Tonight's the Night

Super Tuesday. Who will be the Democratic nominee and run against moderate-Republican John McCain in the general election? We may find out (or it could still be too close to call -- but we'll know more.)

I'm willing to support whoever wins the Democratic nomination. After the dumbfounding and disheartening 2004 election, I support viability, and will take Obama or Clinton over ANY CONSERVATIVE candidate, as long as they have a shot. After what G.W. and his jerk-off associates have done (or not done) to the U.S. and the world over the last 8 years -- a kind-of humanitarian backlash is due. I mean things like accountability and mild transparency in the executive branch, an aversion to the use of national security fears as political leverage (how about an open and pluralistic discussion of options?), and some action on health care degeneration and the degraded natural environment.

Obama has a wonderful message of promise and unity -- and if he becomes president and does what he's saying, w'll all benefit. However, if, for whatever reason -- race, lack of experience, etc. -- some refrain from voting for him, than goddammit long live Hilliary! She's a more 'traditional' -- that is duplicitous and interest-pleasing -- candidate, but still liberal-minded and maybe empathetic now and then.

A Democratic Congress with a Democratic president in '09 means that alleviating the world-wide damage done by our current commander and dick's policies of isolationism, arrogance, secrecy, and indifference can be reversed in a matter of time.

Other things to consider (too good to be true?). If John McCain wins the Republican nomination (thank you Fuckabee and Romney for splitting the conservative vote!), even in the worst case scenario (i.e., McCain wins the presidency -- somehow this this thought nonetheless makes me gag involuntarily), we end up with a leader -- along with our liberal-leaning congress -- that could pass progressive campaign finance reform or gay-rights bills. In the best case, on the other hand, hard-core conservatives are so disenchanted with the idea of supporting a moderate conservative with occasional liberal positions, that they abstain. (I don't know if this is realistic, but something similar happened in the December elections in Venezuelan. Hugo Chavez pushed his base of supporters so far with a slew of power-hungry demands that many just chose decided not to vote on his reform plan -- and eschewed charges of 'betrayal' through non-participation). Finally -- and this is significant -- McCain is pro-war, and by now so many people are against the Iraq conflict this could become a liability.

A word on 'liberal' vs. 'conservative.' Hard-core conservatives employ the moniker 'liberal' like it was a dirty word. It's time to reconsider this notion from another perspective -- that 21st century 'conservatism' in the United States is tantamount to immorality. By conservative, I mean people whose positions include: 1) The opposition to higher taxes in order to maintain their own inflated bank accounts and monetary power indefinitely, 2) The support of an invasion of a sovereign nation under false pretenses and a kind-of comic book sense of patriotism, 3) Prejudice against people with sexual preference different than theirs. (How else can you describe efforts to pass a constitutional amendment against gay marriage? It's one thing to believe marriage between a man and woman is not the same as that between two people of the same sex, but it's something else to spend time and money pushing a bill through the government that actively discriminates against those people.), and 4) Evince a pointed indifference to growing and ever more volatile environmental problems in the fact of financial considerations. And don't even give me this shit about conservatives' inherent ability to balance the budget -- G. W. has recently proposed a budget plan to Congress that would create the 2nd biggest deficit in U.S. history. The largest, of course, set by his administration in 2004!

I'm just tired of these rich, small-minded people who don't give a damn about anything but themselves and their finances talking about ideas like higher taxes and campaign finance reform as though they were anathema to reason.

Real reason is finding solutions that benefit all.