Many time throughout the day I browse through various political web-sites reading the stories that are posted. As you know, there are many of them to choose from, especially with the presidential election coming up. But, though the writings may be interesting, it is the comments left by the readers which can be even more interesting.
I read that many Democratic voters plan on voting for whoever the Republicans have running ( McCain ? ) if Hillary Clinton gets the nomination on the Democrats side of the fence. The reason? Many just plain do not like her or they do not want another Clinton in the White House, or they do not trust her. I do not trust her, but if it comes down to a choice between Senator Clinton and another Republican in the White House for four years, I'll take the Republican-Lite Clinton any day of the week. I don't like Clinton's personality all that much either, but if she is the chosen one, then I will vote for her over any Republican. At the least, if she makes it into the White House, at least some of the " common " people will get a little more help from policy than you have gotten under any Republican, ever. As long as she does something for the people of this country, I will vote for her and I do not care what cash she takes from the corporations. In case you haven't noticed, all of the candidates do/have for the most part. Any real representative of the people ( Kucinich, Edwards, Dodd ) has been banished to the sidelines, so our choices are few.
On this subject, voting against yourself, here is a comment from a poster at CommonDreams, and it is a view that I tend to agree with.
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hedgerama February 1st, 2008 10:34 pm
Losertarian - you and others like you who will vote for a ‘third’ person rather than the Democratic nominee because you believe there’s no difference in the two parties will guarantee 8 more years of what we’ve recently had. What you are going to do is exactly what the Republicans want. The Democratic vote will be split and the Republican vote will be unified. Combined with the usual stealing on the part of Republicans, via fake felon lists, caging, and other underhanded methods, a split Democratic vote will ensure a Republican win, despite the fact that for the first time since Reagan, nearly 85% of Americans polled on various issues, consistently come down on the progressive side of those issues - not just ending war in Iraq, but universal healthcare, public education, public roads and utilities (as opposed to toll roads owned by foreign corporations and governments), maintenance of the infrastructure, poverty, homelessness, etc. Even the willingness to pay higher taxes to achieve these things.
With 85% of Americans strongly in favor of the liberal side of numerous issues (without necessarily calling themselves liberals) we have a great shot at winning the White House and an overwhelming majority in both houses of Congress. Unless, as so often in the past, Repubs unite behind their nominee and Democrats split because some are too determined to protest not being able to have their ‘dream’ candidate in the White House. This is exactly what Republicans want - they’re laughing at you vote splitters right now, and they’re encouraging you as much as possible in the mainstream media.
Wake up and think of what’s at stake if we lose the White House again. At least 3 Supreme Court Justices will need to be replaced soon. The Repubs already have a 5 to 4 majority there. If we get another Repub president, the Supreme Court will be a unified force in the wrong direction for decades to come. Do you think abortion rights are all they will reverse? With 8 or 9 Conservative and neo-con Justices in the Supreme Court, things you thought were forever could become yesterday: Women could lose the vote again; we could have a federal government which won’t intervene to stop separate lunch counters for different races again and separate but equal schools; we could see all manner of other things too horrible to imagine.
Wake up and support the Democratic nominee, whoever he or she might turn out to be. Let’s win for the Supreme Court and the Congress. Let’s win for us ( read more )
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Before you shoot yourself and this country in the foot by voting for the opposite of what you really want, just remember the previous eight years.