A Pledge to myself.

[FrenchieCat]

Because I'm not about to pledge to anybody else!

It goes something like this...

I will vote for any and all Democrats on my ballot. I will research via the Internet per my sample ballot, any propositions, measures, and Judicial candidates listed, in order to fully understand what/whom I will be voting for statewide as well as locally. If I can vote early, I will, in case others need my help on the final day.

In the run up to the election, I will donate, canvass, make call, and write letters to the media and members of Congress that factually informs and positively promotes President Barack Obama, Democrats and policy issues that I support. I will actively do whatever else is in my power to help this President and Democrats win the upcoming elections, such as explaining the alternatives and the views they hold, to those who will listen.

I will not help, directly or indirectly, any candidate from the opposing party. I will not diss the same candidate they diss unless that candidates is also a Republican.

Further, I will not allow myself to be used as a corporate media tool by making it my responsibility to generate negative messaging against our current President, as well as Democrats seeking office. I will leave that job as the focus of the Republican opposition. They have more than enough monied interest and media assistance behind them to do their job without my help.

I will be a passionate partisan through and through, come hell or high water, even as this President pushes bi-partisanship--because I am not the President of all of the people. I respect Pres. Obama's right to call for civility, but I will not follow suit, since I don't see the other side doing the same. I won't judge him harshly for this shortcoming nor his attempt to find common ground, even if I don't like it. I don't have to govern, so I will accept that he believes that he can get very little done unless Congress works together to better our nation at our time of crisis. Therefore, I will not spend my precious energy trying to change him today, since uniting this country was a message he was elected on, even though Republicans have fought this message every step of the way. As a volunteer activist, I simply have bigger fish to fry than to rag on the President for being who he said he was all along.

This wrote this after thinking about this: http://www.democratsforprogress.com/2011/09/03/we-all-have-a-choice-in-the-2012-election/

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. ...

:patriot:

[jaxx]

2. Count me in on voting for all Democrats on my ballot.

And on being informed. This coming election may well be the most important one this country has faced in a long, long time. Do we want to be ruled, or do we want to see our country go forward.

K&R and the link provided has questions we all need to face up to. Thanks!

[FrenchieCat]

8. The thought of

How will you feel when the new President nominates partisan cabinet members like Phil Gramm for Treasury, Jeb Bush for the Justice Department, John Kasich for the Office of Management and Budget, Scott Walker for Labor Secretary, Paul Ryan for Health and Human Services, Rudy Giuliani as Secretary of State, John McCain as Secretary of Defense, and Newt Gingrich as UN Ambassador? Sure, it may not be those particular ideologues in those exact positions; in fact, it could be worse still. Keep that in mind.

or this...

How will you feel when the new President decides to nominate folks over at the FCC who would vote against Net Neutrality? How mad would you be if the Internet became less of a factor for free speech, and more of a factor for message manipulation and propaganda?

As importantly, how will you feel that you didn’t do everything possible to assist in the 2012 re-election campaign because you rationalized that there was nothing good you could say about President Barack Obama, or you conveniently convinced yourself that someone else would handle your share (or so you assumed)? How will you justify protest then, or even be angry knowing that you always had a choice and yet you chose to do less than you could do?

http://www.democratsforprogress.com/2011/09/03/we-all-have-a-choice-in-the-2012-election/

is like a nightmare that I'll be damned if I have to live through, once again.
and yes....literally, I will be damned!

[pnorman]

13. You beat me to it with the first box! RATS!

"How will you feel when the new President nominates partisan cabinet members like Phil Gramm for Treasury, Jeb Bush for the Justice Department, John Kasich for the Office of Management and Budget, Scott Walker for Labor Secretary, Paul Ryan for Health and Human Services, Rudy Giuliani as Secretary of State, John McCain as Secretary of Defense, and Newt Gingrich as UN Ambassador? Sure, it may not be those particular ideologues in those exact positions; in fact, it could be worse still. Keep that in mind"

[CakeGrrl]

3. Straight Dem ticket, top-down. No other option for me. -nt

[gateley]

4. Add me to the list! Thanks for sharing this, Frenchie!! nt

[Tx4obama]

5. Thank you for posting the LINK in the OP.

I hope you post that link from Democrats for Progress in its own OP so that everyone will be sure to see it!

:)

[Tarheel_Dem]

6. K&R

:kick:

[Old Codger]

7. I have never

Voted for a repug and do not intend to start now.... I will help in any way I can any and all democrats running.

[FrenchieCat]

9. That's the spirit.....

after all, elections are about us much more than anything else. And if they aren't, they should be!

[patrice]

10. It IS possible to be the loyal opposition & that's not compromise. It IS diversity, something our

political party needs!

I join you in this pledge, FrenchieCat!

[OhioBlue]

11. I take the same pledge Frenchie!!

kudos to you!

[FrenchieCat]

12. Good on you!

This is serious business.....
but some folks would have you
think that this is just a game
or something.

[msongs]

14. umm it is called Democratic Underground, not Obama Underground. legitimate criticism of his espoused

policies is perfectly within the rules no matter how much some people may wish to implement purity pledges.

[Name removed]

15. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Old Codger]

17. Actually

In my statement I never mentioned the president, I mentioned the democratic party.... If Obama is the nominee I will vote for him, it will in fact once again be a vote against the opposition rather than a vote for anything. The republicans have and are still running this country into oblivion, they have been in opposition to each and every good idea that has been put forth the last few years all in the name of causing a particular leader to be a failure rather than what is needed by the citizens that they are supposed to be serving. IMHO it is because he is black, how dare he have the audacity to not know his place. Racism is alive and kicking in the republican ranks

[Fly by night]

19. Did you post this comment in the right place?

... cause your post had nothing to do with my comment that it is appended to.

Just askin'.

[Old Codger]

24. Was referring

To referring to your reference to "oaths" . It seemed to be a broad statement on anyone here who agreed with the OP as giving an oath of loyalty to the president rather than to the country and constitution. I wished to make it clear that was not my intention, my first and foremost loyalty is to my country and our constitution, in that context I am more loyal to the Democratic party and it's representatives than to anyone who wishes to subvert our laws and principals. . . If I was in error I apologize...

[FrenchieCat]

29. There is no purity pledge here....just a pledge to myself that I am sharing....

if you want to pledge that you will be negative about everything and anything Obama,
no matter what....
you should do so. It will only prove what many already know; you don't give a shit
about much of anything.

[stuckinarut]

16. Loyalty pledges.

Lol...n/t

[Bluenorthwest]

18. My Democratic Party history goes back beyond 2000

so I have roots and family and Democratic knowledge. I say that because loyalty oaths and characterizations of other Democrats are anathema to millions of us in this Party, particularly those in the creative arts who have the nasty history of the McCarthy era in our recent history. So big, big rejection of the entire concept of an oath.
In addition, the President's opposition to marriage equality is based entirely on a religious text which forbids the taking of any form of oath, in public or in private, to one's self or to God or in any form. It is interesting to me that the only bits of that religious text that seem to matter at all to anyone is the wee bit that stanks on gay people. Oath taking, forbidden personally by Jesus, well that's a thing to do with pride, that which Jesus forbade, in detail, so fully. I guess Jesus went on and on about the evils of oaths and forgot to mention the 'one man, one woman' stuff?
Because I despise McCarthy, and because Jesus is just alright with me, oaths are utterly outside of my principles as a Democrat and as a person.
I'm sure you can offer some counter examples, teachers and historic events that teach you that 'loyalty oaths' are good. Share them with us, as I have done. I am leaving a link for folks to read up on Loyalty Oaths in general, and I suggest the Truman era sections are of particular interest to modern Democrats and liberals.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loyalty_oath

McCarthy era Loyalty Oath law that was ended in 2006:
http://articles.latimes.com/2006/aug/28/nation/na-oath28

[styersc]

20. No need to research policies and candidates.

Since you have pledged to blindly vote for nayone with a "D" by their name, why pretend that you are discriminating. Vote for who they tell you to regardless of how they throw you under the bus and pursue the same policies that the opponenet canididate might.

Just send the money, do the scut work and pull the lever. They will make the decisions for you.

[NorthCarolina]

21. That struck me as odd as well.

The OP starts off with "I will vote for any and all Democrats on my ballot", and then goes on to talk about doing research on those candidates before voting. Laughable plan if it wasn't such a pitiful reflection on voters. No wonder this country is so fucked up.

[Sheepshank]

22. For political strength for the entire group I also will vote D down the line

It's very clear that regardless of the political, stomping platform, when an R gets a seat, they will vote almost 100% of the time the way McConnell tells them to vote.

I could only hope 100% of the Dems may do the same. There are always the blue dogs, but I will hedge my bets and hope to promote a Dem agenda by voting Dem.

The rest of the article expressed why the author, and I, will vote straight Dem. I suppose the author could have switch their writing style and listed the reasons, research etc first, and the result (voting D) at the end, then you'd have one less thing to misinterpret. But then, you'd just have picked on something else. It's not unusual for any author to list the final determination first, and the reasons for that as the body of the text. You argument is laughable.

[txlibdem]

31. We got rid of some of the "Blue Dogs" and we'll ouster the rest soon

If you vote with the Repukes then you are a Repuke, get that "D" off your name you Corporate Whore.

[FrenchieCat]

26. Your reading comprehension is off.....

The only items WITHOUT "D" OR "R" next to their names are propositions, measures and JUDICIAL candidates.

And so I stated.....
I will research via the Internet per my sample ballot, any propositions, measures, and Judicial candidates listed, in order to fully understand what/whom I will be voting for statewide as well as locally.

Perhaps the lack of reading comprehension is why this country is so fucked up.

[styersc]

27. Maybe the country is "fucked up" because of syncophants who

vote a crush rather then an informed decision. Anyone can cast their vote for any reason. I won't judge, but nor will I be disparaged for feeling that the Democratic Party was stronger when it was responsive to its supporters.

Politicians who are not held to account by the voters are free to promote their own interests without check. If a politician has you convinced that your responisbility is to vote for them blindly and they will make the decisions, I feel that you are part of the problem.


Fate will probably force me to pull the same lever that you pull on the President Line, but holding one's nose is not the same thing as support. I will likely vote against the GOP candidate. That is not the same thing as voting for the candidate that Democratic party has put on the ballot, despite that candidates long history of weakening Democratic policies and goals.

[FrenchieCat]

28. I vote for my best interest......

because I'm no Moran.

period.

[styersc]

30. My fear is the people who vote for a candidate who then turns

and tells the voter what their best interest is.

[FrenchieCat]

32. My fear is when people start to believe that politics is like

eating an happy meal while watching a 30 minute sitcom,
where it all ends happily ever after.

Those are the Morans that I am worried about.
Those who either don't understand nuance,
or just don't want to, as that would complicate
their world view.

But the scariest folks to me, after the GOP,
are the ones that want to act like them,
while denouncing them....

They want leaders that literally walk over everyone,
scream loudly and often...lie if required,
and bullies others. In essence, some folks want
a liberal version of George Bush.....
They aren't truly interested in democracy,
they just want to see some heads being knocked around
to pay them back for what they endured for 8 years under Bush.
They don't really care about others, they just want someone to
make them feel good.

[styersc]

33. Worst of all is the politician who profits from hurting the base.

Maddow calls it "punch the hippy". As a progressive I am offended that my issues are treated like they may cause a rash. Worse, I resent being raked over the coals by an establishment that thinks it gains points by harming the left. Neglect is hurtful, open antagonism is harmful.

[Sheepshank]

23. Go ahead and research the differences between policies of D & R

and The DON'T FORGET realize that once in office, the R will vote en masse with whatever they are told to vote, the individual R platform means squat.

How does a vote for any R, or a vote that wouldn't help a D get into office, help the D cause?

If you can find an R policy, that the entire R will vote to put into policy, that is of benefit to the middle and lower class in the long run, please proved such a policy. It would blow my mind and have me reconsider my stand that as many D's need to be in office as possible.

[Peacetrain]

25. K&R one thing that I know for sure

when people ignore elections.. the cockroaches slip in.. and once in.. they are almost impossible to get rid of.

The mess of the 2010 republican takeover of our state houses, is going to haunt us for years because of the cutting of government jobs.