Because I'm Not A Democrat

 If elections could change anything, they’d be against the law--old Wobbly slogan
   
    With the exception of the truly honorable George McGovern back in 1972, I have never voted for a Dem for president. The logical reason is that I’m not a Dem but a leftist. My gut reason is that, no less than the Reps, the Dems kill leftists every chance they can. A Dem administration is doing a pretty good job of that right now in Honduras, where unionists, teachers, students, journalists, peasant leaders and those who support the legitimately-elected government are being bumped off by the death squads that serve as a farm team for our Pentagon and CIA.  If you recall, the authors of the coup that overthrew that democratic government back in 2009 immediately went to Washington to obtain benediction. They were chaperoned through the halls of power by Clinton family lawyer Lanny Davis and other Hillary hires.
    A strategic reason is that there is no longer a strategic reason for being or voting Dem. I recall endless debates about whether progressives should stand alone or try to infiltrate and influence the Dems. That last choice has long since been tossed in the dumpster.  Making the Dems progressive is as sophistic as making the Mafia honest.
    Leftist is not an acceptable label in American politics, not even by liberals. My Dem and liberal friends don’t relate to it, even after decades of acquaintanceship. They are so steeped in compromise and capitulation they can’t comprehend those who are not, So they keep telling me that I’ll be “wasting” my vote if I don’t vote for politicians murderously opposed to my politics.  They call me a “purist” for the same reason. They point out the “good” things that Dem presidents have done. That always reminds me of the folks who used to mitigate Mussolini by noting that he drained the Pontine swamps and made the trains run on time. Extreme, you say, to compare the Dems to a fascist!  As I blogged back in April,  I did a comparison of the Dems and the neofascist Front National in France (The Democrats: How Right They Are, April 17, 2012).  Surprisingly, the FN was far to the left of the Dems on lots of issues from nationalizing banks to allowing retirement at 60 for mothers of large families and those who perform onerous work  Even their call for nastier police treatment of immigrants seems moderate in comparison to Obama’s declaration that he can just kill people on his word a la Ghengis Khan.
     At this point, it seems likely that Obama will win handily. No doubt, he’s dreaming of a Rep victory in Congress so he can spend the next four years telling us all about the great stuff he would have done if the Dems had taken the House and kept the Senate. And, of course, he has to be avidly anticipating all the corporate wealth that will flow his way after 2016 for being so faithful to the financial sector.     
    Meanwhile, the country will shift ever rightward, no matter whether cruel Reps or craven Dems prevail on the Hill. And no doubt four years from now, should I live so long, I’ll again be told that I’m an unrealistic, extremist purist. No, just a lefty like millions of people in countries where they have a real left instead of just a right and a far right.