Saturday, March 08, 2008

I'm sure this will get me taken off of blogrolls, but...

I agree with TeacherKen.
We began this campaign season with enthusiasm and hope. Many Americans were drawn to the Democratic party as one of hope, of the possibility for something different. To be sure, some were dissuaded by the lack of meaningful action in the Congress to end the war and the other depredations of this administration. Still, for more than a year it has been clear that the enthusiasm this season was on the Democratic side - it was visible in new registrations, in money contributed, in the size of crowd, and as the primary season began in participation in primaries and caucuses. We could look at the Republican field of all white men and a Democratic field that included white men, a woman, an Hispanic, and a Black. On their side the candidates had to maneuver so that the did not antangonize A Republican base which still supported the President. As a result we heard candidates urging doubling of Guantanamo, how tough they were on terrorists, or being willing to bomb, bomb, bomb Iran. No one on the Democratic side was arguing in a similar fashion.

And now? I think some actions place a candidate beyond the pale. I recognize that for each of us we will draw the line differently. In sorrow I have reached a point where I cannot support Hillary Clinton. Her willingness to accept a campaign that uses half-truths and in some cases outright dishonesty is not what I am willing to accept in our leadership. I cannot reward in any fashion a candidate who is willing to denigrate a Democratic opponent and imply that he is not ready to be president. In light of a statement only a week before that she was honored to be on the same stage as him, I can only look at THAT statement in light of the later statement, and read it as an attempt to manipulate people in order to gain a political advantage.

If she does not believe he is qualified to be commander in chief, she should have the courage to say so to his face. And it is shameful what we have seen, including the remarks from General Clark in recent days which you can read for yourself.
The behavior of the Clinton campaign has of late made me embarassed to be a Democrat. I cannot, and WILL NOT, vote for someone or some thing with which I so vastly disagree.

I will not accept a Democratic candidate who would rather endorse a Republican over a fellow Democrat.



I certainly will not accept a candidate who is more concerned with their own future than the future of the country.

Rest assured, I will be voting in November, no matter who the Democratic Presidential candidate may be. But I can write in a name for every seat I vote for, and I will certainly do so in certain cases, under certain circumstances, should they come to pass.

6 Comments:

Blogger spotter said...

Thanks, Jaime. This needs to be said, and repeated, and repeated again.

9:05 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Sorry darling, for President you are actually voting for which 13 members of the electoral college you want from Virginia. Each candidate has to file those people in advance.

Meaning, you can not write in a candidate for President in the General Election. There's no spot for it, and the machines won't let you.

I hope it is Hillary so we can shove her down your whining throat. :-)

9:37 PM  
Blogger spotter said...

More Clintonian ethics and integrity, eh, Ben? I agree, you are NOT Larry Sabato.

10:13 PM  
Blogger teacherken said...

I have now read all the almost 1500 comments on the diary from which you quote. Some people have vowed to never read anything else I post. Some accuse me of situational ethics, misreading what I have to say about being in Virginia - even were the state competitive with Clinton I would have to consider the meaning of my vote - my choice might still be the same.

But a good number of people clearly agreed with me, or the diary would not have been on recommended list for 24+ hours. And many people expressed in the comments either their support, or expressed the problems they were having. Perhaps some people who simply assume that they can run any kind of primary campaign and everyone will come back together for the general need to realize that there are consequences to how they campaign in a primary.

Anyhow, thanks for your support.

Peace.

9:08 AM  
Blogger teacherken said...

is it interesting that the person who criticizes you almost quotes George Allen - remember that 'worthy" genetlema's remarks about "shoving their soft teeth down their whiny throats"??? And yes, I know some sites have it as "whining" but I believe the original was "whiny"

peace

9:11 AM  
Blogger KathyinBlacksburg said...

Hi, Jamie: I have only belatedly found this and the original post by Ken. (I was away when it first appeared. And it is hard to catch up on the blogs once one gets behind). In any case, I thank you so much for your re-posting Ken's thoughtful commentary. And for your thoughts on it as well.

This is the very same struggle I am on at this point...a bit later than you two, but I am here nonetheless. I don't have a final decision for myself. But I agree with everything you have written right up until the voting decision. And I may well be aligned with your view there as well. I have never failed to vote in a presidential. I have always voted Democratic since my first time (1964). I held my nose and voted in 1968 because I was so upset with Humphrey, but I cast my vote for him anyway.

Now I sit here and agree that if people do nothing to protest significantly amid the horrendously divisive campaign we have witnessed, then we are not good for much. I despair for our party should Hillary persuade the Supers to hand it to her. If they don't, we still have much healing to do. The same thing will come up again unless we route out any and all who use such tactics. That they work isn't good enough. It's the same of our party that it has come to this.

Both of you are models of how to write opposing views. I have much to learn from you both.

11:43 AM  

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