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November 4th, 2008 by Paul Daniel Ash

It’s Election Day and I’m not voting. Some of my friends – disappointingly few – are interested in the reasons behind my choice. It was not a casual, reflexive, or hasty decision. I didn’t forget to register and I’m not too apathetic to make up my mind who to vote for. I’ve actually put far more intellectual effort into the issues surrounding this election than I have in any other in my (rather long-ish) lifetime.

Clue 1: Given the U.S. electoral system, my vote would be symbolic anyway – I choose to define the symbol

I have voted in every state, Federal and local election since I reached the age of majority. For the last couple, I held my nose and voted, despite my distaste for the charade that this money-soaked reality show represents democracy. I’m not doing that this time.

I feel strongly that my vote for any candidate would be an explicit – not implied or tacit – endorsement of the idea that a population-weighted, 50%+1, winner-take-all, 24-month race to the bottom with a hundred-billion-dollar price of admission is any way to establish “the consent of the governed.”

I’ve subsumed my values to expediency before, voting for the least-worst candidate where the difference was within 10 percentage points. However, in California, where I am registered to vote, Obama is a solid 22 points ahead of McCain. In Massachusetts, where I reside, his lead is between 20 and 22 points. This time, for me to vote would be to violate my beliefs to no good end.

Clue 2: On the issues that matter most to me, the distance between the candidates is uninspiringly small

On this country’s illegal wars – or threatened wars – in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Iran, warrantless surveillance of Americans, a standing Army in our midst and the unforgivable plundering of the public fisc to enrich Wall Street, there’s little space between Obama and McCain. This is not to say that I believe that there is no difference between the two. Obviously, that’s not the case. There’s no question that an Obama Administration will do less harm than a McCain Administration. But that’s not a slogan that makes me want to rush to the polls.

A very real fear I have is that the bulk of the anti-war, anti-dictatorial-Presidency forces (such as they are) will evaporate with a Democrat in the White House. I’d love to be proved wrong in this. But I’ve been extremely disheartened by the behavior of liberals and progressives this election cycle.

The left and center-left in this country (such as they are) have been battered and besieged these past eight years. It’s understandable that there is a certain amount of reflexive defensiveness on behalf of a Democrat who appears poised to bring the Bush years to an end. But the fact that it’s understandable does not make it defensible. If you’re intellectually honest, you hold your enemies and your friends to account. That doesn’t mean you shoot yourself in the foot… just don’t become like the very forces you are fighting against.

I will be happy to see George Walker Bush and his hateful cabal removed from power. I just urge all my friends and readers who are Obama supporters to remember that the damage will not be undone merely by changing parties. Enormous unaccountable power still inheres in the Presidency, and there’s no real precedent for such power being voluntarily relinquished.

With a tip o’ the hat to the incomparable Dennis Perrin, I leave you with this quote from a former Presidential candidate:

I do not want you to follow me or anyone else; if you are looking for a Moses to lead you out of this capitalist wilderness, you will stay right where you are. I would not lead you into the promised land if I could, because if I led you in, some one else would lead you out. You must use your heads as well as your hands, and get yourself out of your present condition.

– Eugene V. Debs, Socialist candidate (1904, 1908, 1912, 1920)

If tonight is a night for you to celebrate, enjoy it. But tomorrow, continue to fight for what you believe in.

6 Responses

Cherrye at My Bella Vita writes:

November 4th, 2008 at 11:23 am

Nicely said. You echo my mother and sister who are both “not voting” for the first time in their lives.

Kate T writes:

November 4th, 2008 at 3:59 pm

I respect your choice, but feel I have to throw my two pennies in here: People in other countries have DIED for the right to vote for a leader. We take it for granted here in this country to a shameful degree. As you say, your vote would only be “symbolic”, I guess you mean because of the electoral college votes. But how do you think those votes get assigned? By the number of citizens who schlepp down to the polls and make their choices known.

By throwing away your vote, and by encouraging others to do the same, you decrease the number of votes for your candidate, and in essence vote for the “other guy”. Don’t you think?

Kate

FJ writes:

November 4th, 2008 at 11:06 pm

Why not vote for a third party candidate like Ron Paul, Ralph Nader, Chuck Baldwin, etc.? Men who want to defend the Constitution and end illegal wars abroad? The media won’t tell you this but there were more than two choices for president in this election, and I hope you at least paid attention to your State House of Representatives/State Senate and State ballot questions.

You’re correct in that the enormous presidential powers are not easily diminished, all the more reason to support a libertarian and/or constitutionalist nominee next time; someone who would seek to undo the illegal income taxes, empire abroad, and managed free trade that has gotten us into the mess we’re in today. Things were better in the early 1800s!

nanagirl writes:

November 5th, 2008 at 2:55 am

What’s the point in playing a game that you don’t want to play?

michelle of bleeding espresso writes:

November 6th, 2008 at 7:08 am

A large part of my support for Obama comes from the fact that he *seems* to have inspired millions of Americans to do something, anything to express and support their political beliefs. I sincerely hope this interest and action continues well into his presidency because if not, all that he worked for will have been in vain, and that would be a damn shame.

Great post.

paul of the clue-by-four writes:

November 9th, 2008 at 12:23 pm

Michelle, I’m really interested to see what happens with all the Obama supporters. If they spontaneously organize into some movement for change, inspired by and yet independent of the President, that’d be an enormous force for good. History shows damn few examples of anything like that happening, but there’s a first for everything and I’d be pleased to see it.

Nanagirl hits the nail on the head, as usual. Electoral politics are really not my trip; again, I’m not saying there’s NO difference at all between the parties, but it’s just not where the change I’m looking for is going to come from.

FJ, I’d love to see the Congress become like the Knesset or the Italian Parliament. Again, though, the electoral realm is perhaps the least interesting and relevant battleground for change, as far as I’m concerned.

Kate, Massachusetts apportions its electors on a winner-take-all basis. Whichever party gets a plurality takes the pot.