Voting: Last Thing

After this there will be no politics in my blog for at least a few posts.

You should vote because:

1. Local ballot initiatives. Even if you're completely cynical about (American) democracy, you should at least acknowledge that local initiatives have a concrete impact on your community.
2. The lesser of two evils is still THE LESSER OF TWO EVILS. You're not cashing in on your principles by putting a Clinton (or, more to the point, a Gore) into office in lieu of a Bush.
3. Politics are so polarized that a small number of votes frequently decides an election.

For me, all of this really hits home because of how much I hate George W. Bush and how close both the 2000 and 2004 elections were. You can write a book about how the Dems are in bed with corporate American (no shit, sherlock), but the fact is we wouldn't be at war in Iraq if Gore had won. We wouldn't be allowing drilling in the the Alaskan Wildlife Preserve if Gore had won. The various assaults on civil liberties which have taken place since 9/11 would at least have been greatly mitigated if Gore had won.

I respect my radical homies' right to vote Nader-equivalent, but despite NAFTA and despite the occasional cruise missile, the Dems are still infinitely better than the 'Pubs, and Dems actually win elections sometimes (of course, it would help if they would ever field a candidate with some FUCKING CHARISMA for a change. Kerry? Phil Angelides? You guys listening?)