Who is to Blame for 'W'?
I have a friend who doesn't vote on the principle that none of the candidates actually fit his view AND the entire process is corrupt.
I can't really argue with him so I support him. It isn't support I'm thrilled to give, but I do honestly support his decision.
I do also firmly believe voting for Nader (or any other independent) during this race is a very critical vote and very risky. Mostly because it is rarely a republican that threatens to vote independent and more often then not a democrat. For me, as a democrat that poses a problem.
As for Nader instead of whichever Democrat gets it... well, I do believe that every vote is a force with an equal and opposite reaction. If the vote for Nader is because you disagree with the republican candidate's platform AND you disagree with the democrat candidate's platform but you actually AGREE with Nader's... then he should get your vote. But if the vote for Nader is because you think the dems and reps are out to 'fix' the game or 'screw' the voter... then voting for Nader doesn't really help your cause.
It is a matter of making a statement. It is clear I'd prefer if you voted democrat. I don't blame anyone that didn't vote for W in 00 or 04 for him getting elected... sort of.
I blame us - as citizens of the u.s. that voted - for not getting out there and being willing to talk to people, to challenge their views or further advance our education on the candidates, the platforms and the world around us. I blame the democrat leaders for being 'pansies' and not standing up to be heard. I blame the democrats in general for developing a GIANT group of people with MILLIONS of various opinions to create a force large enough to defeat a Republican --- yet when it comes time to win, the dems are too cowardly to speak up for the liberals and instead campaign in ways not to 'turn off' the republican. The democratic party is a bunch of crap. It encourages passive behavior and passes blame with excuses after excuses.
I however am a democrat. So, since I blame myself for W - not because I didn't vote for Gore or Kerry - but because I didn't speak up. I didn't push the issues. I didn't ask my friends to pay attention. I didn't get involved. I didn't try to understand why people liked W when I could so clearly see him as a sneaky bad man.
I aided in W winning just as much as the person who voted Nader did. I aided in W winning just as much as Gore did (he might as well have slept for the entire campaign for as hard as he fought).
This year it's different. This year I say - you can't blame the independents if a republican wins. You can't say the 'republicans' have to live with themselves if they start a war they don't like. You can't say, not my fault, if you did nothing to stop it. EVERYONE has to live with the consequences. This year is different.
Over the last few years I've realized we are simply - republicans, democrats and independents - what we are, and what we should be is Americans. We should be a team - all of us fighting a good fight. We may have different opinions about how to do it, and that's fine. But if the republican's are the only ones pretending to play nice while ALSO speaking up for their beliefs and (in my mind) manipulating and brainwashing the American People... then it's our own damn fault for not speaking up back and questioning their rhetoric and their motives.
(sorry, apparently I had a rant)
I can't really argue with him so I support him. It isn't support I'm thrilled to give, but I do honestly support his decision.
I do also firmly believe voting for Nader (or any other independent) during this race is a very critical vote and very risky. Mostly because it is rarely a republican that threatens to vote independent and more often then not a democrat. For me, as a democrat that poses a problem.
As for Nader instead of whichever Democrat gets it... well, I do believe that every vote is a force with an equal and opposite reaction. If the vote for Nader is because you disagree with the republican candidate's platform AND you disagree with the democrat candidate's platform but you actually AGREE with Nader's... then he should get your vote. But if the vote for Nader is because you think the dems and reps are out to 'fix' the game or 'screw' the voter... then voting for Nader doesn't really help your cause.
It is a matter of making a statement. It is clear I'd prefer if you voted democrat. I don't blame anyone that didn't vote for W in 00 or 04 for him getting elected... sort of.
I blame us - as citizens of the u.s. that voted - for not getting out there and being willing to talk to people, to challenge their views or further advance our education on the candidates, the platforms and the world around us. I blame the democrat leaders for being 'pansies' and not standing up to be heard. I blame the democrats in general for developing a GIANT group of people with MILLIONS of various opinions to create a force large enough to defeat a Republican --- yet when it comes time to win, the dems are too cowardly to speak up for the liberals and instead campaign in ways not to 'turn off' the republican. The democratic party is a bunch of crap. It encourages passive behavior and passes blame with excuses after excuses.
I however am a democrat. So, since I blame myself for W - not because I didn't vote for Gore or Kerry - but because I didn't speak up. I didn't push the issues. I didn't ask my friends to pay attention. I didn't get involved. I didn't try to understand why people liked W when I could so clearly see him as a sneaky bad man.
I aided in W winning just as much as the person who voted Nader did. I aided in W winning just as much as Gore did (he might as well have slept for the entire campaign for as hard as he fought).
This year it's different. This year I say - you can't blame the independents if a republican wins. You can't say the 'republicans' have to live with themselves if they start a war they don't like. You can't say, not my fault, if you did nothing to stop it. EVERYONE has to live with the consequences. This year is different.
Over the last few years I've realized we are simply - republicans, democrats and independents - what we are, and what we should be is Americans. We should be a team - all of us fighting a good fight. We may have different opinions about how to do it, and that's fine. But if the republican's are the only ones pretending to play nice while ALSO speaking up for their beliefs and (in my mind) manipulating and brainwashing the American People... then it's our own damn fault for not speaking up back and questioning their rhetoric and their motives.
(sorry, apparently I had a rant)