The Home Stretch: The Power of Withholding

What Should Have Been

Well, today is the day. After the most painful and abusive election season ever, the American people will finally decide between Barack Obama and John McCain.

I cannot think of a worse position for us Americans to be in. I do not think either man is ready to be President in these turbulent times, and to guide the ship of state into a brighter future in the next four years. I was spoiled by the undeniable excellence of Hillary Clinton, and I wanted an brilliant, prepared, qualified and Democratic President to begin the long work of repairing the massive damage of eight lawless, war-mongering, economy-destroying, environment-ignoring years under the Bush Administration. But my Party did not allow that to happen, despite all our efforts to force them to include us in their decision-making process. They failed us utterly by nominating a man who is unacceptable to a large portion of the yellow-dog, faithful Democratic base.

This could have been the most exciting election in my lifetime – and it could have included both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. Indeed, Hillary herself suggested that early in the primary season. But that was not good enough for the DNC. They needed to destroy Hillary Clinton utterly, and they did it most excellently – with the unconscionable support of far too many women who thought Hillary deserved it just for being herself.

And now, I look ahead at the next four years with dread. I understand why people are voting for Barack Obama, and I understand why people are voting for John McCain, and why people are abstaining or voting third-party or leaving the top of the ticket blank. I find very little pleasure in contemplating the future Administration of either man.

But we PUMAs know something many people don’t: that if Barack Obama is elected, the Democratic Party will be free to ignore its traditional base forever. The leadership will have proven that with a toxic combination of $600 million, a charismatic but empty candidate who specializes in being all things to all people, total control of the media and election fraud, it can win a national election. No longer will the concerns of working-class people and women be important to the Democratic Party. After all, they said they could win without us, and they did. Right?

On the other hand, if John McCain wins, it will be because working-class Americans, and women, and other ignored sections of the Democratic base who supported Hillary Clinton, threw their support to him. And he knows it very well, and will reward that constituency as President. He has already shouted out to us on numerous occasions, and has promised gender parity in his Cabinet and other advancements for women if elected.

Sometimes, the only power you have is the power of withholding your vote from the Party, and the politician, that hates you. That’s what I’m doing this year. I can only hope that enough people across the country understand that what Barack Obama did to Hillary and her supporters, is what he will do to them. We are all under the bus in an Obama administration. We are bitter, bible-toting, dried-up, female racists who don’t know any better, and who deserve nothing but scorn and violence for daring to say “NO” to Dear Leader.

I am praying that the lesser of the two evils will prevail, and that Sarah Palin will be shattering that glass ceiling tonight. My fellow Americans, may we never regret our choice today, even though it is not the one we should have been making.

As Hillary said so eloquently, we will all keep going no matter what happens. And yes, the PUMAs will still be here after the election. Dream on, Obamasphere. We are real and we are not going away. If we started too late to affect this election, we are certainly well-positioned to affect the next round in 2010.

I look forward to continuing the fight for a more representative and inclusive democracy. PUMA POWER!!!

 

Cross-posted at Partizane