A Reminder

Not that my opinion is vastly important, but for the record, I was really happy last night. Obama managed to impress me; considering the many issues I have with him, that was significant. There was a lot I didn't like (Clean coal and nuclear power? Really? Before solar and wind? And for the luvva pete, can someone please just say "LGBTQ folks have every right to be married?" Can we not forget the BTQ folks while we're at it? And can we leave Jesus out of this?), and there was a lot I did like, and one or two things that shocked me. (It was gobsmackingly fantastic to finally hear a Presidential candidate say that poverty is one of the main causes of war.) I don't know if I'm ready to cast my vote for him yet (if he had any sort of voting record that made me believe what he promises, I'd be warming up to him much more), but I'll definitely be closely watching the debates. All in all, it was an excellent speech.

Needless to say, the Right is probably crapping in their Dockers right now, and the hysteria is about to become intense. I remember thinking, as I watched the arial shot last night, "There is no way in hell McCain will ever be able to fill a stadium half that size." As many are pointing out this morning, even Pat Buchanan was gushing over Obama's performance. This is going to be a tough speech to top, and an even tougher candidate to beat. The McCain team has definitely got their work cut out for them. Let's all expect the height of ugliness.

That said, I would like to bring up this little reminder: to folks on "The Left," regardless of where their support lies:

All of this argument regarding Obama, and Biden, and "spoilers," and Clinton, and Nader, and PUMAs, and spite, and being thrown under the bus, and browbeating, and voting Green, and voting your conscience, and party unity, and all the rest amounts to absolutely nothing if we don't have free elections.

It doesn't matter if we have another Florida.

It doesn't matter if we have another Ohio.

It doesn't matter if Diebold is still counting the votes.

It doesn't matter when American Senators don't have the courage to recognize the Congressional Black Caucus.

And, it doesn't matter when Vote-Verified Paper Legislation only gets cosponsored by one, that's one Senator. And that sentator's name wasn't Obama, Biden, or Clinton, for that matter.

The Republicans have nothing. They have an unpopular party, a history of scandal and failure, a President and Vice President they don't dare show at their convention, an unpopular candidate that probably won't be able to keep his temper during a debate, and a stupid logo.

However, the past two elections, many of us have said "They can't possibly win."

We need to be vigilant. We need to be loud. And we need every vote to be counted.

No more vote fraud.