One of Indiana's Senatorial seats is up for election this year. Democrat incumbent Joe "Almost a Blue Dog" Donnely and Republican challenger Mike "The Working Man's Pal" Braun (and their various Committees To Support...) are continuing to wage negative campaigns, focused on the alleged venality and duplicity of their opponent far more than their own qualifications to serve. Both men are sons of the wealthy families, working hard to seem like "plain old guys" and entirely blind to the source (or even the existence) of the crease in their slacks and the shine on their shoes.
After months of it, I have come to the conclusion they're both right: neither of them are to be trusted with anything with a bigger budget or payroll than a lemonade stand. I'm taking each man at his word about the other: the United States Congress is the last place either one should be.
The Libertarian Party of Indiana is running someone: Lucy M. Brenton. She's good on the issues, a right-down-the-middle Libertarian. She's raised a passel of children, which I figure is probably better preparation for serving in the Senate than being the boss's son.
Does she stand a chance? Not if you don't vote for her! Why throw your vote away on some guy who hasn't even got the decency to be who he is, and instead plays at being someone like you? You can do better: vote for someone who is at least an outsider to the political power structure, someone who is most likely to go off to D.C., do her homework and vote her principles!
If everyone throws their vote away on the outside candidate it isn't thrown away. Hope the locals get it and she gets somewhere.
ReplyDeleteEven if she doesn't win, it still sends a message - and encourages "next time" voters....
ReplyDeleteI count it a thrown-away vote if you are chivvied into voting for someone who doesn't share your values "because they can win." I mean, so what if they do win, I'd still have a Senator who supports the wrong stuff. To heck with that.
ReplyDeleteAgreed !!! Same old "vote for the lessor of the evils" crap.....
ReplyDeleteMy problem is this word: Libertarian. I don't think it means what we think it does anymore. I am a firm believer in never elect a democrat and never reelect anyone. Before I give carte blanche to a mother I would assess how her kids are doing. Some of that would be the kid but the overall direction is set by the parent.
ReplyDeleteBut this is just me, an old troglodyte.
I’d be a lot more impressed with the Libertarian Party if they’d take a few city councils and statehouses before running for Senator or President.
ReplyDeletePaul: most candidates do publish their positions, you know. Perhaps you could find out what *they* think "Libertarian" means by looking it up on their website.
ReplyDeleteFuzzy: How about one judge, three town councilpeople, two county advisory board members and a clerk-treasurer?
But look, I'm not telling anyone else to vote for her. I'm pointing out there is a choice other than the two blue-shirted rich guys shouting past one another in TV ads. If you're happy with Joe Donnelly or think Mike Braun would be a good replacement for him, vote for that guy instead.
Paul: most candidates do publish their positions, you know. Perhaps you could find out what *they* think "Libertarian" means by looking it up on their website.
ReplyDeleteTrue. But I am pretty sure it would not match Merriam Webster and it never matches mine.
Paul, here's a parable for you:
ReplyDeleteThe Grapevine & the Fox
One day a beautiful bunch of grapes hanging from a Grapevine on a tree limb high over a trail saw a Fox approach. The grapes were ready to burst with juice and the Grapevine longed for them to be eaten. The Fox stopped and gazed up at the grapes, tongue lolling.
The Fox was far below, and the Grapevine did its slow, vegetative best to uncoil and drop lower. The Fox lept but came far short. The grapes swayed in the breeze, slowly lowering; the Fox tried a running leap, the grapes kept dropping, but they never came close enough. The Fox tried and tried, and finally stalked off, head high, tail in the air.
The Grapevine looked after the Fox in disgust.
"What an idiot I have been, wearing myself out to try to get a toothless old fox to eat my lovely ripe grapes and scatter the seeds. Foxes don't even like grapes."
And it coiled itself back up, slowly and scornfully.
There are many who pretend to despise that which is beyond their reach.
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In a society that selects office-holders by voting, refusing to research candidates is shirking one of the duties of a citizen, especially if you still intend to vote. Excusing it because "they're never what I want, ever," is preposterous. Some are much closer than others; sometimes their positions are even within compromising distance. But you'll never know, will you?