Let Me 'Splain it to you, Lucy

[placton]

I was born under Truman, remember the Stevenson-Eisenhower races, supported JFK and remember what the Democratic Party is all about. I have always voted the straight ticket. I have phone banked, knocked on doors, written letters to the Ed (quite persuasive in my small town), and sent money - and even ran for political office as a Dem. So, I am a loyal Democrat, despite what others may think. As a loyal Democrat, that is why I CANNOT support what is going on now.

We who ARE Dems support certain things (no need to enumerate), and blind loyalty is not one of them. We leave that to the Goopers. As we saw the direction our party began taking after 1980, we began to hold our noses for the "greater good." And voted Democratic and all the rest. But now 30 years have passed.

Contributing money and time, knocking on doors, phoning, running, these mean NOTHING to the current "leadership." I am told to be a good little Dem and continue to do all the same things, supporting REPUKE policies by my work. So, I have only on thing left.

MY VOTE. And dadgum it, those who run under the Dem shield have to earn it. In the last 2 years, and over the last 30, they haven't. And now

They are gonna reap what they have sowed.

I am supporting some good Dems, but lately in Michigan they have become few and far between. Our state party tossed a pro-choicer out of a Congo race, in favor of a Brad Stupak look alike. Carl Levin tells us how much he likes Predator strikes (and fuck the kids that are killed). Stabenow votes for corporate interests rather often (remember the Bankruptcy Deform that is now screwing millions?).

I worked for the Party, but now it's time those who claim to be Dems work for my vote. If not, hey there are other options.

[babylonsister]

1. Please elaborate on all those other options, thanks, besides

not voting. That'll show 'em. :eyes:

[blondeatlast]

2. Edit: Every two years, every two years.

:boring:

[gateley]

3. Understood and you make good points (here comes the 'but') but we're at a

point where we might have to just bite the bullet in circumstances like yours, and yes, plug our noses and vote Dem. Between now and the next election we can work to get Dems who we really support on the ticket and elected. For the most part the Dems in Congress vote along party lines -- the Republicans ALWAYS do, so we can't afford to lose even the votes of those who have disappointed us.

We need to support our Party and give them the strength to accomplish what we want. We need to still work for the Party, and we need to get better Dems elected, and more of them.

The other options make my blood run cold.

If I didn't feel the stakes were so critical at this time, I'd be right there with you, but I feel like we're at that "tipping point" and if we lose what we have now, as disappointing as it may be, I'm not sure we'll ever get it back.

These are exceptional times, and I'm truly scared for the future of our country if we lose the tenuous hold we now have.

[Zoeisright]

5. [phone]

Damn straight. If the repukes take over in November, we can kiss this country good bye.

[Dr.Phool]

8. You should have kissed it while it was still here.

It's been gone for a long time now.

[Edweird]

13. That 'but' is what got us where we are. Eventually people will say 'enough',

and for some people that time is now. If you keep doing what you're doing, you're gonna keep getting what you're getting.

[bvar22]

23. Problem IS....

we are ALWAYS at that point, and as long as The Left continues to eat the shit pie THIS election cycle, we will ALWAYS be served up a Shit Pie.
QED: The last 30 years

Can you point to an election where "the stakes weren't so critical" ?

Can you foresee ANY future election where the stakes won't be so critical? :shrug:

I agree that THIS election is "critical;", but so are ALL elections.
I'm getting very tired of the ever to the Right drift of the Party, and then the PANIC as the elections draw near, and the cries of,"YES We SUCK. But THIS election is critical!!!"

[BeFree]

4. Support Republicans!!

They, as a whole, want to send more drones into the desert villages.

They, as a whole, want tax breaks for the very richest.

Those dirty Democrats want less drones, more peace and equal taxes.
And equal rights.

Really, its easy to pick a side, eh?

[pocoloco]

9. Got a short fucking memory??

Your "dirty Democrats" voted for the IWR!!

Tell me again, how many drones we are using now?

[BeFree]

12. Half and Half

Versus totally polluted.

Good question: How many drones?

Why is that a secret? The Taliban know, but the people paying for the drones are kept in the dark?

[Poll_Blind]

6. At my age, they that get my vote are they that _deliver_. n/t

PB

[lunatica]

7. I'm lucky to have Barbara Boxer, Barbara Lee and Jerry Brown in CA

I haven't voted for Diane Feinstein since she supported the Patriot Act, although if Fiorina were running against her I might, because Fiorina is worse than even Feinstein. I know what you mean.

[Ozymanithrax]

10. Sadly, historically there are two options...

Republicans and Democrats.

No one else has a chance to win, unless you are a Republican running as an independent (wink, wink, nudge, nudge).

You either vote for the person or the party that will be ever so marginally better than the other candidate or party you support the worst possible candidate and party by sitting on you ass. Some times we must make tough choices.

You want better candidates, build a progressive version of the tea-party, what ever that takes. But the whole "they have to earn my vote" ignores the absolute reality that, (1) either Democrats or Republicans will be in power; (2)Legislation passed by a Democratic House and Senate will be marginally better in the majority of cases than Republican legislation because there is a difference between parties.

[sad sally]

19. Yeah, isn't is amusing how the Repubs have turned on

Murkowski for running a write-in campaign to retain her seat? How un-American can she be - how dare she?

[Ozymanithrax]

21. Murkowski is still a Republican...

What they know is that she hurts their chance of holding that seat. Crist, on the other hand, has split the Democrtic ticket, which is the Republicans wet dream.They do tend to throw out the UnAmerican tag a bit.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

11. “Always vote for principle, though you may vote alone,

“Always vote for principle, though you may vote alone, you may cherish the sweetest reflection that your vote is never lost." John Quincy Adams

[Curmudgeoness]

16. Nice quote. But in this environment, I think that Mr. Adams would

think differently. Personally, I may make a decision to work or not to work for a candidate. I will make a decision to donate or not to donate. And I may keep them guessing whether they have my vote and will let them know why I am not decided.

But in the end, I vote my principle, which ends up being the Democrat ticket. I may not like the candidates, but I am positive that I cannot tolerate the alternative.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

17. How do you "keep them guessing" if you always vote for the Democrats?

The party has long counted on the left to vote for them because we "have nowhere else to go". A self-fulfilling axiom if we are foolish enough to buy into it. "Going along to get along" with a corrupt 2 party system is not one of my principles, and it wasn't for Adams or Jefferson.

"I never submitted the whole system of my opinions to the creed of any party of men whatever, in religion, in philosophy, in politics, or in anything else, where I was capable of thinking for myself. Such an addiction is the last degradation of a free and moral agent. If I could not go to heaven but with a party, I would not go there at all." Thomas Jefferson to Francis Hopkinson, 1789.

"Were parties here divided merely by a greediness for office,...to take a part with either would be unworthy of a reasonable or moral man." Thomas Jefferson to William Branch Giles, 1795.

[Curmudgeoness]

20. I keep them guessing by not answering who I will be voting for,

instead saying I am "undecided", and here is why. Since the actual voting is done confidentially, no one can be sure who I voted for when it came down to the ballot. The run-up to an election is my only time to let them know that I have problems with how they are representing me, and this it the only time that they are willing to listen to my concerns.

I understand completely what you are getting at, and I also feel the same as you (and Jefferson) are feeling. Of course, no "party of men" can have exactly the same opinions as I do. But I have to work inside the system, and ours is a two party system, like it or not. I have to align myself with the party that most represents my opinions. And I know that is not the Republican party.

I wish and hope for a time when there is a strong multi-party system, and I can find a better fit with my opinions. But that is not today. And I will not be responsible for allowing the Republicans to gain further power.

[Ozymanithrax]

22. There is no Democrat ticket, because there is no Democrat party...

There is a Democratic Ticket and a Democratic party.

[texastoast]

14. The party can be a royal pain in the ass

When they put winning over the integrity of the candidate to represent Democratic values.

[LiberalAndProud]

15. Can I tell you, I'm envious?

Few and far between is a lot better than nonexistent.

Still, Ben Nelson voted with the Democrats to repeal DADT and enact DREAM on Tuesday. Johannes did not. I still hate Ben Nelson with the hate of a thousand suns. I hate Johannes more.

That's all I'm saying about that.

[Fire1]

18. Well, "Ricky," thus far, John Conyers has lost my vote. I'm

still in there for Levin and Stabenow cause they voted for the Health care deal. Verg gets my vote for governor.

[placton]

24. yeah, so long as their score is

.150 at the bat, they can stay in the majors, right?