Why I Did Not Vote For Any Democrats Today
Nov. 2nd, 2010 10:09 pmA story by Jenny Rowland, age nine and a half.1
Dear Democrats:
I did not vote for any of you today. Not one. Yes, I went to the polls. I voted yes on both of the ballot initiatives up in Madison this year -- the toothless county-level referendum in support of medical marijuana, and the $130-ish-million bond for Madison Area Technical College to purchase more facilities.
And I cast no votes for anything else.
"But Jenny," you might say, "how could you do that? Don't you want us to beat the Republicans? Don't you want to keep this country moving forward?"
Moving forward is exactly what I'd like to do. And that's why I didn't vote for you.
Look at it from my perspective for a minute. You talk a good game now and then, and you promise pretty things. But when it comes time for action instead of words? Well.
You say that a public health care option is necessary, and then trash the idea in favor of a blank check to the health insurance industry.
You say that this country will be out of Iraq, of Afghanistan, out of wherever, and then you pull out most of our troops but still leave tens of thousands behind and gleefully cry "Mission Accomplished".
You say that you'll end torture, and instead you move it somewhere else and keep doing it.
You come up with endless reasons why it's not yet time for immigration reform, for reining in the banksters, for ending Don't Ask Don't Tell. After all, it's only been [INSERT CURRENT SPAN OF TIME SINCE LAST ELECTION HERE]... what do people expect, miracles?
You know that I, as a fairly deeply blue individual -- a progressive, if we have to use labels, although self-applied labels often seem tacky -- pretty much have to vote for you. You pay lip service to my ideals while ignoring them in favor of your own agendas; the Republicans, meanwhile, are basically for the opposite of everything I want ever. It's pretty clear that you can count on my vote, if only for "lesser of two evils" reasons.
Which is exactly why you don't have to ever actually do any of the things you promise to the deep-blue types. Our votes aren't in question -- the swing voters' are. We are sewn up. We are in the bag. You can ignore us and concentrate on other things. And so you do.
Only, whoops! Looks like we can ignore you, too.
I'm tired of being told that I'm doing something wrong by not supporting people who do not do what I wish they would do, just because there's another group of people whose agendas are even more out of line with my own. Really? There are no other options there? If I've got a choice between jumping into a pit lined with spikes and jumping into a pit lined with poison spikes, I'm going for option C. And while today that first pit may not have actually been lined with any spikes, poison or no, I still stand by my decision to not jump.
You ignored the progressives, and put them off, and concentrated on your other interests, which is your prerogative... but don't come whining to me about how I'm not supporting you now. Ain't that a two-way street?
The electoral result maps are turning red this evening, and I'd like to think that maybe you'll learn something from this.
But you probably won't.
Love,
Jenny.
1. Plus or minus 20 years.
-----
Belated PS: Also, since I did bother to go to the polls, that means that I get the privilege of complaining about election results and/or governmental actions over the next couple of years! :D :D :D :D
Freedom Of Political Speech: What Made You Think It Was A Right?TM
Dear Democrats:
I did not vote for any of you today. Not one. Yes, I went to the polls. I voted yes on both of the ballot initiatives up in Madison this year -- the toothless county-level referendum in support of medical marijuana, and the $130-ish-million bond for Madison Area Technical College to purchase more facilities.
And I cast no votes for anything else.
"But Jenny," you might say, "how could you do that? Don't you want us to beat the Republicans? Don't you want to keep this country moving forward?"
Moving forward is exactly what I'd like to do. And that's why I didn't vote for you.
Look at it from my perspective for a minute. You talk a good game now and then, and you promise pretty things. But when it comes time for action instead of words? Well.
You say that a public health care option is necessary, and then trash the idea in favor of a blank check to the health insurance industry.
You say that this country will be out of Iraq, of Afghanistan, out of wherever, and then you pull out most of our troops but still leave tens of thousands behind and gleefully cry "Mission Accomplished".
You say that you'll end torture, and instead you move it somewhere else and keep doing it.
You come up with endless reasons why it's not yet time for immigration reform, for reining in the banksters, for ending Don't Ask Don't Tell. After all, it's only been [INSERT CURRENT SPAN OF TIME SINCE LAST ELECTION HERE]... what do people expect, miracles?
You know that I, as a fairly deeply blue individual -- a progressive, if we have to use labels, although self-applied labels often seem tacky -- pretty much have to vote for you. You pay lip service to my ideals while ignoring them in favor of your own agendas; the Republicans, meanwhile, are basically for the opposite of everything I want ever. It's pretty clear that you can count on my vote, if only for "lesser of two evils" reasons.
Which is exactly why you don't have to ever actually do any of the things you promise to the deep-blue types. Our votes aren't in question -- the swing voters' are. We are sewn up. We are in the bag. You can ignore us and concentrate on other things. And so you do.
Only, whoops! Looks like we can ignore you, too.
I'm tired of being told that I'm doing something wrong by not supporting people who do not do what I wish they would do, just because there's another group of people whose agendas are even more out of line with my own. Really? There are no other options there? If I've got a choice between jumping into a pit lined with spikes and jumping into a pit lined with poison spikes, I'm going for option C. And while today that first pit may not have actually been lined with any spikes, poison or no, I still stand by my decision to not jump.
You ignored the progressives, and put them off, and concentrated on your other interests, which is your prerogative... but don't come whining to me about how I'm not supporting you now. Ain't that a two-way street?
The electoral result maps are turning red this evening, and I'd like to think that maybe you'll learn something from this.
But you probably won't.
Love,
Jenny.
1. Plus or minus 20 years.
-----
Belated PS: Also, since I did bother to go to the polls, that means that I get the privilege of complaining about election results and/or governmental actions over the next couple of years! :D :D :D :D
Freedom Of Political Speech: What Made You Think It Was A Right?TM