It speaks to the poverty of American politics that an anarchist in Texas feels compelled to vote in this election.
[WS:] No, it speaks to the fact that for much of the US left, as much as the population in general voting is a *moral* process rather than a political one - "voting one's conscience" "character" of the candidates, sending a "message" and similar moral drivel more appropriate for church discussion groups than for strategizing. Voting is all about collective decision making and not an individual's road to personal salvation and moral righteousness - as many seem to believe. It consists mainly of compromises, strategic alliances, mutual back rubbing and quid pro quo exchanges, rather than moral grandstanding and pompous proclamations.
Yes, I would like to see a different lineup of candidates and parties, but that is not going to happen any time soon, so I am trying to get the most out of this situation instead of throwing my arms up in the air, and taking conscience trips. IMHO, morality and politics do not mix, or rather the best morality in politics is that of an alley cat.
A good example of bullshit moral grandstanding is the withdrawal from Iraq issue. It takes much more than simply saying no to sin and returning to the "moral ways of the American people," and anyone seriously expecting that to happen if Democrats, or *any* political party wins the election is simply allowing his morality to eclipse what is realistically possible at this time.
To sum it up, I am pretty happy with the outcome of this election, and will be more happy if the Democrats gain control of the Senate. Our side won this round!. Perhaps the gain was not nearly as big as I would like to see, but it was a gain and this is a good thing - or at least better than nothing or a loss. And if this does not square with some moral vision or utopia, then the morality needs to take the back seat.
PS. Here in Baltimore it is a bit of a bittersweet victory. Baltimore's mayor Martin O'Malley won the gubernatorial race over the corporate made man Ehrlich, and this is a good thing. However, the remaining year of O'Malley's term as the mayor will be filled by the City Council president Sheila Dixon, which is not such a good thing.
Wojtek