Thanks for proving my point, Markos

Two years ago I wrote this. With the addendum that President Obama did repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell (when it was politically acceptable to) I still stand by all of it, even if I wasn't being proven right.

But maybe I'm jumping to conclusions. Maybe Mr. Moulitsas doesn't mean that if you vote for someone other than Obama you're an idiot. Maybe he has some particular beef with the Green Party nominee. So I asked him to explain (or rather, to defend) the tweet and he replied.

"George W. Bush. Case closed."

So yes, even the founder of a liberal-progressive site buys into

a) The narrative that Nader cost Gore the election, nevermind the popular vote or the questionable legality of the Supreme Court's decision and b) the "We must support the Dems at all costs, no matter who the candidate is" bullshit.

I am a little bit disappointed, but honestly not surprised. As I said two years ago the specter of Ralph Nader will hang over every other election from now until... who knows? For another two decades? Three?

Oh sure, the mask will change. First Palin, then Bachmann, through Cain and Perry and Gingrinch and it'll hit Romney sooner or later, once the gOP finally sucks it up and nominates him. But the real spook will be the legacy of Nader. That'll be 2012, nightmare scenario after nightmare scenario about how President Romney will make Palin his VP or declare war on Iran or this or that and so we HAVE to vote for Obama. It'd be downright treasonous to do otherwise.

Because who cares if Obama didn't have the balls (or desire?) to push for real healthcare reform? Who cares if he ordered the execution of an American citizen without trial? Who cares if he waited weeks (and until after his vacation) to start pushing for any economic policies, policies that are just going to be watered down with concessions to the Republicans? We have to support our asshole because their asshole is a bigger asshole.

And that's the underlying principle of the present-day Democratic party: no principle, just support the team.

Well, at the cost of sounding all high and mighty, I have principles. Stubborn things, they are. So no, I'm not voting for Obama (as I've said before). I'm not registered with the Democratic party. I don't overlook the shit Obama does, I don't buy into his 'I really don't want to do this' lies. I don't accept the 'we need to support the lesser evil' shit.

But many others on the left do, which disappoints me. Even if it shouldn't. I rag on conservatives for supporting whackos like Palin or Bachmann but at it's heart it's really just tribalism. It's not the need to support ideology X, it's the need to belong, to be part of a group. That's why I've gotten several tweets since Markos responded to my first one from people I've never heard of and will never meet, all saying little more than 'Right on, Markos' or 'Yes, I agree.' They're not trying to be a part of the exchange between him and me, they're not trying to make a point or come at the 'discussion' from a different angle, they just want to reinforce (if only to themselves) that they're part of this or that team. (You could also see it in the people that sided with me; even if I agree with them on some level, I'm not ignoring that they were just using the opportunity to get on a soapbox and harangue 'the other side.')

Not for the first time, I'm wondering if I should even bother following politics. I don't think my life is better for it, I'm not arrogant enough to think I've accomplished or will accomplish any change, and all I get for it is aggravation at how ridiculous people can get.

And then I tell myself that, living in a democracy, I have the obligation and privilege to take part in how the government is run, even if only at the level of voicing my support for a candidate with one vote out of thousands or millions. And if I am to take part properly, I need to be knowledgeable; aware of current events and such. But do I need to follow any pundits? Any commentators on Twitter? Read any editorials or op-eds or blogs? Couldn't I just keep up with current events and skip all the talk talk talk yammering shouting chest-thumping drum-beating?

So thank you, Markos Moulitsas. First for proving my point that the mindset of the American left is one of fear and selling out whatever principles they may have so long as the Big Scary Insane Conservatives are kept at bay (nevermind what the left will allow so long as it's not being done by a conservative). And second, for pushing me to a decision that will free up a lot of time for me, time I can devote to things that will (hopefully) give my life some enrichment and not irritate me so much. (Not that I expect you're reading this)