Fer or Agin
The first presidential election where I was eligible to vote was in 1996. Clinton vs. Dole.
I remember going into the school and being a little surprised at how it felt a little trailer park to be drawing the two-dollar shower curtain to cast my vote. I mean, I was there to vote for the highest office in the land. The leader of our nation. Wasn’t there supposed to be more to it than that?
It was almost like having sex for the first time. It’s really exciting, and the whole situation gets a little seedy when you’re pulling the rubber off afterwards, but still you feel so good that you intend on doing the rest of your life.
Then came 2000. W. vs. Gore:
The tracks of mud on the sheets. The peculiar rash. The pissing fire for the next week. The one that turned you off so much that from there on instead of just cutting loose and going for what you want, you err on the side of caution. Your focus is no longer what you want. It’s what you don’t want.
The system in 2000 showed us that it it didn’t matter who the majority voted for. So in 2004, people started voting against.
I know I did.
I didn’t vote for Kerry. I voted against Bush. No more shit on the sheets.
Now I fear that is the way we have learned to vote.
Negatively.
Not for.
Against.
It’s happening with Hillary and Obama.
And it disturbs me .
Because it’s not something happening across the party lines (where it’s easy to be for or against) but within our own (Democratic) ranks. I see and hear so many Democrats talking against Hillary or against Obama, and very few talking for either one. I hear so little about why one candidate should be supported as opposed to why the other one shouldn’t.
This negativity only serves to dimish the monumental place where we now stand in American history.
I think sometimes people lose sight of the big picture: a woman and a black man BOTH have a genuine shot at being chosen to run our country.
I know that should be no big deal. But, no matter how you slice it, it is. It’s a big fucking deal and we should be celebrating it.
And they both are good choices.
Sure, one may be a better choice than the other, depending on what particulars are most important to you. But, big picture, they both want pretty much the same things. And I think most Americans do, too.
At a time when it’s impossible to get one credible person to seek the position, we should be on our knees in praise that there are TWO going for the prize.
I’m not saying don’t vote for the candidate of your choice. In fact, what I am saying is do.
We need to let go of the reality show type thinking that pop culture has infected us with. It’s not voting someone off the island. We’re voting someone into the White House.
March 7th, 2008 at 5:46 am
Although I am a Obama supporter, I would happily vote for Hillary in the general election if she gains the nomination. Just the thought of watching Sean Hannity’s head explode on national TV election night when a Democrat wins the White House is worth your vote alone.
March 7th, 2008 at 6:15 am
What saddens me, and it goes with the theme of your post, is that the candidates themselves have turned away from telling us why we should vote for them and to telling us why we should not vote for their opponent.
March 7th, 2008 at 9:02 am
Actually, Obama really hasn’t said much against Hillary recently (he did back when it wasn’t down to two), but she’s been pouring on the attacks. I liked that he wasn’t responding but now he vows to. Sigh.
As an Independent (I left the Dems in 2004) I think it’s sad to see the party self-destruct like this. Don’t they realize that they need to keep the infighting/disagreements/whateveryouwanttocallit out of the media as much as possible? For those two, I could see if they were saying things vastly different, but they’re not. What I don’t get is people who support Obama voting for McCain in November if Clinton gets the nomination. But if Obama gets it, the votes will stay with him. Voting against someone is essentially throwing your vote away and shows that it doesn’t work (look at 2004 – Bush won again).
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March 7th, 2008 at 11:46 am
Interesting post. Nice use of the STD metaphor concerning George W. Bush’s “election win”. I felt that way too.
I’ve noticed on a couple of other blogs that the discussion seems to be more about competitive bravado for or against Senators Clinton and Obama instead of focusing on the issues. It is not my intent to perpetuate that because it really doesn’t help and strikes me as a waste of time. However, I will admit that I am torn between the two candidates. Both have sensibilities and strong points and I believe that either would be a good leader for our Nation. Lord knows we need a good leader desperately. In doing my homework, I tend to lean a bit more towards Sen. Obama, because in researching Sen. Clinton’s voting record, I come across a few things that I’m a bit concerned with and I’m not certain she has in mind what may be in the best interests of GLBT community, where perhaps Sen. Obama may be a little more open to our needs.
Either way, I will certainly support whichever candidate runs and it IS exciting that our Nation may finally be ready for a female President or one of color. It’s about time we realize that race and gender just don’t matter. Choosing a good leader does. We have GOT to get it right this time.
March 7th, 2008 at 12:16 pm
Genuine shot at winning. No presidential candidate can win the office without the support of the South. Will enough voters in the South support a woman or an African-American? Enough to win? I hope so.
March 7th, 2008 at 12:22 pm
I’m a life long republican who has voted for a republican in a national election for a very, very long time. If any reader needs a reminder of why your post is relevant, remember that by following your reasoning in the las Presedential election led to:
Loss of foward thinking Legislators appointed to Lifelong seats on the Supremes;
Loss of civil liberties that the voting block changes in congress will take years to overturn;
A congress and house of reps that can’t get out of their own way to do us any good.
I’ve recently turned to Obama from Clinton due to the fact that his overtures to a VP seem positive and alluring.
Vote people. Vote. Our gay lives are gonna depend on it.
March 7th, 2008 at 12:24 pm
Sorry People, that should have saidm
March 7th, 2008 at 12:25 pm
WHO HASN’T VOTED FOR A REPUBLICAN IN A NATIONAL ELECTION. Oh!, my aching fingers.
March 7th, 2008 at 12:59 pm
This will be the most important election of my lifetime. I am looking for competence in government. Either Hillary or Barack will be a positive step in that direction. After 9/11, Katrina, Iraq, Abu Gharib, Gitmo,Enron, Alito and Roberts…enough! Anyone who can pronounce nuclear (new clear) and doesn’t have a southern accent (sorry) will be an improvement. Let’s look forward not in some rose colored rear view mirror. America is becoming more diverse, why not our leadership?
March 7th, 2008 at 1:34 pm
Well said, Tony. As you saw, these are pretty much my thoughts as well.
In fact, it’s likely that these are the thoughts of the majority of people.
The blog/online world tends to have a focus of highly opinionated people. Which can often be good. And sometimes, like now, really really bad.
March 7th, 2008 at 4:12 pm
We’re in a real mess. And the biggest mess is going to be keeping McCain in line. Now that he’s GW’s cronie. We’re in real trouble, I’m afraid. Compared to what we’ve got going, shit on the sheets would be a welcome sight!
March 7th, 2008 at 5:34 pm
Hello Tony
I have been an Avid reader and Fan for a few years now.I hail from the Great White North. As a Canadian watching the US election,I cannot feel anger along with other fellow Canadains. That this election has now become a Black and White race, more so now ,than when it started. IN our elections we don’t use the Terms Afro Canadian, Latino’s etc.We are all Canadians no matter what your Race, Colour, Gender or Creed.We vote on what the best Policy the the candidate offers on the Table. Can you explain to me why so many American Blacks need to call themselves Afro American. If we are going Seregate the masses. Then I want too be called Austian Canadian. I just don’t get it.Too me ,HEALTH CARE for everyone works I’m in the medical Field and believe me when patients come in from Low income or no income Families. The smiles on there face when they leave knowing that they do not have to pay a Single cent. Is all worth it in the end.
Thanks Tony
March 8th, 2008 at 1:42 pm
I still wish you could vote AGAINST people (even if it menas starting over).
March 8th, 2008 at 2:52 pm
I hope McCain wins. It’s only fair that a Republican would have clean up the mess Republicans created in Iraq and elsewhere. I know this will be a further stepback WRT human rights, gay rights etc in America, but I don’t live in America, therefore I don’t care: I don’t have to
Ditto with Roe v. Wade and the death penalty. It should not be up to a court to decide those matters, based on hairsplitting as to what some elderly men wrote three centuries ago about the “right to privacy”. In civilized countries these matters are decided by the elected legislators. If enough are elected on a platform to abolish the death penalty and protect a woman’s right to choose, then the Alito’s of this world become instantly irrelevant.
March 8th, 2008 at 5:47 pm
I just want both. Hillary-Obama for Co-President. Why not? If we are going to change, let’s change large.
March 8th, 2008 at 5:56 pm
Tony, you are so right. This is an historic moment. This country (my country) has a good chance of electing either a woman or a a not-all white man. We are lucky indeed. I voted my preference, but I will gladly support either candidate that becomes our Democratic nominee. It would be especially gratifying if they could figure out a way to heal their differences and run together. Eight years of white men (these particular white men) in the top two positions have diminished almost every aspect of national life. I work with a lot of non-Americans and it is hard to explain how we could have done it to ourselves, or let it be done to us. But your blog this time is a poetic explanation of what has happened and what needs to happen this fall. Thanks, for your insights and style as always.
March 8th, 2008 at 10:11 pm
What most people don’t seem to realize is:
They whole system of government in the USA, and indeed most of the world, is now only a front for a few very powerful people and secret societies and orders to control almost everything from behind the scenes.
The Roman church, through the Jesuits and Masons et. al. are really who are calling the shots. If a president wants to live, once they are in office, they must cooperate and do what they are told, or they are removed….JFK was a good example.
I’m not surprised if you don’t believe me…because most people are exactly where these power mongers want them…in the dark!
So who should you vote for? It really won’t matter. The agenda is already set.
March 9th, 2008 at 9:48 am
Hi Tony–Your eloquent post sure inspired some wonderfully passionate comments—yeah freedom of speech! Personally, I am literally giddy with the prospect of a woman or person of color in the White House, and very pleased with the choice of these two specific candidates. As a lifelong resident of Illinois, I am also totally proud to claim both Hillary and Barack as our own!
I am also scared shitless that somehow the Dem party will fuck up and give it to McCain, or another “Florida” will happen, or some other disaster will come along and wreck my dream of reclaiming our nation. I lose sleep over this.
I also agee that the Southern vote is critical in this election. “Y’all” (said with genuine affection) need to step up and help make the change we so desperately need! You gave us Jimmy and Bill, and you can help ensure that our lives and our rights and our futures are entrusted to the leadership of Barack or Hillary, at least for the next 4 years!
I LOVE this blog!
March 9th, 2008 at 2:12 pm
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March 10th, 2008 at 11:56 am
Well, as far as I can see, voting for either Hillary or Obama is the same thing, and why all the fighting is going on in the party, I don’t understand. Personally, I could never vote for either one, mostly because I believe I already pay too much in taxes, and the idea of needing to pay more for an even more inept government (you thought Bush was bad–just wait until one of these two makes it even bigger and even slower than it currently is) makes me cry like a baby. Good lord, please find someone who is not interested in spending our money left and right—find someone who is interested in letting us spend our money—and that someone probably won’t come from either the asses or the elephants.
March 10th, 2008 at 3:48 pm
Well…
It may have come as a surprise to some (perhaps many) people that we do not directly elect the U.S. president, but that’s something that’s hardly been a secret; despite the best efforts of this administration, the Constitution is still a public record, and the Electoral College is right there in it, in black and white.
Moreover, this isn’t the first time in U.S. history that the winner of the popular vote didn’t get a majority of the electoral vote, though I don’t believe it happened in the 20th century. And we can howl all we want about Florida and the Supreme Court and all that, but after the election, a coalition of newspapers, including the Miami Herald (hardly a conservative bastion), did a manual count of all the “rejected” ballots. When they added those on which the voter’s intent was clearly discernible into the totals, the end result was the same: Bush carried Florida. (There were many ballots that simply had no vote discernable, some which had more than one vote cast, and some unknown number where, probably, people marked the wrong candidate. But there’s no way to fix, or count, those ballots.)
This is not to say that the Electoral College is ideal, or that it’s better (or worse) than direct election. But it’s a shameful indictment of the status of civics (and history) education in this country that so many people were amazed that someone could get more votes than someone else and still lose the election.
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March 10th, 2008 at 10:33 pm
BRAVO LT!!!! I agree and you make such a great point with the “Reality TV” thinking these days! At least this go-round we don’t have the likes of G.W.Bush on the docket to “Vote Against” I think even if McCain won, we wouldn’t be in nearly as bad a shape as we are with our current moron!
P.S. GO HILLARY GO!!!
March 11th, 2008 at 5:27 am
What I hate is that as the days trudge forward, Hillary and Barack will say very few positive things ABOUT THEMSELVES. (and if they do, it’s probably a lie) They will only be negative about their opponent. They don’t offer us much choice as to why they should be president.
March 11th, 2008 at 1:50 pm
Excellent post, Tony. We need more positivity these days, that’s for sure!
March 12th, 2008 at 6:45 am
Just gotta say that in Australia we had our election about 6 months ago and there was the same kind of vibe. Not so much within parties (due to our different systems) but that we voted against someone, not because the other guy was any good but because we didn’t want who we had.