I’ve had a few conversations about the upcoming race for governor of California. Admittedly, I’m in a bit of a quandary. While there’s no way I can bring myself to vote for Arnold Schwarzenegger, I’m very torn on whether or not I can actually cast my vote for Phil Angelides.
Don’t get me wrong, I really want to vote for Phil Angelides - or at least, I want to want to vote for Phil Angelides. Democracts have done little to convince me they are taking the right path, so I’m skeptical of them from the start. For every Barney Frank or Barack Obama, there’s a Hillary Clinton taking a stand against the evils of video games - and I still haven’t forgiven Tipper Gore for her PMRC involvement.
So my skepticism of Phil Angelides is not totally unwarranted. What isn’t helping him, in my view, are advertisements like this:
Hey, Phil - you’re a politician - you’re below lawyers, insurance salesmen, and even actors, on the slimiest-profession totem pole. And while I personally despise Schwarzenegger as our governor, Californians did recall the last Democratic leader to hold that office. In fairness, I haven’t seen this ad in a while, but I still think it was a stupid idea for a career politician, who also happens to be a member of a party so brain dead that they don’t control Congress or the White House, to start playing these kinds of holier-than-thou games. It just reeks of desperation.
According to most polls, there are reasons for Angelides to be a bit desperate. Almost every poll I’ve seen shows Angelides behind Schwarzenegger by as many as eight points. How times have changed from a year ago, when Schwarzenegger’s four propositions sank like a metal endoskeleton. Just five months ago he was desperately trying to keep his approval rating above 40%. Funny how people seem to like Republicans a hell of a lot more when there’s a Democrat in the picture.
Truth be told, I’ll probably hold my nose and vote for Phil - but I’ll do so begrudgingly. Or I’ll end up voting for the Green Party’s Peter Camejo - which guarantees a vote for someone who will not end up being a colossal disappointment.
Vote for Camejo!
Every time I make such a so-called outrageous remark, someone gasps. “Ah! Why would you give your vote away?” Well, please tell me what I should give it to. If it is mine to own and give away–if that is my ONLY power–then show me how my one vote makes a difference amongst millions in a one-party system that disguises itself as a two-party sytem. Often when we think we see differences between parties, we actually just see rhetoric. Angelides claims to be advocating for the middle-class. He is only doing this because most of us think of ourselves as the middle class. What about the working class, homeless, poor people (roughly 14% of CA indivuals or almost 5 million people)? I’m just tired of being force-fed a system that’s as vile as a triple-decker bacon cheesburger (I’m a vegan).
So please keep questioning your vote. Hold on to it. Supposedly it’s all we can barter with in this McWorld (at least for those of us who are not in the top 2% of the population).