Should Progressives Vote Obama in a Swing State?
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HONKALA: You're probably correct. I wasn't aware of that. But people like Rosa Clemente and Shamako Noble, Medea Benjamin, these are all folks—Sister Margaret McKenna, all of these folks have been out there helping to build this movement, helping to build this struggle in this country.
We, too, need to come to a point where we understand that there has to be a beginning. And we think that the beginning is now and that we've got to cut with the abusive party of the Democrats that once they throw us down the stairs once, twice, three times, it's okay for us to leave our abusers.
JAY: So, Jeff, what do you make of this argument, which I think you could extend a bit to say that the Democrats simply don't really ever have to worry about, quote-unquote, pressure from the left, because the left always thinks the right is the more—the Republicans are the more dangerous option, and when President Obama does win—and we saw that in the last four years—you know, he couldn't care less that the health care debate, the single-payer person wasn't even invited to the table, that if you don't send this kind of message, that actually you could lose—there's no such thing as pressuring the Democratic Party from the left?
COHEN: Paul, remember, the Democrats did lose in 2000, or they had the election stolen from them, and it didn't exactly make the Democratic Party more left. I would argue they were more abject corporatist and militarist in 2001, 2002, and 2003.
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When Democrats win, they see
When Democrats win, they see it as justification for having moved to the right. When Democrats lose, they figure they haven't moved far enough to the right.
it's a good sign
it indicates that there has been a real groundswell for emergent party candidates and the powers that be fear it.
A Vote for O
...in any state says, Heckuva job, O. Let's have four more years just like the first four.
Me, I can't say that. So I will vote for Jill Stein.
Ah, Ellsberg was behind this.
...
The reply I have been posting.....
....under every Ellsberg inspired article:
David Swanson had an eloquent answer to "irrational voting"
at Firedoglake last Friday.
"The reason to vote and campaign for a good candidate is that we need to build an independent movement that’s honest, that doesn’t self-censor, and that supports candidates or elected officials who come to us — rather than us running to them."
I’m quite taken with mr. Swanson’s reasoning. Tis quite original and well argued. Notice the use of the word “honest”. That’s a tell. Our tom Paine .
His last paragraph is beautiful. It is filled with the personal and the concern for your brothers and sisters. So it then blends into the idea of fraternity (and sorority) which the union leadership has abandoned. I’m reading “Solidarity for Sale”. It clearly shows the difference between American unions and European ones. Yes, if only we had all that union money to form a workers mutual aid group or a working party as David Swanson suggests instead of supporting Dino’s, like abused spouses.
If not now, when?
Real lefties won't enter the Roach Motel.
BAR's Glen Ford Says It Best: " . . . Obama is the More
Effective Evil." Here's the link.
I'm hoping for complete chaos (split electoral college and popular vote, more divided Congress, etc.)
The Uniparty's agenda in no way advances an agenda that is even remotely beneficial to "regular folk."
Ergo, the most positive outcome that we can hope for--gridlock. Then at least, they won't be able to inflict any more damage upon the American populace.
[I apologize for being the skunk at the garden party. :-)]
Again if Obama wanted my
Again if Obama wanted my vote, he would have fought for what I thought, as a progressive, was important. He didn't. So he doesn't want my vote, which is fine by me because he isn't getting it.
Amen to that!
.....