Progressives vs Democrats

For years I've been angry at the Democrats who blamed Nader, instead of the Bush family and the Supreme Court, for Gore's "loss" in 2000. I wondered how people could know that Gore won the popular vote, including in Florida, could know that the Supreme Court handed the presidency to Bush and still believe Nader was somehow responsible.

I wouldn't have voted for Gore even if Nader hadn't been running. So those Democrats who fling hostility at me, somehow believing that I owe their corporate sponsored, war-mongering candidates my vote, only get my hostility in return.

But now I see that I have my own perception problem. I believe that people who believe in economic justice and peace should vote for candidates that stand for peace and economic justice. This includes many Democrats. I think they owe their votes to Kucinich or Gravel. When they vote for Pakistan bombing Obama, or war machine sponsored, nuclear bombing Pakistan Clinton, I get frustrated. A person who wants peace who votes for a candidate that supports war because "I think they can win" is ludicrous to me. But it is clearly the position of many Americans. Many people vote for the candidate they think will win even if they don't support that person, because they want to be on the winning side. This is so foreign to my opinionated way of thinking that I literally cannot comprehend it.

But I can't comprehend the concept of infinity either. Both of these things exist without my understanding or approval.

So I agree to not hold peace loving people accountable for their craven submission to peer pressure and propaganda if they agree not to hold me in contempt for living up to my principles and voting my beliefs.