I'm more sad than angry. Since the 1972 Presidential election,

[branders seine]

I have voted in every election. I have never voted for a Republican. I voted for an Independent once for a local commissioner post; he was running unopposed and was a friend and neighbor of mine. Otherwise, I have voted for every Democrat on every ballot. I have volunteered for three Presidential, several Congressional and numerous state and local campaigns. I have been a canvasser, a phone bank caller, a supervisor, a driver to the polls and a poll watcher.

Now, after a year of Democratic control of the White House, the House and the Senate, I no longer recognize the party I have supported so diligently for so long. I know I will never vote for any Republican, but now I no longer know that I will vote for any Democrat.

If this gets me banned or banished or tombstoned or whatever, I'm sorry, but principle trumps loyalty to a name that no longer stands for anything.

[maxpower]

1. Agreed

Glad to give a k/r



Peace,
Max

[branders seine]

4. Thanks.

[peacebird]

2. K&R. Sad too.

[branders seine]

5. Sorry you are sad.

Sign of the times

[Laelth]

3. I fully understand.

I am not quite to the point you are, yet, but I am getting closer.

:dem:

-Laelth

[WT Fuheck]

15. If you don't mind my asking, what has pushed you closer?

[Laelth]

19. This "health insurance reform" bill has been the main thing.

In addition:

The Justice Dept. under Obama is as obstructionist and secretive as Bush's Justice Dept.
Failure to get card check in EFCA.
Terrible credit card reform bill.
Failure to investigate and prosecute torture.
Failure to close Guantanamo Bay.

There are more, I am sure. That's the short list. In sum, I am not seeing change I can believe in.

Kill the bill.

Forcing people to buy insurance is no more the answer to a failed health care system than forcing people to buy houses is the solution to homelessness.

:dem:

-Laelth

[surrealAmerican]

6. Do you really believe that all those candidates ...

... you supported were undeserving?

How about voting for people you know something about, instead of just their party affiliation?

You will never like every democrat, but you may still like some of them.

[branders seine]

8. Notice I didn't say I would never vote for a Democrat.

[Marr]

7. I'll tell you what freaks me out.

Since 2002 or so, both parties seem to be in a feeding frenzy on the poor and middle class. Reagan was bad, Clinton and his NAFTA bullshit was bad... but the way they've been going over the last few years is, in my mind at least, unprecedented. It seems greatly ramped up, more aggressive, and less camouflaged.

[pissedoff01]

9. They're hell bent on bringing back scenes from Charles Dickens

or the feudal era.

[branders seine]

10. It is blatant now.

I believe it is the dawn of a new kind of feudalism, or will be if the oligarchs have their way. They truly believe that their successful theft of wealth over the last 30 years makes them superior beings to the rest of us.

[juno jones]

13. Groups like 'The Family'

enshrine that right. According to them pols, rich people and the famous enter the golden circle of rulership via God's command. They are ever so much more important than we are and we must never forget that.

The last 30 years have been particularly bad.

[branders seine]

14. and they accuse academics of being elitist.

[niceypoo]

11. Since Reagan, the Democratic party has crept further and further to the right

A product of their timidity and submissiveness.

Reid is absolutely the worst person for the job at this point in time.

[branders seine]

12. Their betrayal of ideals and radically rightward shift have been obvious for some time,

but the complete betrayal on the bank bailout, the war mongering, the refusal to hold war criminals accountable, the continuance of civil liberty abuses and now the health insurance giveaway are just too much.

I'm done with them.

[bigwillq]

16. K and R.

It's indeed sad how the party turned on us. Neither party cares about the American people. Only what they can gain out of selling us all out. Almost every one of them. They will rather play chess and use the American people as the pawn.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

17. I'm starting to see it as just a version of "good cop/bad cop" being played on the American people

But with the end results being pretty much the same.

[Vidar]

18. I couldn't agree more.