This election is bittersweet for me because it is my last time voting as a Democrat. I’m going to become an independent or as it’s called in North Carolina “unaffiliated”. As long as I have been voting I have been a Democrat. I have Harry S. Truman to thank for sending my family down this path. President Truman advocated national health insurance, and civil rights issues. I personally don’t think he actually believed in black and white equality, but don’t’ mind me I’m cynical about race relations. I’ve watched my parents vote for the Democrats every presidential election. They voted even when the candidates were wack (Dukakis, and Mondell). I even carried on their tradition of voting for wack candidates (Kerry).
I remember my first election like it was yesterday. A young saxophone playing upstart from Arkansas was running for president. He was so popular with black folks that they started calling him “The first black president.” That never passed down to his wife though, because there wasn’t anything “stereotypically black” about her. I know the Republicans hated the way black folks revered the Clintons. The more they attacked the Clintons, the more black folks loved them. When President Bill Clinton was caught getting “serviced” in the oral..oops.. oval office, black folks gave him a pass. I remember a black guy telling me “the presidency is a stressful job, of course he needs a pick me up to help him relax.” I voted for Clinton twice and I don’t regret my vote. I decided to let the good times roll and vote for Al Gore in 2000. With all the shenanigans that went on with Gore vs. Bush, I thought I was voting in a Kenyan election. For 4 years I walked around with a bitter taste in my mouth because of Democracy denied. I stuck with my party and tried again with Kerry vs. Bush. Bush bamboozled voters with thoughts of Gay folks marrying each other and having babies in the streets. So they voted Bush in and he didn’t stop gay people from marrying at all. Actually gay people are getting married faster than ever now.
So after 8 years of a Bush dictatorship, I was ready for something different. I thought Hillary Clinton was a good bet and I decided to roll with her. I thought it was nice that Barack Obama was running but I didn’t think white folks would actually vote for him (I told you I’m cynical). I think the turning point was in Iowa when he pulled out the victory. He became a serious contender in the race and that’s when Hillary lost her mind. It started in South Carolina with the Clintons using the Republican model of the southern strategy. Then my arch-enemy Bob Johnson opened his cooning mouth, referring to Obama as habitual drug user. Every primary and caucus after that became painful to watch. The party that I have stood by for years was disintegrated before my eyes. It all came to a head when the Democrats met to discuss giving voting rights back to Michigan and Florida. White women in hotel lobbies yelling how unqualified Obama is and that they were being robbed. Hillary used the fact that she was a woman and played the damsel in distress role. She accused everyone and anyone of sexism. Black folks in the party were covering for the madness saying that they were unified. Obama had to fight black Democrats, white women, the mainstream media and the Clintons. I realized that the party was not the same one that was advertised to me. I had thought that all the Dixiecrats left to become Republicans. I realized the Democrats were just as racist as the Republicans. Then polls turned up showing how White Democrats wouldn’t vote for Obama because of his race. I personally like my racism out in the open and not hidden. I came to the realization that the party I have supported since 1992 was not the kind I want to belong to. I thought the Democrats would support the best candidate whether they were black or female. I thought Democratic candidates would respect each other and not tear each other down. Black Democrats supporting Clinton didn’t even pull her to the side to say “calm down.” I would rather be by myself then stay with a dysfunctional family. I can’t support people that truly in their hearts don’t support me.
Now I can see someone reading this and saying “why don’t you become a Republican?” My two word answer to that is…………………………………………………………….NO!!!!
The party of Jesse Helms, Strom Thurmond, Trent Lot, Tom Delay, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Bill O’Reilly, and Anne Coulter… need I say more.
I think this independent move will work out best for me. It feels right to me. I view certain issues with a liberal eye and a conservative eye. Being unaffiliated also takes me out of the box that pollsters and pundits want to put me in (such as: I’m black so I automatically vote Democrat). I just hope that I won’t be getting any flyers from Cynthia McKinney and that Green Party.
I think this independent move will work out best for me. It feels right to me. I view certain issues with a liberal eye and a conservative eye. Being unaffiliated also takes me out of the box that pollsters and pundits want to put me in (such as: I’m black so I automatically vote Democrat). I just hope that I won’t be getting any flyers from Cynthia McKinney and that Green Party.
2 comments:
It is not the party, it is the people in the party. Every organization has its worse, even in church. But for my votes, the dems have had more presidents that were helpful to all races. I considered John F Kennedy a great president. Bill Clinton gave more blacks jobs than any president. Dems attract the best candidates. It appears that the republicans attract more selfish and hate mongering people. John McCain said he would not use negative campaigning. The republicans suckered him into their game. If the other parties were trying to do as much, they should be working all year and not just near voting season.
However, I vote for the best candidate. One year, that was a republican Governor, not president.
why is it that people are upset that Obama has people who like him (not obamholics. It is refreshing to see a seemingly good person in politics. We are called friends of Mr. Obama for your information - you get that line from Hillary' campaign or John McCains?
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