Rejection Politics 2008

Electoral politics are no medium through which one should aspire to live out their ideals. It is only about making as practical a decision as possible in a civic duty that is but a small slice of each citizens political responsibility pie.

I have followed the primaries and the campaigns since they began, and a big chunk of that was during my trip to South America over the winter--back where this blog began. I have to say that I have been impressed with this country as far as what the movement to elect Barack Obama has succeeded in doing thus far. It was fantastic to see him out maneuver the Clintonistas. Nevertheless, I continue to be skeptical of the entire electoral process, and the duoploy of the major parties.

Some of my best sources for information about current events have empirical evidence that demonstrates that there are many instances in which the differences between the candidates are more stylistic than substantial. I find the webpage of Foreign Policy in Focus to be an excellent source of information on current events. There are many issues discussed by their writers in which the major party candidates are shown to have few differences.

On the other hand, one of the better informed and grassroots oriented voices of internet journalism is the publisher of Narco News, Al Giordano, who has maintained an independent blog covering the election that he calls The Field. He has continued to cover the campaign from an on-the-ground angle, looking at the work of the Obama campaign all over the country. Even though he weathered a falling out with more mainstream elements of the Democratic Machine he has continued to demonstrate support for Obama's candidacy. Considering his experience through out América, I take his position seriously.

The options are otherwise limited. I could not vote. But that is only one of the many things that I do for political expression. Hence my view that voting is a very small part of my civic duty. For being such a small part of my political expression, it is less important than others. I therefore do not worry about whether or not I can express my ideals in voting. Of the potential alternative candidates I believe I prefer Cynthia McKinney. Ralph Nader is an Has Been, and an egomaniac as well. If he truly believed in building an alternative to the duopoly he would continue to support the Green Party. Perhaps it is a misread of history to blame Florida 2000 on him, but his strategy of focusing on battleground states in the last week of his 2008 campaign is a nasty attempt to consciously play the spoiler in an election that is even more critical than the one 8 long years ago.

And what a spoiler he would be. A McCain-Palin administration would be a very rough and ugly victory, especially considering how hateful their campaign has become. One can only hope that the numbers continue to be in Obama's favor.

When it comes to survival there is nothing wrong with voting for the more palatable of some not-so-palatable choices. It is, after all, just election politics, and in this case again, just Rejection Politics 2008. I would be willing to grant Obama a landslide victory, if to do nothing more than send the Republicans home packing. The last eight years have been a torturous tragedy. I have few delusions about the Democrats, but my practical goal here is to see the USA reject the Republican platform and the McCain-Palin ticket, sending a clear message to the world, and the country, that the error is over.

In closing, I provide this video--a hilarious narrative that captures the superficiality of the electoral process, and the clear vision for what is an appropriate behaviour of the USA in the world that we must continue nurturing.

So You Think You Can Be President