On leaving politics

I've written a few letters to my Democratic supporting friends worth sharing here. Briefly, the debt ceiling "deal" and it's ramifications have allowed me finally to let go and let the tide of ignorance and fear and hatred wash us all into the abyss. Because apparently we're going there no matter who is elected.

I am down to judging the administration by what they do, not what they hoped or planned to do but failed to do.

The individual points my freinds raise are valid; raising top taxes might not create jobs. It sure would undeniably add money to the till, and that would help save the safety net. Three years into his term, it really is time to look at the whole picture - where we were, where we are, where we're heading under Obama.

We're heading to where the Republicans want us to be, only with much more agony and arguing and embarrassment for the country, and a genuine crushing of the spirit of Democracy. If we're headed to the same place regardless of who is President - and i believe we are, representational democracy has ceased to exist - then just give the wheel to the Republicans and let's just look out the window and count cows.
The super congress will remove accountability for decisions that should be a job of the Congress, as they were elected to do. Now only 12 members will make these decisions, so the rest of the crooks can claim on election day they weren't for any taxes or cuts. The lobbyists can focus all their money on 12 people allowing them to achieve their goals quicker and easier with no public scrutiny. the shell game continues; more power out of the hands of people and into the hands of lobbyists.

My abandoning of the democratic party is simply doing what they have done to me. It's been 3 years now of capitulation and disappointment for the base. I don't think there ever was, or will ever be, a better chance to use the mood of the country to affect change than there was in 2008. And we got a candidate who promised massive, important change, but governed almost identically to Bush. We still have Guantanamo, we still torture, we still reward the wealthy while punishing the citizen, and oh boy, we have money for a third war now, undeclared, on Libya.

I NO LONGER believe we'd do worse under Republicans. We might do better as a people. Obama is a HUGE wet blanket for the Democratic cause. He's wiped my enthusiasm out with his frequent betrayals and failures and backpedalling - despite the good works he has done. I know he has done good things - but he doesn't inspire me like Clinton did, more often than not he makes me sad and helpless. I don't know a single Democrat with HALF the fire under them they had when Bush was in office. President Perry and VP Bachmann might be what we need to get people enthused about voting Democratic, or let me take that back, on saying Fuck The Tea Party. 

Three years now and he still thinks if he says the right thing, the Republicans will join him and his agenda? That it's good strategy to praise Boehner's brilliance and patriotism while Boehner calls Obama a clueless communist liar? That makes Obama dumber n dirt in my book.

I'd rather just watch from the sidelines now, support independents if we ever get one that isn't a full blown lunatic, and wash my hands of culpability in a Democratic surrender to the worst instincts of our nation.