This is perilously close to schadefreude for my peace of mind, but I've been rather enjoying watching Bush alienating what I think of as his natural constituency. I ran into a firefighter today and asked her if her coworkers were still irritated with GWB over 9/11 (when in the first flush of response to heroism he promised them funding for improvements and never delivered). She told me that she thought that had died down but that firefighters do not support Bush. Why? Because he's since promised them funds for improvements and never delivered. I see a theme here.
Others are annoyed at him for other reasons. There are apparently some hunters annoyed with his environmental policies, because they would like their children to be able to hunt where their parents did. Now there are conservative Constitutional scholars dismayed at this new memo suggesting that the President is above Federal law.
It's a rough situation to be in. I've never been sympathetic to people who don't vote because they don't like either candidate -- it sounds to me like an excuse for laziness -- but I'm beginning to realize that may be a valid position for at least some people. There are people who won't and shouldn't vote for Kerry because they disagree with all of his positions and yet who can't support Bush for the reasons above and others. What should they do? It's a rough spot to be in for someone who really wants to participate in his or her country's future.
One possibility may be to vote Libertarian, for those whose opinions tend that way anyhow. I hear their candidate this year is a Constitutional scholar, which is a good start. He stilll won't win, but it might send a message to Bush and his party that they do need to change their platform a bit to serve their constituency - and what else is a platform for? On the other hand, that might have the same issues that voting for Nader does for liberals - you may like someone better than the candidate of your usual party, but you might still not want to help the opponent win. I don't really know whether Republicans (and those who usually vote that way) have the same opinions about Kerry that Democrats (and those who usually vote that way) do about Bush. Obviously they don't like him, as Dems didn't like Bush Sr. and Reagan, but I don't think it's as personal and pointed as feelings about Shrub are for so many people. Still, it's a difficult dilemma and I don't envy anyone caught on its horns.
Posted by dichroic at June 9, 2004 10:41 AMWe're going to the polls here in Canada the end of the month. (Our election campaigns only last a blessed 36 days and since there's no set date for a prime minister to call an election--he can call it any time within his five year mandate--we don't go through anything like your election campaigns in term of length.)
I face a very similar dilemma to what voters face in your country. The Liberal party (slightly left of center) has been in power for over a decade now and a series of financial scandals are making them look tawdry indeed.
In my heart I want to vote for the New Democratic Party, Canada's bleeding heart leftie party to protest this and give the liberals a smack upside the head, but I cannot.
Why? Because up until this year Canada's right was fractured between the Conservatives (slightly right of center) and the Reform Party (mouth foamingly right). That left room for protest votes if necessary. This year the two parties amalgamated under the name Conservative Party. Uh oh.
As it stands right now, the election is too close to call. It could swing either way.
Because I deeply believe in our socialized medicine, a woman's right to choose and homosexual marriage rights--all things the Conservatives either want to tinker with or abolish--I am going to hold my nose and vote Liberal. Don't think this doesn't pain me deeply, because it does.
Want to hear something even funnier? On the provincial level, I would be a dyed in the wood supporter of the Parti Québecois because our attitudes towards social programs mesh perfectly. However, the PQ is dedicated to pulling Quebec out of Canada, so I am again forced to hold my nose and vote Liberal.
Paula, I just can't win.
Posted by: Marn, eh at June 9, 2004 01:48 PM