So let's revisit that premise Booman suggested here last night. Yeah, that one: the one that suggests that Edwards' support for the most part goes to Clinton because she isn't black.
Maybe it's accurate, maybe it's not. If it is, I have to say that I thought I was in a political party that was better than that. Maybe it is, maybe it isn't.
And then again, maybe I am, and maybe I ain't.
That supporting a candidate for president isn't about his fight for the middle class and against the entrenched corporate interests -- that it's not progressive policy or even political viability but for reasons of bigotry -- gives me considerable pause. I already have enough disagreements with Democrats acting like Republicans; if it becomes any more obvious that they're a bunch of racist pigs on top of that, then I just have one question left to ask:
How did I get in here? And how do I get out? And: WTF?
WTF am I doing in a party like that; a party where former Congressmen Nick Lampson and Ciro Rodriguez move in to another district and promptly sell themselves completely out to the Republicans for a measly two years in Congress (because, believe me, that is all they're gonna get)? A party that not only refuses to bring impeachment proceedings against Dick Cheney, but considers those of us who do 'divisive'? A party that wants to give the telephone companies blanket immunity from eavesdropping on my phone calls and e-mail?
WTF am I doing in a party that denies Dennis Kucinich a place on the ballot because he won't swear a loyalty oath? A party that only allows votes for "approved" write-in candidates to count?
Have we gone backwards in time when I wasn't looking? Is this Germany in the late 1930's? (Don't even get me started about the ICE wagons rounding people up and drugging them because they don't have the proper papers. There's plenty of Democrats that agree with the xenophobes and nativists in the Republican party on that one.)
WTF am I doing in a party where a Texas House Democrat (sic) takes thousands of dollars from Swift Boat Bob Perry and fully supports Tom Craddick for speaker, and yet gets the support of so-called progressives? What kind of pretzel have we twisted our principals to look like this time? And WHY TF are two choices for the state house in a 90% Democratic district Completely Corrupt, who lost two years ago -- but has run around the district telling people he's still the rep -- and Completely Crazy?
WTF am I doing in a party with a PAC that tells potential candidates which offices to run for, alternately dangles hundreds of thousands of dollars in front of them and threatens to remove that and all their other sources of funding because they don't toe the line?
Third Thursday, named simply after the day of the month they meet, decided to focus on state House races in Harris County instead."We didn't feel like we were able to affect the presidential races and the agenda," said lawyer Dave Matthiesen. "We wanted to get involved in something where we could make a difference."
The group includes former Pennzoil CEO Jim Postl; Bob Cavnar, CEO of Milagro Exploration; former Metro Chairman Arthur Schechter; and Houston Center for Contemporary Craft co-founder Sara Morgan.
These are members of the Democratic Party? The same one I'm in?
No, but they are Democrats.
WTF am doing in here with this bunch of people? I can give my time and money to a lot more things that will give me a lot greater satisfaction than this.
Oh yeah, this post was supposed to be about race and gender, not just race and money and corruption. It's almost time once again to revisit those tired bromides about how tested and ready Mrs. Clinton will be for the coming Republican flames. What about the questions of her fitness for the presidency from her own side? Like the ones I'll be leveling, for example?
What if the reason she loses isn't because she energizes the Republicans but that she demoralizes too many of the real Democrats? Is that going to be our fault, too?
Lots has been written about the fracturing coalitions within the GOP, but if the Democrats -- be it Hillary or Barack as the nominee -- lose the White House it will be of their own doing. Even my little brother the Republican thinks "the Democrats have a lay-down hand, but they keep shootin' themselves in the head".
A few too many mixed Western metaphors , but the point is taken.
