I want my money back! (AND my country!)
Posted: August 28, 2008 Filed under: Hillary Clinton: Her Campaign for All of Us, No Obama, PUMA | Tags: third party 7 CommentsThe U.S. taxpayers provide $50 million per party for these shams called conventions. After watching the chicago version of a staged roll call and what amounted to a real deathblow to democracy, I want to ask every one to write their congressional representatives and senators and demand their money back! I don’t feel like I need to pay for advertising rigged elections, false unity, and forced results.
I didn’t blog yesterday on Hillary’s speech and I’m really reluctant to do so on Bill’s speech because they both did an excellent job doing exactly what the party demanded. They were brilliant speeches making the case against McCain and any continuation of the Bush 43 policies. This was supposed to make the case for Senator Obama. I felt they tried, but since the case FOR Obama is basically nothing BUT the case AGAINST McCain, even the brilliant oratory of skilled politicians couldn’t do it for me. I’m glad that many AA’s will get the chance to vote for a black presidential candidate, but there has to be something going for a presidential candidate other than an opponent that doesn’t share your views and historical opportunities. That candidate has to have a proven record that shows he’s up for the job. Senator Obama falls woefully short on that account and I cannot turn my country over to another President that requires training wheels and is so obviously over his head on issues regarding the economy and national security. He may get to appoint a Supreme Court Justice, but he also has to decide what to do with the resurgence of Russian Aggression, Osama Bin Laden, and a stagnant economy that is not providing equal opportunities for all Americans.
I am so damned tired of feeling that the Democratic Party has offered us the lesser of two evils and I just need to fall in, I could scream. I want to feel inspired by a presidential candidate, not feel like I have to reluctantly go along with whatever the party insiders offer up. I think, PUMAS, it’s time for a party of our own making.
I’ve spoken about this election to what I consider typical Americans. I asked several of the women I teach with at the University if they’ve been watching any of the convention. I’ve talked to my dad and sister in Seattle. Every one pretty much agrees, once again, we have two choices that none of us really want. Dad–a Republican–doesn’t want McCain. Most of the folks I speak to, other than my young students, really don’t want Obama. I hear so many folks saying that this is the worse choice they’ve had for a long time and they feel like staying home rather than exercising their most sacred duty and wonderful gift from our ancestors, the right to vote for who will lead us.
So what I want to know is why do have to pay for this sham upfront if I’m going to spend the next four years paying for this Hobson’s choice? Why do I want to scream and say, not again! This is just another set of mediocre politicans that have pandered to the worst of their party’s interests.
Something has to be done about the two party system. Since the birth of the televised convention, democracy is becoming less and less vibrant. It is more a televised attempt at giving us what they want. I even felt that the primaries and caucuses this year were a complete waste of money. They’ve been fixed and gamed to produce a desired result. Caucuses need to be eliminated. Primaries need to be held on a rotating calander and a regional basis with a very short election cycle. Iowa keeps creating these losers and needs to be put into a pack with the rest of the heartland and no state should have any kind of special status.
Last presidential election cycle, I felt I got stuck with John Kerry by the time Louisiana had it’s primary. I knew he was a complete loser but went along any way. By that time, I had no choice in it. My vote was meaningless. I also felt that when I voted for him, I knew I was voting for a predestined loser. This time, I refuse to do it. Obama cannot win and I refuse to put any effort into pretending he will. I’m frankly expecting a repeat of the McGovern-Nixon election. Have any of you ever heard of a situation where a candidate gets a negative bounce with a vp selection and during a convention? The DNC is too caught up with itself to stop this disaster in process.
I’d like to put my two cents in for the future of the PUMA movement. It’s something I’ve been putting forward here for some time. We need to spend the next four years building the infrastructure for a viable THIRD party. One that is based on the American people. One that removes itself from corporate control and the control of those loud and obnoxious interest groups we see every convention time. I don’t want to pander to evangelicals, I don’t want us split up by skin color, and I definitely don’t want to obsess on wedge issues. I just want a party that is interested in the economic issues and the safety issues we face every day as americans. I want to focus on our shared interests. I want to focus on our health, our safety, the future of our children, jobs, and an equitable tax system.
Is that too much to ask?
peej
Carissa
bostonboomer
ecocatwoman
mablue2
peggysue22
quixote
skydancingguestblogger
Mona (aka Wonk the Vote)
Sky Dancing 
Agree 110% about a viable 3rd Party. With out that we are stuck with two parties that are of the corporations, for the corporations and by the corporations.
I agree! WE NEED A NEW VOTING RIGHTS ACT NOW! If parties are to partake in future elections, they must abide by the constitutional respect of ONE PERSON ONE VOTE and COUNT THE VOTES! YES, COUNT THE VOTES OR FACE THE LAW FOR DISENFRANCHISING VOTERS!
Why do tax payers flip for the bill and then they don’t honor the votes…that is TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION! We NOW need to ‘ONLY’ vote for people that are willing to RESPECT VOTER’S RIGHTS, BECAUSE THEY ARE OUR CIVIL RIGHTS!
I OWN MY VOTE!
“Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.” Churchill’s ‘bitter’ comments sound so true today. Hitler was democratically elected and started World War II. Churchill won the war but was kicked out of office in the election of July 1945. At least it’s comforting to know that the world have been through worse.
So good to see this post. A lot of people who went to Denver are depressed and talking about congratulaing BO, and giving him a second chance. The mindset doesn’t suprise me, they have invested so much, and truly believed there was a chance. With this part over, it is hard to gear up for more.
My way of looking at it is that PUMAS did excellently at what they could do. They never had a chance to change the delegate count. This was rigged a long time ago. By people with a lot more power than us. What PUMA could do was to show the world that there was another major player in town. And BOY OH BOY did you do that. The media knows, the Dems know and the Reps know. We are being courted by the Republican party for crying out loud! The name PUMA was on every major broadcast for three days, for some four days. We let them know that there was a line and they crossed it.
Hillary didn’t betray us, as some want to say. She did what she said she would do, and tried to live to fight another day. That is the smart thing. We are the ones who said we would carry this on, and we need to.
If people meekly go back to BO now, then it really is all about being miffed that your candidate didn’t win. For me, it was never that. I was ticked that my party allowed such blatent malfeasance to occur. I was appalled that they thought they could take away my vote ( yes, I’m from Florida, and giving it back doesn’t change anything). I was horrified to see the leaders of my party being part of the manipulation and theivery. When they weren’t sucessful at first,they came straight at us, and basically said, “too bad, you don’t like it, quit, we don’t need you.”
Most of all, I was astounded, and insulted that they thought I was stupid enough to fall in line behind a candidate with no acheivements of his own, with no reasonable background or experience for the job, with associations that should curl your hair, who may or may not be eligible for the office, we don’t know, because he doesn’t care to address the point. And before you start the “oh, the birth certificate is a non issue” Let me just say that his opponent faced the same issue and actually faced it. Mc Cain brought his documentation to the government, and actually openly settled the question. So, then, why won’t Obama? Hiding something, or…really just doesn’t give a d— what we think, he is the king,and we will just have to accept the situation.
I am not about to congratulate someone who stole the election (several actually, and the nomination), treated me and most voters with complete disdain, and arrogantly paraded his ability to do so.
Next step for me, convince as many people as I can to not let him get away with anymore, and then to join with whoever truly wants to see about changing the party system as it now stands.
You say you do, Dakinikat, I say, “Bravo.” do you have any notes on how to set it up” Any outline of the things that have to be different, or have to be adddressed so we don’t end up here, again?
I do, and you, as the owner of this site, have my e-mail. Whenever you want to talk, let me know. I am not a lawyer, have a bit of paralegal background, as amazing as it may sound, my hobby used to be constructing commercial leases, with no loopholes. but there are enough great minds on the various PUMA sites, and wonderful energy, when they get past this point of the game, to see us into something truly worth doing. I wouldn’t mind being part of that.
I’m seeing about three threads about: one is getting Hillary elected Senate Majority Leader, a second is trying to reform the democratic election process by eliminating caucuses and changing the schedule, and then there’s trying to establish a third party. All are difficult. The senate is a tough nut to crack since it will mostly be about senators doing their thing. The DNC is owned by Obama right now, he doesn’t want to eliminate caucuses. WHEN he looses, folks can pounce on that and try. I still say we should look at reviving the progressive party. That is a state by state thing. I like each of these ideas, but would hope we could choose the one we could be most successful at … that means there has to be some kind of critical mass of Pumas behind the idea … i can’t figure out how many actually want to stay with the democratic party and reform it v. those who just want to go independent and try something new. Ideas?
As you say, Obama owns the Dem. party now, and, let’s face it,this was set in place at least two years ago, by the people in charge before him. A lot of this may be sour grapes and jealousy over people who are more capable. Whatever the reason, it became obvious in the primary season, that the people in charge were determined to do what they did, and if it meant losing the traditional Dem. base, they were alright with that.
I am not sure where that will lead them. I don’t believe they can win in Nov., at least not if we keep the pressure on them. I, personally, don’t intend to give money to the Rep.. They can handle that just fine, on their own. But I do intend to get as many people as I can to show their displeasure by leaving the Democratic party. I believe that is the kind of response they will notice.
Where to go, after Nov.? The progressive party doesn’t sound like a bad idea, but it would depend on the rules and bylaws. As they say, the Devil is in the details, and I will not be part of, or recommend something that leads, inevitably back here. The Dem. party has often picked candidates that I hadn’t originally wanted. However, I was alright with backing them because they were chosen in a fair,respresentative manner, without (for the most part) rancor and nastiness.
In the end, I feel that right now the best move is to make the case against a candidate that should never have been put forward by any party,and move people to show their dissatisfaction and anger at the Democratic party. If you have more information on the third leg of the journey, where to go from there, please share it.
The Green Party is a choice. Don’t wait for four years to start a new party. Use one that is already in place, has ballot access in mulitple states, has had candidates elected to local offices and challege for state and federal offices, and has a presidential candidate with a history of walking the walk.
I recommend that people DEMAND Cynthia McKinney be included in the presidential debate to be held in Louisiana. The committee of deciders has arbitrarily stated that candidates must poll 15% to be invited. Federal institutionalization of the party comes at 5%. The national polling companies do not even include McKinney among the presidential choices.
Please help. I cheer for the formation of a PUMA party, but there are smaller parties already here that have been battling the corporate parties for years. Thank you for your consideration.