by Ron McBride
December 29, 2006

I have voted in every Presidential election since I turned 21, and each time I voted Democrat instead of with my gut feeling. Why? Because in this country with its two party system, you have to vote with common sense. I would rather pad the odds, and not waste my vote. Some say it's because I am a great Democrat, others say I chickened out and didn't vote my values, still others just cuss me. I consider myself a progressive Democrat, but I am a pragmatist, in my mind at least.

Below is my voting record over 38 years of Presidential Elections.

1960 -- 13 years old. Kennedy was like the Pharaoh, Godlike. I loved the idea of going to the Moon, spaceships, aliens and all that stuff. When he was shot, we were all shocked. I was riveted to the TV, watching the news and the funeral.

1964 - 17, still too young to vote. Our family supported Johnson. I didn't know about ideologies, liberalism vs, conservatism, then, but I knew my Republican father opposed Goldwater. I don't remember for sure why, but I think we thought he was going to blow up the world. Our neighbors were for Goldwater. We thought that was strange. (Hank Ketcham, creator of "Dennis the Menace", was also for Goldwater, too. The Dummy)

1968 - 21, I can Vote! I supported Eugene McCarthy. Although at the time I liked Wallace, not because he was a racist (was not actually a racist but he did opportunistically play around with that milieu), but because he was bucking the establishment. I thought Robert Kennedy was riding on JFK's coattails. But when push came to shove I voted for Hubert Horatio Humphrey, Senator from Minnesota. Why? Because he was the Democrat.

1972 -- McGovern. I worked hard for McGovern locally. I supported him because I hated Nixon. The War in Viet Nam, "law and order", marijuana. I liked John Hospers of the Libertarian Party (just starting up then). I was leaning Libertarian at the time, but McGovern received my efforts and vote. My sympathies and gut said Ted Kennedy, but after Chappaquiddick he didn't stand a chance, so it was, as Nixon was trying to paint him, (the radical candidate of "acid, amnesty and abortion.") McGovern. I felt he was the candidate of the common man.

1976 -- MacBride…I really, toyed with the idea of voting for MacBride if he ran, because of the name (J) and because he was so strongly against Nixon after Watergate, and voted for Hospers in 1972. MacBride was also the first Presidential Elector to ever vote for a woman Libertarian VP candidate, Nathan. But in the final analysis I went Democratic for Carter, another candidate of the common man. Finally a winner! This was the year I learned to hate Republicans and their crooked ways. Nixon Resigned and his hand picked replacement Gerald Ford had gave him a full pardon.

1980 -- I liked John Anderson and he was from Illinois, but I figured the main thing was to keep Reagan out of the White House. As a space nut, I liked his "Star Wars" concept. What was bad was that Anderson was a Republican, although the Doonesbury Cartoons helped paint him a liberal Independent. Therefore I once again picked the loser, I voted for Carter. You remember "Jimmy Who?" He still was considered for the common man. Hey! He carried his own bags. After his notorious "malaise" speech to the nation, I really got worried. Reagan had made his $5 Billion dollar deal with Iran for the return of the hostages, although at election time it wasn't public knowledge. Ted Kennedy's speech calling for a more liberal agenda caught my attention. My gut said Ed Clark, the libertarian candidate. I had read his book "A New Beginning." As a progressive he rang true, but in the end I followed a pattern as before and voted Democrat.

1984 -- Mondale. Abortion, ERA, and the first woman ever on a major-party ticket, Geraldine Ferraro, Representative from NY. Besides, his "Where's the Beef" rang true to many of us. Reagan was steamrolling along and becoming the "Great Communicator." All I can say is he fooled a lot of people. I really did hate Falwell (used the bible to cover his sins). I, along with many others, thought Reagan was his puppet. I rather liked Mondale, the last of the New Deal liberals, and John Anderson, still a favorite son from Illinois, said he would vote for Mondale. I really thought Anderson held promise as a progressive liberal, but he didn't run that year. I only wish Gary Hart hadn't played loose with his zipper. I think I would have voted for him, but, Alas! that was not to be. Jesse Jackson was always lurking in the background throughout this time.

1988 - Dukakis - although he didn't excite me. Paul Simon, another favorite son from Illinois, did. And after the thrashing we Dems received in 84, it looked glum. Bush I hated mainly because of when he was Reagan's VP and for his connection with CIA, but also because he began using Liberal as a bad word. Bill Clinton's speech at the Convention grabbed my attention and I went around telling everyone that he should be VP, that I had met him personally. They laughed at me, no candidate from a small southern state had a chance they said. This year I had no gut feeling one way or another. I was resigned to the fact we were going to lose, so I didn't work as hard for Michael as I could have.

1992 - Clinton "The Comeback Kid". I was quite impressed when I met him and Hillary at John Miller's in Melbourne, AR in 1982. Hillary was, well maybe not hot, but smart. I also liked Ross Perot. Clinton was the second Presidential candidate I ever voted for who won. I was on a roll! While we all walked around with our chests out, I still wondered if I shouldn't have voted my gut once again, and it said Ralph Nader. But then there was Ross Perot. I watched all his long commercials and really respected the man. His message about reducing the National Debt struck a chord. Clinton's handling of the "Gennifer Flowers Affair", cemented my support for him, that and the personal connection.

1996 -- Clinton again, two in a row, first time since FDR that a Democrat had won two back to back full terms. Ralph Reed and Buchanan were prominent and loud. Dole didn't even register for me. I did like his style and his World War II record. I liked Clinton, and ignored the talk about his personal life. I was very upset that Perot was left out of the debates that year. But that year my gut said Ralph Nader, his frugality and boldness struck a chord with me. Of course I voted Democrat.

2000 -- Gore. I was supporting Bradley, but he was playing the "race card" too much for me. Didn't like that, and still don't. I toyed with voting for Nader. Nader looked best to me, stylistically. Buchanan is too much like a Nazi, he is dangerous. We'd better never have another Great Depression, or else Buchanan will end up being our Fuhrer. Nader was at least a sincere progressive, compared to Gore. Brown was nothing but a clown. Bush had nothing whatsoever that appealed to me. He appeared to be a spoiled little rich boy, using Daddy to get elected. Ended up voting for Gore just to keep Bush out, but was teed off at him for ignoring Clinton. But for the second Presidential Election in a row my gut was saying, Nader, but his 1980 support of Reagan over Carter did irritate me. John Anderson was on Reform Party, but he had lost his luster, and I no longer considered him a valid candidate. The Republican theft of the Presidency this year was the final straw. I began questioning my sanity in voting for so-so Democrats.

2004 -- Kerry. I really liked Dean, but after the scream he was out of the running. Bush -- I can't understand how 49% of the people voted for him. He's run up a huge deficit by now, and he's supporting that abominable Federal Anti-Marriage Amendment. He got us into an illegal war, and the day after 9-11 he slipped 20+ members of the Osama bin Laden family out of NY on a special flight. Lieberman had a bad record on guns. None of the others looked good except John Edwards but he wasn't on the ballot. So I voted for another loser, and one that I did not respect. No gut feeling this year, just despair.

I sound like a down the line, yellow-dog Democrat. What I did was vote the "lesser of two evils" -- a defensive vote, rather than an offensive one. I sold out my personal beliefs, something the majority of Americans fall for.

The history of third parties in America is that they serve as the vanguard for new ideas. It is these ideas that make the world go round. If a Third Party begins to draw votes, one or both of the two big parties steal their ideas. This is why a third party candidate doesn't stand a chance. WeDemocrats say we intend to vote our values, but will we?

I don't know about you, but I'm tired of being a political prostitute -- voting for the people who don't care if I vote for them or not. If you think the Republican or the Democrat candidate really does best mirror your beliefs, by all means, vote for that candidate. But if you don't, and you still vote for them, you're helping to preserve the status quo we probably all despise.

If you go to the polls for the purpose of casting the deciding ballot in major races, you are making an irrational decision. The chances of dying en route in a car, plane, or meteor accident are far greater than the chance of casting the deciding ballot. This is the "wasted vote" argument -- the idea that if you vote for someone who will not win, then the vote does not count. Baloney, voting the lesser evil sends the wrong message; it's sending a message of compromise.

No other President, not Nixon at his most "law-and-order"-ish, not Reagan at the behest of Falwell, not the elder Bush, not any President, Democratic or Republican, within my lifetime, prior to this one, has ever pushed for a Constitutional amendment designed, not to protect, but to deny, individual rights. Bush is a liar, and he has lied to even those in his own camp. He dodged the Vietnam War, he stole two elections, and he surrounds himself with crooks.

We can't let this happen once again in America. Vote your values.

2008 - Boy this is going to be a good one, no incumbent or former VP running at least not yet . J Who do I like? Well, I am not going to tell you. I will support whomever WeDemocrats choose, but I will say I am entranced with Obama and he is an Illinois favorite son. Still, I like Hillary a lot and honestly think she could win, becoming the first female President, besides I would love to see Bill in role as first First Gentleman. Gore - just saw his film "An Inconvenient Truth" and respect the man, not only for his mind but his willingness to say what he thinks when he gets away from his handlers. Dennis Kucinich, I could accept easily even though he is a bit left of me. Kerry doesn't even register with me. John Edwards, I think has a lot of promise, and like his message to a degree. So there you have it, no gut feeling yet, and if I did, I promised not to tell you. I wouldn't want to influence the decision of WeDemocrats.

It will be a hard choice in the Democratic Convention, but Hey! Don't worry. The Liberal (Republican) Media will have their choice made before the Convention starts. It will be up to us to fight for whom we want before the Convention, fight to make sure we get a progressive, fight against the status quo.

We can't hit the ball if we don't step up to the plate.

Ron
ron@wedemocrats.org