance.

It would be nice to say we could avoid this fate by simply choosing the right Democratic candidate, but there is, of course, far more to it than that. The people need to understand how fragile our democracy is at this moment, that the wrong decision could cripple it or slay it outright.

The fact is, even the worse potential Democratic candidate stands so far above any of the Republicans that to pretend otherwise is nearly as bad a betrayal as the one perpetrated by their party against the citizens of this country.

On the other hand...the last thing we can afford is to drive disaffected Democratic voters into the arms of a third-party candidate, or to allow them the luxury of giving them a candidate who would make stealing the election that much easier.

This is the crossroads for which the last mid-term election was merely a dress rehearsal. And the worst part is that barely half the electorate even understands the stakes. Not even that many are likely to vote.

This is no time for quibbling. This is the fight of our lives. A misstep imperils everything.

I'm not asking anyone to play nice. It won't help. But I do ask that we play smart. The future depends on it. Everything depends on it.

[Rex]

1. Very well said! Elect a Repuke if you are tired of democracy and the Republic.

However, I AM asking everyone to play nice. Please. And a pretty please with a cherry on top. This time around it is a make or break kinda thing and though I usually DON'T. I am asking now.

Play nice, play smart, win big.

Nice post Mythsaje. :)

[opihimoimoi]

2. Well said....K&R

[Kansas Wyatt]

3. More importantly when the next Democrat gets in office....

They need to shove the country hard back to the left, instead of just holding off any further direction to the right.

They need to give back to 'We The People' what has been raped and pillaged from us for all the years under Republican Rule.

[AndyA]

4. ...a problem of electability with the Democratic candidate...

Is America truly ready for a female President?

Is America truly ready for a black President?

Racism and bigotry are still alive and well in America today. I wonder how many will not be able to vote for a female or a black person when it's just them and their vote alone in the polling booth.

I agree that this election is too important to lose, and I will vote for any Dem candidate that gets the nomination except for Barack, because of his anti-gay crap. I hope he does something to address this issue before too much longer. It's a matter of principle with me, and I just cannot support a candidate who labels so many as second class citizens, not deserving of the same respect everyone else deserves.

[Mythsaje]

5. If it comes down to it

America BETTER be.

Or else we're all screwed.

And let's just hope your principles don't contribute to the final downfall here. I don't agree with Obama's stance on gay rights, but not ONE of the Republican candidates have a better one. And if he wins the primary and goes up against them, the only choice left is voting for him or capitulation and surrender.

It sucks, but there it is.

[AndyA]

6. I'm not the only one who feels this way about Barack.

He needs to be aware of it, and DEAL WITH IT.

[Mythsaje]

7. He should...

Then again, you're obviously supporting a candidate who's expressed his own discomfort with gay marriage. How do you reconcile that?

Not trying to denigrate you or Edwards (who happens to be MY choice) but I'm curious.

[AndyA]

9. Issue wise, Kucinich is the best match for me.

But I don't see him as standing any chance of becoming the Dem nominee. He doesn't have enough money, he doesn't get as much exposure, etc. All the wrong reasons, for certain, but it's the reality of the situation. :(

Hillary has too much baggage, takes tons of money from lobbyists and corporations (which is partly why we're in this mess in the first place: greed), and I'm not sure how she really stands on the issues since she keeps changing her story.

I also don't understand how a black man could pick out a group of people and allow someone to preach against them. (He wouldn't have allowed someone to preach "Now you can bleach your skin and not be black! It worked for Michael Jackson, it can work for you as well!")

There's lots more, of course, but by default, Edwards is the one I chose. He came in 2nd after Dennis anyway. I don't like everything he stands for when it comes to gay people, and I don't agree with him 100% on everything, but at least he isn't trying to convince everyone that there's something wrong with being gay. And I do believe he is the only one to bring about the major changes I believe we must have occur in America.

[Mythsaje]

11. I agree about Edwards.

I think he's got a personal thing about gays...he's admitted that it makes him uncomfortable, but he's not trying to turn his personal issue into a political one. I'm straight, but I don't share his discomfort. But I guess I can understand it. He's enough older than I am, and comes from a particularly conservative background, so it's easy to see where it comes from.

I don't have an ax to grind about it, so I figure my perception doesn't matter much. I suppose it's up to the individual, gay or straight, to determine whether or not it's a serious issue in itself. I've known some very decent people who were homophobic. Chances are my oldest son will have some problems in that regard because of abuse he suffered when he was younger. I figure it'll be my job to mitigate that as much as possible as I can over the next several years. I don't have custody, and he lives across state, but he's smart, perceptive, and empathic and, even more importantly, he respects my opinions.

Last year we were talking about the "gay is a choice" meme and, when I asked, "do you remember specifically DECIDING you liked girls?" he said "yes." For him, it WAS a choice. Or so it seemed to him. Because of the abuse he's suffered at the hands of opportunistic predators, he had to determine for himself what his sexual preference was.

Now it's my job to make sure he understands the difference between being gay and being a pedophile who preys on young boys.

[leftofthedial]

8. I agree

and it applies to republicans of both parties

[AlertLurker]

10. I agree whole heartedly.

But how do you keep her off the G E ballot, if nominated?


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