I did something this morning that I’ve been putting off for a while – I changed my NYS Voter Registration party preference back to “Democrat.” Mostly so I could vote in the upcoming (which isn’t for, like, a year and a half or something) NYS Democratic primary for President. To be honest, the way NYS works, even this far ahead of time, I don’t know if I’ll actually be able to vote in it. But we’ll see.
I forget exactly when I switched. The last one I voted in, I voted for Hillary Clinton over Barack Obama, once again proving that my vote is the kiss of death, though of course by the time NY gets to vote it’s all over but the cryin’ anyway, so voting in the NYS primary is kind of an exercise in futility.
I forget exactly what it was, but the Democrats did something or other to piss me off (maybe it was when they said single-payer healthcare was “off the table” or something), so in a fit of pique I switched to the the Working Families Party, who never really gave me anybody to vote for in a primary, but at least came by the house one time and got me to sign a petition to get somebody or other on the ballot. But then they endorsed Andy Cuomo over Zephyr Teachout the same year that Gov. Snotball got in touch with his inner George Pataki and basically called Civil Servants a bunch of leeches on society and decided we not only weren’t deserving of raises but should be happy to give the State a no-interest loan by way of a couple weeks pay furlough (still holding a grudge on that one Andy, but if you hurry up and legalize pot so I can catch a buzz and watch the sun set this summer, we’ll call it even), and I decided to part ways with the WFP and jump to the Greens (hey, if your vote is worthless, make it REALLY worthless, right?).
Other than the Presidential campaign, we don’t really have anybody to vote for in the primaries around here, and by the time it occurred to me to switch my affiliation back over, it was always too late (seriously, I’m not sure how long it takes, but it’s, like over a year – NY is very odd that way, which is why there ought to be “open” primaries IMHO, but that’s another issue altogether). And you can’t just “edit” your party preference, you have to fill out the whole stupid form again as if it’s a brand new voter registration, which always makes me nervous that something will happen and I won’t be able to vote at all. Or something. I don’t know.
But now (and for a while, I guess) you can do it online through the DMV, so I finally did it. And in a year or so, I might even find out if it worked.
Assuming it did, I’ll need to figure out who to vote for, and I’m not endorsing anybody just yet (no doubt all the candidates are on pins and needles, waiting for the coveted PJS endorsement) – though I think we can all agree that, all things being equal, the nation would be a better place with a Syracuse guy at the helm.
Much as I love Uncle Joe, I’m not sure I’m sold on him as a candidate (and at this point he’s not actually running, so there’s that). He’d make a great candidate for Ombudsman, though, and after Trump I really think the US could use one of those to go around the planet and make nice with the people who used to like us but hate our guts now.
“They” (whoever they are) seem to be saying that Biden would be a “safe” establishment choice for all those people who have come to the conclusion that Trump is nuts, but that aren’t ready to vote for some scary woman or a socialist or whatever it is they’re trying to paint the other 43 (so far) candidates that are running. Of course as soon as it was Biden, they’d be painting him as a plagiarizing buffoon.
Basically, no matter who the Democratic candidate is, the Republicans will label them as a crazy commie and the “liberal” media will bend over backwards to make him or her seem the same as Trump.
So, my fellow Democrats (assuming my registration actually gets changed), how’s about we ignore all the bobbleheads and concern trolls and the “electability” horseshit and vote for whoever it is that you think stands for what you stand for, and that you think will do the best job? And then when it turns out to be somebody else, make nice and don’t talk shit about them (looking at you, Susan Sarandon!).
Because the courts are already trashed for the rest of my life and we can’t afford more Trump. And in case you haven’t noticed roughly 40% of the people in this country suck and they’ll all get out and vote for this asshole again, so the other 60% of us can’t be fucking around this time.
Checking I. Found some old cassettes. I used to record Morning Sedition. Listening to penultimate show. Second to last. Jim Earl’s Bread and David Gates routine was hilarious. Lots of good stuff. Krista P once recorded me a bunch if shows on cd-rom. It was packed Looking for it now. Glad you are still here.
For what it’s worth, I registered with the Democrats, too. In 2008, to be able to vote for Obama in the primary. I think I hot an email from Kerry and Kennedy, encouraging me to support Obama over Clinton. I think I was I’m the Pacific Party in 2008. I continued to vote third party in the general elections, as Oregon is safely blue. Not in 2016. Hillary Clinton. I wanted to join all of those who wanted ttrump on. Nationwide message to trumpco.
My original plan was to vote for John Edwards. Shows how great my judgement is. But by the time the NYS primary came around, he was out and IIRC, Obama was pretty much a done deal, so I voted for Clinton to be a contrarian. Or maybe it was because she was my Senator. She was pretty well respected for the job she did in NY (even won pretty overwhelmingly in Upstate NY, which is no easy feat up here in the Great White North).
I don’t know. Just another example of how the myth of every vote counts is kinda bullshit. At least in US Presidential elections. Voting is the opium of the 50% of the masses who bother with it. And most of them vote for whoever has the best (or at least can afford the most) commercials.
God, my writing is incoherent. Ads pop up continually, and I lose the page. And feel the need to quickly post, or lose it all. Anyway, I knew lots of good voters who chose Hillary in the 2008 New York and New Jersey primaries.
In hindsight, I feel she was unfairly demonized. Her positions overall were no worse than most other Democrats in the running. Yeah, she was hawkish, but outside of, say, Kucinich, who wasn’t that way?
I was for Sanders in 2016. But after he lost, I was all in for Clinton. I always made small campaign donations to her, even in 2008.
Anyway, we need to pull together for 2020, and get that clown out of office. Make the margin so large, the Republicans wont be able to steal it.
My hope is that people don’t feel compelled to venemously express their disdain for any of the Democratic candidates. It was a mistake when people like Susan Sarandon did it, and I’ve heard plenty of shit talk this cycle as well (really, ever since the last election). But humans are tribal and mostly ignorant. Americans especially so.
Can’t argue with that.
I remember how crazy we got on these pages back in the day. I used to push Nader. I don’t know if I was being antagonistic, or thoughtless. Probably a combination of both. It drove Melina crazy. I should have specified if in a red or blue state, third party. If in a state like Ohio, the Democrat, by all means. Under our constitution, a third party will only peel away votes. In our case, largely from the Democrats. He contributed to Gore’s loss in Florida.
There. I assuaged my guilt. Wow! I found your emojis. We need to revive this place. An authentic alternative to Facebook.
My wish is to have some sort of Morning Seditionist reunion. The old gang return and reminisce about the rollicking blog we created. I mentioned this idea to Krista Peterson. We could update ourselves. Reveal our secret identities, and so forth. Who the hell is Moonlightman? And more. Perhaps we could even organize physical meetups.
Check in, gang! What’s going on?
WTF!