If you missed the memo (surpising since it's everywhere), the only thing you can do to save the world is vote Democratic in November's election.
That's all the power you have, to judge by the coverage.
Now most participating in the writing of this feature are going to vote Democratic and do so each election cycle. Straight ticket.
So it's not the memo that has us (and others) so bothered, it's the fact that it's the only story out there.
We expect it from the DNC and from their cronies. We don't expect it from independent media.
But these days, independent media seems to be little more than a house organ for the DNC. Quick, which Democratic candidate for Congress said, last week, that he was for abolishing the "death tax"? Once upon a time, independent media could have told you that, would have told you that, would have taken him to task for his remarks.
Now?
We're just hearing the "Sounds of Silence."Hello, darkness my old friend, indeed.
It's really, really important that you vote and that you vote Democratic -- we're told over and over. A few weeks back, independent media seemed determined to be MTV's Rock the Vote but now, it's gotten so bad, they remind us of Kelli Maroney's character Cindy in Fast Times at Ridgemont High and her speech about being a Spirit Bunny. It's tough, we're sure.
We're also wondering exactly when a third party could take off? Vote Green this election cycle?Do you want independent media to come down on you!!!! (Jess will be voting Green, he's not alone among those participating in this feature.)
You hear a lot about how the G.O.P. is using fear (again) and while that's true, what exactly is the Democratic Party using?
"The Torture Election!" screams one headline. To not vote Democratic is to be for torture?
Al Gore 'lost' in 2000 for one reason: the Supreme Court.
He didn't lose because of Ralph Nader. Ralph Nader couldn't 'take' votes from Al Gore. Ralph Nader won his votes. Al Gore could have had them, if he wanted them, by appealing to those voters. He didn't. (A stronger argument for votes 'taken' could be made using Pat Buchanan's amazing turnout in Palm Beach via the butterfly ballot.)
But that's how it will go down. (And it's interesting that a converse logic, that H. Ross Perot 'took' votes from George H.W. Bush and allowed Bill Clinton to win in 1992 isn't made by the same faction still crying that mean old Ralph Nader 'took' votes from Al Gore.)
Al Gore didn't 'own' any votes. He campaigned to get votes. He got the votes he earned. Ralph Nader got the votes he earned. Bully Boy got the votes his Daddy put on the Supreme Court.
No one "owns" your vote, no one has "dibs" on it. If they want it, they need to speak to you. If they don't, they don't get your vote.
It's pretty simple.
All the supposed indepedent media coverage telling you otherwise is providing cover to Democratic candidates who want to push to abolish the so-called death tax and hide behind other Republican sloganeering. Usually, they'll toss out other crap like how they love the Bully Boy. (Hello, Harold Ford Jr.!) Or they'll give a speech about how they're not like Nancy Pelosi and Ted Kennedy. That's true. They wouldn't know how to lead (even badly) if an opportunity opened up.
Whether Joe Lieberman manages to hang on to his seat or not, there's a whole new batch of Lieberman's hatching in the Democratic Party.
Failure to address that with their audiences doesn't make independent media come off trust worthy or reliable.