Reply #20: During and in the aftermath of the 2000 coup,

[leftofthedial]

I was a major proponent of Democrat at all costs. With 100% certainty, either the Democratic candidate or the Republican candidate will be declared President. A vote for anyone other than the Democrat is, in effect, a vote for the repuke.

I fully supported Gore, financially and by volunteering. I battled long and hard against the Naderites on this forum.

Again, during the 2004 debacle, I worked my ass off for Kerry and other Democrats, only to see the election stolen again and to see Kerry quit and run away. Still, I believed in the politics of pragmatism--any Democrat is preferable to any repuke and a vote for anyone other than the Democrat is effectively a vote for the repuke.

Since 2006, I have seen congressional "democrats" endorse: the continuation of the illegal occupation of Iraq; the granting of ever-wider powers to the executive branch; allowing war criminals to escape even token justice; confirmation of extremist, unqualified nominee after extremist, unqualified nominee; the continuation of institutionalized election fraud, bribery of elected officials and government of, by and for the oligarchy; promoting the corporation as superior to the people; further destruction of civil liberties; the benefit of the wealthy at the expense of the working class; winking and nudging king george over the prospect of illegally attacking Iran; and now torture.

There have been a few notable exceptions within the national Democratic Party to the above pattern, but the pattern has been consistent and inexorable.

I will support Dennis Kucinich through the primaries. Should he win the nomination, I will devote myself to seeing that he is elected President and takes office. Otherwise, for the first time since the election of 1976, my vote is no longer a certainty for the Democratic nominee.