Adding My Voice

[wlotus]

Dear Howard Dean,

I am a member of the new Puma PAC, People United Means Action. Our website is http://blog.pumapac.org. I used to be a democrat, but as soon as I can drop my voter's registration form in the mail, I will be an independent voter. Why? I am against the underhanded methods of the DNC in your attempt to “appoint” Barack Obama as the nominee for our party. The clear majority of voters in our party have chosen Hillary Clinton as the one we want to face John McCain.

We will not vote for Barack Obama in November. Instead, I will write Senator Clinton's name in as my choice for president.

There is still time to do the right thing. The DNC must do everything it can to convince the superdelegates that Hillary Clinton is the only Democrat who can win in November.

We are united against your usurpation of the will of Democratic voters. There will be no unity in the Democratic party until the votes and voices of the 18 million democrats in ALL 50 states are listened to.

We will not back down, be bullied or pandered into supporting a disastrous candidate like Barack Obama. He has been tainted by too many real scandals. He will lose in a landslide loss in all 50 states.

We will not vote for Barack Obama for president.

Sincerely,
wlotus

Comments

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[kristenred.livejournal.com]

Hi Honey. :-)

Love you. Completely respect your opinion. Wouldn't offend for the world. But would you mind creating a politics filter and leaving me off of it?

Thank you,
K

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[wlotus.livejournal.com]

These posts need to be public. You can, however, creating reading filters, so you will only see my blog when you choose to read it. That's what I do when there are blogs whose content I would rather not see on a regular basis.

(frozen)

[kristenred.livejournal.com]

Understood. I don't do that, for two reasons: 1) usually there's a reason I don't want to see content on a regular basis, and 2) My life is complicated enough. I don't want to try to keep up with people through filters.

Thanks for the idea, though.

[ennuiescapist.livejournal.com]

I have to admit that I am not impressed with either Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama. I could only silenty agree with a huge sign hanging over the highway yesterday that read: "NOBODY FOR PRESIDENT."

[wlotus.livejournal.com]

A lot of people are having that problem, these days. That's why I think it's time people voted according to conscience, not party. If enough people registered as independent and did that, the party system would be forced to either die or evolve. (It would probably take a few generations for enough people to migrate away from the parties to make a difference.)

[ennuiescapist.livejournal.com]

I think the issue extends even farther. People have simply lost faith and confidence in the democratic process, altogether. In fact, I would argue that the American voting system has never been entirely democratic. We only have the semblance of democracy. Furthermore, we are hypocrites. We say that we promote democracy in the world and then act otherwise, as evidenced in our domestica elections and our support of dictators and tyrants around the world.

It is perplexing. The problem for me is that there is no one that I could vote for with a clear conscience; similarly, I feel that I cannot NOT vote with a clear conscience, either.

Any solution to this conundrum?

[wlotus.livejournal.com]

I think you're right. Even before the hijacked 2000 election, people were beginning to question the way politics are played in a country that is supposedly "for the people, by the people". It's gotten progressively worse in the past eight years.

As for your conundrum...that's a tough one. If you are in a state which allows write-in candidates, write in the name of someone you feel is better qualified. Also, educate yourself on the other candidates, like those who are part of the Green party. Perhaps you will find someone in one of the other parties whom you can support with a clear conscience.

It would be nice, if we could submit a vote of "No Confidence".

[(Anonymous)]

Unfortunately, I did that the last time I voted. I voted for Ralph Nader as a college student - The Green Party, knowing, in part, that it was a waste of a vote.

I voted with a clear conscience, but at the same time, I regret it, as it was one of several factors that ultimately helped George W. Bush to win.

[wlotus.livejournal.com]

Even though you were caught between a rock and a hard place, I am glad you voted your conscience. One should never feel obligated to vote against their conscience. It is not your responsibility alone to right the wrongs that allowed Bush to win. One could argue that if society at large had done what it was supposed to, he never would have run in the first place. So why should you push your conscience aside in order to try to make up for something society at large made possible in the first place?

Your vote was not wasted. Your vote is your voice.

[mahogany.livejournal.com]

I know very little about the US voting system.

Even though we don't really have a two party system here in Canada, there are really only two ruling parties, the Conservatives and the Liberals. Occassionally, the NDP will form the opposition, the Reform party had a heydey back in the 90s (but they've been reabsorbed into the Converatives) and the Bloc Quebecois is generally guaranteed a few seats, but other than that, the race is always between the main two.

In recent years there's a fairly large push to change our voting system to some sort of proportional representation, that will allow people to vote according to their consciences rather than strategically. I have hope that by the time my kids are old enough to vote, we will have proportional representation.

[wlotus.livejournal.com]

So no one can vote for anyone except those two parties? Or is it that voting for someone outside of those two parties doesn't change the political landscape enough in one election to make a difference (as is the case in the US, with the Democratic and Republican parties having a stranglehold on the national political stage)?

[mahogany.livejournal.com]

It's more like the case with the US. We can vote for whomever we want, but generally, the race is pretty tight between the two main parties (again, there are some regional exceptions). I find myself wondering if by voting Green, for example, I've just guaranteed that the candidate that I truly dread might be elected because I'm splitting off votes from the only other candidate that can give him/her a run for their money.

[wlotus.livejournal.com]

There is that consideration. In my case, I have gotten so sick of how the system works, that voting my conscience is more important to me. The fact that I have a history of being coerced into doing things for the good of the church or family or organization (or risk being blasted), even if it goes against my principles, has made me thoroughly tired of bowing to that kind of pressure. When I look at the direction the country is going in, I realize I cannot depend on the country to be true to me. In that case, I have to stand for myself, even if I stand alone.

[ruthiebgr8.livejournal.com]

I've always been an Independent. I don't like being boxed in by any party. Guess I'm more rebellious then I like to think. Considering the Republicans all around me, I'm more Democrat in my leanings, generally, but not right now. Right now I'm not sure how I'll vote, though if McCain does pick a good veep I might vote for him and pray he dies quickly. Not nice (and I like to think I'm a nice person) but better than any other choice I can see at the moment.

It's sad when people want to vote for someone so they can pray he dies, isn't it?

[wlotus.livejournal.com]

LOL!!!! ::cough:: I mean, yes, yes it is. Sad. Very. :-)

It was only a matter of time before I changed my party affiliation. As I get older and think more and more for myself, I am less and less likely to officially align myself with any group that says, "Because you are one of us, you MUST believe/live/vote THIS way." And I never researched the Democratic party before signing up at 18; I just signed up because my dad was one, and I admired him. Now, though, I'm all grown up, so it's time for me to go my own way.

[flewellyn.livejournal.com]

I hope he listens.

[wlotus.livejournal.com]

I don't expect him to. I sent the letter only so I can go my way with a clear conscience.

It would be interesting to see what, if anything, the party leadership did to address the many people who are leaving the party over all of this. Do they care? Will they do what is right in an attempt to win us back? Or will they and the media just pretend the rest of us don't exist? I expect the latter, at best. It's more likely they will blame us, if the party doesn't take the White House in November. (Way to pass the buck!)

[flewellyn.livejournal.com]

For such things are new parties formed, and old ones destroyed.

[verucas-chaos.livejournal.com]

I so agree with you. You can read my Obama post to see where my head is right now. I am so afraid of McCain. I don't know enough about Obama, but don't want another four years of beastly rule.

I never thought of a write in...maybe there is a third option for me afterall!! I am going to check out PUMA PAC.

Thanks for helping me get grounded. Keep these posts a comin' and don't lose faith. I love Hillary.....
EDIT
oh and yes, based on my LJ post, I am a little schizophrenic right now....I reserve the right to continue to update my opinion based on new info from folks I trust!

[wlotus.livejournal.com]

Whether or not you can write Senator Clinton in depends on the rules of your state's election board, I have been told. Some states allow write ins, and other states only allow them if the candidate petitions to be on the ballot (or something along those lines). If you go to the website of your state's elections board, the information should be there.

I was impressed with your Obama post. Though I have already made up my mind about him, I admire the way you are approaching it. I'll be reading carefully to see what you learn.

Your encouragement means a lot to me. Thank you!

[verucas-chaos.livejournal.com]

I like being able to converse with intelligent forward thinking people. I'll check out my Ohio's status on the write in.

[wlotus.livejournal.com]

So do I. I don't want to have to defend or debate, here. Discuss, sure, but a back and forth contest overwhelms me, rather than making me *think*. I have heard so much from people who think differently that I need to connect with and encourage people who are thinking along the same lines. That is what these posts are about and why they are public, rather than filtered.

[far-gone.livejournal.com]

I tried to see your obama post but it's not on the public part of your blog (and I couldn't leave you a comment there). Can you open it up?

[ephany.livejournal.com]

Hi,

I tried to go read your Obama post but your intro message can only be commented by lj friends so I couldn't comment there to request to be friended...you see my problem... Anyway, I'd love to read it if you don't mind. Also, I like your design, did you do it yourself or is it a template?

[iswari.livejournal.com]

I'd really like to see your Obama post...