Voting Scared

VOTING SCARED

Flipping through the October 25th issue of SF Weekly, I came upon an advertisement [page 31] that intended to inform me that many issues that I presumably hold dear may be coming under fire in the near future. The graphic of a wrecking ball preparing to bash to bits such ideas as “privacy,” “civil rights,” and “gun control,” among others, attempted to signal a bleak future. Unless, of course, I acted to save them. “Is This Goodbye?” asked a bold headline.

The text of the advertisement went on to explain that the next President of our country will likely appoint two or three Supreme Court Justices during his term. Thus, obviously, the point was to elect the person who would best protect these noble causes. Or, perhaps, it is more accurate to say not elect a man who would swing the wrecking ball so to speak. The ad closed with the statement, “On November 7, vote as if your freedom depended on it. It does.”

Oh but wait, however. Another line of text stated that “a vote for a third party candidate could help elect the candidate whose Supreme Court choices would demolish fundamental rights and freedoms.” “Hmm…,” you may wonder, “what are they getting at?”

Consider this: a poll released on Monday [Oct 23rd] by the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute revealed that Al Gore had lost a significant portion of his once large lead over George W. Bush in California. It would seem, the poll suggested, that an upswing in support for third party candidate Ralph Nader had at least some say in that drop.

Coming back to the advertisement, I also noted that it seemed to be placed by an organization that went by the name of People For the American Way. The name alone seemed to not reveal much about the group or its affiliation, if it had any. Who could this mysterious PFAM be?

Dropping the pretense, it is obvious the Democratic party is concerned that the support for third party candidates, specifically Ralph Nader, is hurting Al Gore’s chances against his Republican opponent, especially in a state like California, which Gore considered in the bank a few months ago. Fair enough. It is hurting him. Even in a world used to low-ball politic tactics, however, this advertisement is particularly disgusting. By attempting to scare people into voting for Gore, his campaign is doing its best to undermine the concept of democracy. Granted, this is nothing new in our political climate, but regardless we should be no less outraged. Their attempt to hide behind the politically benign People For the American Way banner makes their actions that much more sickening. By trying to convince people they should vote their fears before they vote their hopes, the Democratic establishment is doing its best to further lock us all into the two-party oligarchy, and they don’t even have the guts to be open about it.

Let’s face it: with the increasing slide towards the political middle by both major parties over the past several years, real differences between the Democratic and Republican parties are becoming few and far between. By the time the 2004 election rolls around, the biggest difference between the two major candidates is likely to be whose suit goes better with their hair. However, the Democrats would like us to believe that they are still the champions of the underdog, the advocate of the progressive, and the protector of the working class. How, they ask, could you not vote for Gore in order to minimize the Republican threat?

The answer is simple – vote your hopes, not your fears. Pick the candidate you feel is best for the job, whomever that may be. That’s democracy. Anything else is just a sham.