(The Military Commissions Act is a new law soon to be signed into effect by President Bush that revokes habeas corpus, ends enforcement of the Geneva Conventions, gives legal amnesty to war criminals, legalizes torture, gives the President power to imprison people without criminal charge, and sets up kangaroo courts with absurd rules designed to railroad defendants into conviction without a fair trial.)
"Here is a Democrat, trying to say that electing a Democrat to Congress will make a difference. And yet he supports torture? Who needs Democrats like these?
Now, is he really a Republican? Is he a sicko? Does he hate freedom and the rule of law? Does he think the Geneva Conventions are quaint like the rest of his ilk?
Probably not. Instead, he is trying to appeal to independent voters. It's like he thinks he has the left fringe of the Democratic Party in the bag, so he is going for independents in a district that is sixty percent registered Republican (I think; I didn't look it up).
So, what is an Independent? Paul made a great point while we were at dinner last night. He said that Arcuri's fantasy of an independent is of a someone in the middle. Arcuri presumes an Independent is the split in the hair that separates Republicans from Democrats. This is a truly stupid thing to think. Why presume Independents are there? Why not guess that they are actually Independent because no party represents their views? And, why not try to give these people a reason for voting? A reason grounded in political difference, political will, an opposition to, why not, FASCISM???"
The point Jodi makes is one that I've made before. Political independents are often not at all centrist or moderate in their political opinions. They're often looking for strong, principled, intelligent voices and regard the Republicans and Democrats as disturbingly similar: Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum.
When Michael Arcuri gave his support to George W. Bush's Military Commissions Act, he didn't just make Democrats angry. He earned the wrath of independents like Jodi too. These are independents that he cannot win the election without...
... unless Mike Arcuri's strategy is to swerve so far to the right that he'll earn the votes of a group of Republicans along with Democrats too loyal to the name of Democrat to notice the difference.
Post Script:
Writer Adam Elkus reacts to what Jodi has written, saying, "It's depressing that we've gotten to the point where opposing torture and the revoking of habeus corpus automatically makes you a 'fringe leftist.'"
I agree, Adam.
8 comments:
Jon said -That leaves a few options:
1. Write in a candidate of your choice
2. Vote for Mike Sylvia, the Libertarian
3. Choose to not vote in that particular race, while still voting in other contests
YOU FORGOT #4 - HOLD YOUR NOSE AND VOTE FOR ARCURI!
I am a Democrat. The question you ought to be asking is: What kind of Democrat is Michael Arcuri?
WRONG QUESTION
Michael Arcuri calls himself a "Boehlert Democrat". Boehlert is a Republican, so essentially, Michael Arcuri is promising that, if he's elected, he'll vote like a Republican most of the time.
NOT TRUE
In my estimation, Michael Arcuri and Ray Meier would be equally bad.
NOT TRUE ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING THE FACT THAT ARCURI IS ONE OF FIFTEEN WE NEED TO TAKE BACK THE HOUSE
Sometimes, we just don't have good choices, and the best choice is to choose none of the above. If you had an election between Hitler and Stalin, for example, would you vote for Stalin just because he wasn't quite as bad as Hitler?
ABSOLUTELY! STALIN WAS A HORRIBLE DICTATOR. HITLER TRIED TO TAKE OVER THE WORLD, STARTED WW2 - 60 MILLION DIED! - OBVIOUSLY CHOSE THE LESSER OF TWO EVILS! SAVE 6 MILLION JEWS FROM THE GAS CHAMBER. IF YOU WENT BACK IN A TIME MACHINE - WOULD YOU STAND ON PRINCIPLE OR WOULD YOU HOLD YOUR NOSE, VOTE FOR STALIN AND SAVE 6 MILLION JEWS?
Both Ray Meier and Michael Arcuri have done something unforgivable in supporting the Military Commissions Act. Neither is fit to serve in Congress. Will you give one of them your support anyway, and send the message that it's okay to support laws like the Military Commissions Act?
NO I WON'T SEND THAT MESSAGE. YES I WILL VOTE FOR ARCURI.
4:26 AM, October 10, 2006
Allen, why is it the wrong question to ask what kind of Democrat Michael Arcuri is?
And how can you say that Arcuri won't vote Republican most of the time, when he's promised to follow Sherwood Boehlert's example, and when he supports so many Republican policies, like ending the estate tax?
Jon, don't forget to remind all to keep in mind the Friday 10/13 deadline to register.
"And how can you say that Arcuri won't vote Republican most of the time, when he's promised to follow Sherwood Boehlert's example, and when he supports so many Republican policies, like ending the estate tax?"
If Arcuri doesn't win, you get Meier Jon. Why take a chance that Arcuri can be a moderate Democrat when you can simply act as you are and guarantee yourself a rabid right wing Republican like Meier?
And you'll be especially happy if Meier gets elected and the Democrats take a House majority because then there will be no money coming in Federal funding to the 24th District.
Just because Arcuri has the backing of the DCCC doesn't mean he is really a Democrat. Just because the DCCC suggested Arcuri say he would have voted for the MCA doesn't mean they are really Democrats either.
Yes Jon, you're right. Let's just dump this Arcuri fella and get ourselves a real Republican. After all, if the Republicans can actually retain a majority, Ray Meier might be the crucial vote when Bush decides he needs to declare martial law and suspend the Constitution in order to protect us from terrorists.
MODERATE Democrat? No. Michael Arcuri is a right wing Democrat.
These fools would vote for an aardvark dressed in a miniskirt, just so long as it was a Democrat.
Arcuri is a jerk, and he makes me ashamed to be a Democrat.
"These fools would vote for an aardvark dressed in a miniskirt, just so long as it was a Democrat."
Well, a Democratic Aardvark in a miniskirt would not be as capable of pushing our country into fascism as Ray Meier and a Republican majority, so I suppose I would indeed vote for the lesser of two evils.
You know 12:53, I am a firm believer in the two party system because I believe the competition of having two candidates, of having a choice, is the fundamental underpinning of democracy.
However, the last six years of George Bush and his "leadership" have convinced me, and John McCain has reinforced this, the worst Democrat is better than the best Republican every day of the week. That needs to change if the republic is to survive, but it is the reality of today.
9:35 - When the Democrats stand for torture and the Republicans stand for torture, where is the choice?
This system is broken. Broken. Broken!
The Democrats don't represent me anymore. You people who defend the Military Commissions Act, and its supporter Mike Arcuri, make me sick.
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