"it's the national security, stupid"

[jrtom]

Arianna Huffington: Will the Dems Ever Learn? "It's The National Security, Stupid"

When will they finally understand that they will not be a majority party again until they clearly define for the country where they stand on national security -- and why their way will keep us safer than what the other guys are doing?

You don't rise from the political ashes by standing around hoping the other guy blows it.

Like I said. Not that I think that the Democrats becoming a majority party is the best of all possible worlds--but the point noted above doesn't have to apply only to them.

Comments

Good governance, not continuity of power

[fdmts.livejournal.com]

Both parties suck donkey dick. I will never, ever again vote for a party. Parties are dedicated to one thing and one thing only: Continuing their own power. This is orthogonal with good government.

Re: Good governance, not continuity of power

[jrtom.livejournal.com]

I will never, ever again vote for a party.

Not living in a parliamentary democracy, I assume that you haven't actually been voting for a party up to this point. Are you saying that you will never again vote for a candidate who is a party member? Or just candidates of the (current) two major parties? If the only candidates are those affiliated with the two major parties, will you refuse to vote for any of them?

Re: Good governance, not continuity of power

[fdmts.livejournal.com]

Forgive my lack of clarity. I doubt you were confused, but I'll elaborate anyway:

What I meant was: I will never again base my vote for a particular candidate solely on the party with which they happen to be affiliated.

Of course I'll vote for a major party candidate, if I happen to believe that that white man from the ivy league is the best white man from the ivy league for the job. In this coming election, I'll almost certainly vote for the most viable non-Republican candidate. That will almost certainly be a Democrat, and he will lose, just like last time.

Not living in a parliamentary democracy, I find it odd that many states require a party affiliation to get on the ballot, and that every single voting booth I've ever entered has a bubble to vote "party line" at the top of the first page.

Re: Good governance, not continuity of power

[jrtom.livejournal.com]

Actually, I was confused. I thought it entirely possible (but not certain) that you had decided "you know, if they're affiliated with a major party, screw 'em", given what you've said on the subject of party politics, and your occasional advocacy for radical solutions. For that matter, I didn't think that you _had_ been in the habit of basing your vote for a candidate on their party affiliation, so I thought it unlikely that you meant what you apparently did (because I figured that we all knew that already :> ).

You might also want to consider these two statements in combination:
a. I will never again base my vote for a particular candidate solely on the party with which they happen to be affiliated.
b. I'll almost certainly vote for the most viable non-Republican candidate.

I note the use of the qualifier "almost certainly". And I'll grant you that many of the Republican candidates in the US are Giant Steaming Piles (I live in Christopher Cox's district, and have been mightily conflicted over his appointment as head of the SEC--on the one hand, he won't be my rep any more, on the other hand, appointing him to head the SEC is sort of like appointing Bolton to the UN). And I even believe that you intend to do your best to not do (a). But (b) sounds an awful lot like, well, basing your vote on party affiliation. I'm just sayin'. :)

every single voting booth I've ever entered has a bubble to vote "party line" at the top of the first page

Interesting. I don't believe I've ever seen one of those. Then again, I've only ever been registered to vote in Oregon and California, and it strikes me as probable that someone in each of those states would have made a point of removing that from statewide ballots (if it was ever there).