(This seems to be a straw/camel/back day, doesn't it?)
Good-Bye Cruel Party.
The latest Democratic FISA capitulation is my last straw; I've been thinking about this condition, and writing a bit about it here, for some time - casting about, really, trying to figure out how we can spur this party to become what it used to be: the hope of the common people and a bulwark against despotism. I've been desperately trying to sus out my alternatives and to narrow them down to actually workable ideas. Needless to say, I really don't buy the yellow dog concept, and the FISA votes speak eloquently to my reasoning there.
And then there's the complicating fact that we operate in a dysfunctional winner-take-all duopolistic construct which narrows our choices considerably; some might say terminally. The founders were incredibly wise (even with all their faults) but the fact that they devised a system that was able to devolve into current American politics belies their supposed infalliblity.
Anyway, I've finally made what seems to me to be a logical choice. Let me explain it to y'all.
As of tomorrow I am changing my Maine voter registration from Democratic to Unenrolled (ie, independent). I am doing this to send a little micro-message to the Democratic Party, a message that will obviously never reach them if it is just me alone sending it. That's why I'm writing this diary.
As to the primaries, here's my thinking: first, in my case, it isn't going to be necessary to vote in the Congressional p's since Tom Allen, a real liberal (who voted against yesterday's FISA travesty) won't be challenged in his US Senate primary preperatory to his challenge for Susan Collins' seat. Also, I was quite relieved (and yes, I did let him know of my gratitude) that my ME-2 Rep, Mike Michaud, also voted for the Constitution yesterday, so it seems that even Moderate Mike won't need to be primaried this cycle. And if I were still in ME-1 ( we got redistricted last cycle) the fantastic Chellie Pingree is running unopposed for Allen's slot there, so that would give me a bye as well.
But even if I had a DLC blue-dog-yellow-dog-Vichy-dog in my district, and even if my Dem Senate candidate spelled his/her last name N-e-l-s-o-n or L-i-n-c-o-l-n or B-a-y-h, I would still change my registration right now, with the knowledge that (assuming there developed a progressive challenge to any of my DLC-infected Congressionals) I could re-register in time for the primary if it became necessary, and then reregister back to (I) - if the Party is still straddling the electric fence of Constitutional abandonment.
And, of course, there is the issue of the Presidential Primary: the same strategy applies there. I don't need to be a (D) to support (as I do now) Edwards or, should he announce, Gore. And if anybody I support is still in the hunt come ME primary time (or if, by the time ME's turn comes up, it comes down to DLCer Hillary and anybody else), I will just do the paperwork before the deadline and cast my vote. In the meantime, the Party gets a little Dear John postcard from me.
This is just a messaging idea, people. It doesn't limit my choices in any respect, and as far as dkos is concerned, there are Indies on the front page here, doing fantastic work. And I can still send cash to deserving candidates like ME-1's Chellie Pingree and Tom Allen and Edwards and dozens of others across the country.
But what I'm thinking is that if enough Democrats evaporate from the voter registration lists in a precipitous manner in the next few weeks and months, that even these Beltway-addled Asses might swing their ponderous heads around and take notice.
Is this really a Donkey we have been trying to get off the dime? Are we sure it's not a Mule?