Quite a few bloggers are affronted by Egalia’s decision to leave the Democratic Party. (If I were a Democrat, though, I think I would have begged her to leave about 18 months ago for the general black eye her she and her fellow outliers give the party in general–but that’s just me.) As I read Aunt B.’s post with all of her commentors weighing in and then surfed over to Mack’s place I found myself agreeing with them. How stupid is it to leave your political party and vote for someone who goes against the party just because of a difference over one issue.
Then I was washing my hands–I do some very good thinking during my ablutions– and it hit me.
I did the same thing.
I am Egalia.
I left my party–the Republicans–and vocally refuse to support much of their machinations. During this presidential election I will not support that party’s candidate. I will write in either Ron Paul or Thomas Jefferson.
I can’t say when it was, and it had nothing to do with vaginas and ovaries, really, but somewhere around the late 1990s it struck me that Republicanism circa then was sort of like a pastier-skinned version of the Democratic party. I think it may have started with the Starr Report, I don’t know. It just began to slowly dawn on me that what I thought I was voting for (smaller government, lower taxes, upholding of basic American freedoms) and what I was getting were two different things. By 2004 I was an avowed libertarian. I did vote for Bush in that election because I honestly thought he was the better choice. But after 3+ years of the second Bush administration being as tax and spend as any California Democratic Governor I decided that I would never again let “but there are supreme court justices at stake!” or “you’re not voting for X, but against Y” make my choice for me.
My vote means increasingly little as the country grows larger and the candidates grow closer together. Both major parties are continuing to field centrists in a wild hope of gaining undecideds. As little currency as my one lone vote actually holds, I absolutely refuse to spend it on something that looks like support for something I cannot tolerate. I feel like my continued votes for the status quo say “yes! keep feeding me crap and I will eat it just because it’s there.”
So it is with head hung down and plowing through the mire that I face the facts. I am Egalia. I left my party, too.
()()()()()()()()()()
()()()()
()()()()
Well, I can see a crucial difference here. You have decided, on principle, to vote for someone (or an ideology), that you honestly believe is CLOSER to your vision of governance. The group in question, on the other hand, is voting out of pique for someone (and an ideology) that is demonstrably HOSTILE to their stated interests as a way to punish the women who supported Obama.
I have yet to hear anyone who is a feminist Clinton voter/bolter articulate why McCain is a superior choice for women’s interests.
I suspect that’s because it can’t be done, at least as “women’s interests” are defined by that branch of feminists. Since that’s apparently their controlling agenda, I find it sad and odd that they can’t make a positive case for the person they plan to vote for.
Huge difference. To leave your political Party after engaging in a soulful search, and determining that the party no longer has an agenda that suits you, seems honest and forthright.
Leaving your party because your candidate took a beating, especially when you still agree with 99% of the party ideals, is a great big tantrum.
As Mack and bridgett said, there’s a big difference.
I don’t have one iota of a problem with any Clinton supporter planning to vote for McCain because he or she honestly thinks McCain would be a better president than Obama. That’s not remotely what’s driving their decisions however.
[...] Katherine Coble doesn’t blame feminist Clinton supporter Egalia over her decision to leave the Democratic party because she has done the same thing on the other side of the aisle: My vote means increasingly little as the country grows larger and the candidates grow closer together. Both major parties are continuing to field centrists in a wild hope of gaining undecideds. As little currency as my one lone vote actually holds, I absolutely refuse to spend it on something that looks like support for something I cannot tolerate. I feel like my continued votes for the status quo say “yes! keep feeding me crap and I will eat it just because it’s there.” [...]
Well, you all have made me feel better about things. I was actually a bit worried about meself there.
Nope, your Egalia. No doubt.
Kat,
I am also becoming increasingly disgusted, just disgusted, with the Republican party…To me, McCain is not a choice. I’m not actually registered as a Republican (MS doesn’t do that), so I’m not officially a member of that party. However, they were the closest I could find to my set of ideals.
But it appears that is no longer the case (as it is in yours). And I’m not about to switch to the Dhimmi party either (they don’t hold my ideals, either). Like you said — they’re becoming eerily too similar to each other.
So, like you, I will no longer say I’m a Republican. I am an American, a Conservative Libertarian (if there’s such a thing), and I will always vote my conscience.
Thanks for this post!
“just because of a difference over one issue.”
In this soundbite culture, I’m sure you genuinely believe that. But actually it’s about the status of girls and women in this country and the multiple issue question of what kind of country we are. It’s about watching my party leaders stand idly by while the mainstream media and ‘progressive’ A-list bloggers disrespected the women and girls in this country by using every sexist card in the book to demonize the nation’s one and only serious shot at the presidency by a woman.
I have daughters. It has been one of the most painful experiences of my life to watch this travesty from their eyes. I don’t know what it is, you tell me, but I am dead certain that if this first female historic shot at the presidency had been made by a Republican, the leaders of the GOP and rank and file members would have raised holy hell to stop the msm sexism. Or would they have joined in, as did so very many of my former ‘progressive’ colleagues?
to demonize the nation’s one and only serious shot at the presidency by a woman.
Really?
Maybe a Democratic woman, and maybe in the next 25 years. (The Democrats don’t seem to have any other viable women to field for at least the next decade.)
But ever? No. Unless, of course, we aren’t counting Condoleeza Rice, other women on the Right or the countless little girls who are now in their childhoods and dreaming of one day being President.
There will be many more serious shots at the Presidency by a woman.
Egalia, are you kidding? Sexism is rampant in our country, in every corner. You honestly think that a group of people who are running a guy who doesn’t believe that women have the right to control what happens to our own bodies, and who doesn’t believe in equal pay for equal work are going to speak out against sexism in the MSM? Which ones of them put a stop to the gendered slurs used against Coulter or Malkin or Harris (all three people I believe deserve immense criticism, but not because they’re women)? Heck, the MSM has loved the “women surrounding Bush relate to Bush like he’s their hero/lover/daddy” trope and no major Republicans have spoken out about how demeaning that is to women. They have had plenty of reason to raise hell and they’ve taken a pass on doing it.
Let’s not kid ourselves. The Republican party stands for nothing you stand for and they aren’t going to change in order to accomodate y’all.
“Which ones of them put a stop to the gendered slurs used against Coulter or Malkin or Harris (all three people I believe deserve immense criticism, but not because they’re women)?”
Yes, despite their best efforts, they can’t get “progressives” to stop using such terms. Because you know how much pull the GOP has with such folks.
Like Kat, I’m a bit disturbed at the notion that Hillary Clinton was the only serious chance of a female president.
If she were the nominee and were elected, she’d only have 8 years at most. Is that all feminism has strived so hard for? 8 measly years?
despite their best efforts
I think her point is that “their best efforts” were really no efforts at all.
I would disagree. But it is subjective, and trying to prove such a thing to those biased to think the worst possible thing about Republicans would be a waste of time.
But if you want to believe that the GOP only spends time and effort to defend the male politicians and commentators within its ranks, go right ahead.
I’m with you Kat. For me it was the Starr Report, “Mission Accomplished”, No Child Left Behind, etc. that made me vote Libertarian in 2004 and what motivates me to actively campaign Libertarian in 2008.
I think one should vote their conscience no matter what. If Egalia is dissatisfied with the Demcratic Party, it is my opinion she should vote for a candidate that does support her ideals, perhaps the Green Party which holds feminism and gender equality as one of its 10 key values. Voting Republican would be counterproductive to her ideals.
Politically active citizens need to get out of the binary party mindset and vote our consciences.
If you can bring Jefferson back from the dead (or at least get him on the ballot), I’ll vote for him. If the dead can vote in Chicago and Memphis, I see no reason why they can’t run for office too. It’s not like they’ll make a bad decision.