Why do I feel comfortable `attacking’ the Dems sometimes and not Republicans? (or the Liberals or NDP up here in Canada vs. the PCs) Why am I not part of `the problem’ for doing so? Why do I not give a flying fuck if my criticism of my/ our party somehow helps a Republican get into office?

Because that’s my job as a voter. To make them (i.e. the people who are getting paid to represent me) understand my position on the issues and where I think they’ve gone horribly, horribly wrong. They don’t own my vote. I own my vote. They are supposed to work for my vote. They’re supposed to represent me. Oh, and I also own my value system. You know, the one which dictates who I feel comfortable loaning my vote to for 4 years.

The Republicans can take care of themselves, and hoo boy do they ever. How the hell do you think the country GOT so far right to begin with? Because the `base’ of the GOP wouldn’t shut the fuck up about their issues. And stayed home on election night or voted for Perot, or Buchanan, etc. And stopped fundraising for them. The party establishment got the message. And it brought them born again George W. Bush. With a smidge of warmongering Dick Cheney to represent the military-corporate-industrial complex for good measure.

The party decided to cater to their BASE and their base rewarded them. And they were clear cut about the other issues they stood for to bring the more moderates of the country along with them. They were an opposition party. Go figure. And look where it got them. All 3 branches of gov’t.

For fucks sake, seriously. How blind do the dkos kids and the like have to be to the winning tactics of the right? What’s that old adage… why re-invent the wheel? Come on now. Everyone talks about how `brilliant’ Karl Rove is and yet claim time and again that they have a better recipe than him for winning elections if only us whiny lefties would get with the program and let them run anti-choice, pro-war pseudo Democrats. Now do I think we should replicate all his tactics and start claiming Hilary has a black baby and is a traitor so we can get Gore elected in South Carolina? No. But I do think that perhaps giving voters a clear alternative to the GOP candidate might be a good place to start.

It’s so funny to hear people claim, for instance, that we on the left should not be so stupid as to let a single issue like women’s control over their own body be a determining factor in how we vote on a candidate, yet the argument FOR that particular candidate is that the other voters in that state WILL vote for, or against, the candidate based on a single issue. God damn it makes your head spin.

So no, I won’t shut up. No, I won’t throw away my convictions and values to elect someone who would take away my equal rights or continue the war in Iraq. No I won’t vote for someone who condoned torture. Or voted for Hayden. Or voted for Gonzales. Or, basically, DOES NOT represent my values. Why should I? If you’re not actually in opposition to the party in power when they’re in power, why should I trust you’d do the right thing when you are? Hell, at least I know what the GOP stands for. What was that my mom always said to me… actions speak louder than words.

Oh, and that my vote was sacred.

As is my right to free speech.

And sometimes that right to speak means telling the person I loaned my vote to that they suck at honouring it and not to expect it again unless they shape up.

Seems completely reasonable to me. But then again I’m just a girl, so what do I know.