I have to admit...I am struggling. The current political climate is causing some soul-searching....

[FedUp_Queer]

54. Normally, I wouldn't respond to someone who completely distorts what I write.

However, I won't stand by and watch garbage like your characterizations. What I said is that I cannot vote for Obama...I just can't. On at least some of the issues that are important to me, he is worse than Bush. That's a fact. Bush, as awful as he was, never reserved the right in no uncertain terms to assassinate American citizens on his whim. Bush, as awful as he was, never proposed to decimate the CSBG. Would I vote for Bush over Obama? NEVER. Would I forgo voting for Obama and vote down ticket? Yes. Sorry, but Democrat does not equal good. I will vote for people who agree with me. I will vote for people who are in favor of the issues I am in favor of. I will not label myself a liberal, progressive or Democrat. We elected a Democratic House and Senate in 2006. What happened? Accountability for war crimes rivaling the worst war criminals in world history went completely by the way side. Where is the accountability for the crimes of the bankers? Unpunished. In fact, the Obama administration dropped the case against Goldman Sachs. I guess the bottom line is that you put party over principle. That's your choice. You can vote for someone blindly because they have a "D" behind their name regardless of how they treat the poor. If your only concern is electing people in a bucket called "Democrat" regardless of their actions, have at it. How is that different from the monolithic behavior Democrats accuse Republicans of? So...again, I'm not telling anyone to not vote. I didn't suggest that anyone should not vote. I didn't say I wouldn't vote. I DID say I will not vote for a president who reserves the right to declare a fellow citizen has no entitlement to due process and kill that person or who proposes gutting one of the most important social programs for poor and lower income people, which has been successful for years. I would argue that a president who does those things is not a Democrat at all but a center-right Republican corporatist. If a person who does those things but who happens to be a "Democrat" is supposed to receive my vote because he's a Democrat, it's not going to happen. So...for me, I will not vote for Obama. I will note advocate for anyone. I WILL vote for Charlie Rangel (though I think his best days are past). I will vote for my current State Senator and Assemblyman. I will vote for Melissa Mark-Viverito (my council member).