To the readers of Wizbang:
I write this to you as a lifelong Democrat, as someone who has always stood with the Democratic party and all it has stood for. Ever since I could legally vote, I have cast my ballot for the Democratic nominee — Michael Dukakis, Bill Clinton (twice!), Al Gore, and John Kerry. I even managed to persuade my parents to vote for Walter Mondale when I was too young to vote myself.
This year, I found myself filled with hope and promise for the future. Barack Obama was, to me, represented the greatest chance for our nation to finally fulfill its promise and lead the world to a better, brighter, fairer, more just age. I argued endlessly with those who would not or could not see this, trying to show them what I had learned.
Now I find I deeply regret my actions, and hope that those I had argued with so vehemently will forgive me.
I find that Barack Obama is not the man I thought he was.
When I first started believing in Barack Obama, I thought he stood for so many of the things I believed in. But since then, he has betrayed nearly every single progressive belief I hold.
When the Bush administration first announced that it was trying to grant the telecom companies immunity for potential violations of privacy laws, I was as outraged as any of you. This was an appalling violation of Americans’ rights to receive phone calls from suspected terrorists abroad, and these companies needed to pay for their egregious acts. I stood proudly with Senator Obama in vowing to hold them accountable for cooperating with federal law enforcement officials. He even swore to filibuster immunity if it ever came to a vote.
And then we were cruelly betrayed by Senator Obama, who in the end sided with those who would grant those corporate thugs absolution for their deeds. Forget filibustering, or even just voting “present” — he voted AYE!
When the District of Columbia’s ban on handguns went to the Supreme Court, I was confident that the right of the district to make this action to stem the flow of death on its streets would survive, and — perhaps, eventually, if we gave it just enough time — would reverse the steadily rising murder rate and eventually bring peace to our war-torn capitol. Senator Obama, too, backed this power.
And then the Supreme Court stabbed us all in the back and struck down the law, I — like so many others — was outraged. But not Barack Obama. No, he came out and said that he supported — SUPPORTED! — the Court’s decision! I ask you — how many people have to die from illegal guns before we all wake up and take away the legal ones?
I was excited when Obama vowed to accept public financing for his campaign. He was raising record amounts, but we all know the corroding influence money — especially in such quantities — has on politics. But then he reversed himself and tapped into the floodgates of funds, and who knows what sorts of promises he has to make to keep the money coming?
I also loved it when he went after those hired guns, the lobbyists. True, I’d have been happier if he’d vowed to take on the folks who hire the lobbyists — after all, one doesn’t “shoot the messenger” unless youre the king of Sparta, and there’s a deep pit handy — but it was a good start.
And then he went and picked Joe Biden as his running mate. Biden’s son is a lobbyist,, and both Biden and McCain steered millions in taxpayer money to Biden’s son’s clients.
This was NOT the sort of “change” we Democrats need.
When President Bush put forth his ill-conceived “surge” strategy in Iraq, I was proud that Senator Obama saw it for the sham — the “lipstick on a pig,” if you will — it was and opposed it.
Then, when what absolutely no one could have foreseen happened — things got better in Iraq — Obama jumped on the bandwagon and lauded this move, which anyone can see was utterly unrelated to the surge.
And let’s not forget that Obama was opposed to this war from the outset, and promised to withdraw American troops practically as soon as he was elected. What happened to that promise? What happened to that candidate?
I’ve completely lost track of Obama’s stance on NAFTA. This agreement wreaked havoc on good American union jobs, and he was right to want to scrap it — or, at least, renegotiate it. But now he’s saying that it’s just fine. Excuse me, Senator, but no, it isn’t. Just ask any union leader.
The final straw, for me, was his response to the current financial meltdown we’re experiencing. At a time when we need bold leadership and decisive action, Senator Obama said he favored a “wait and see” approach before saying what he would do.
Pardon me, Senator, but it was the “wait and see” approach by many of the Republicans who held Congress for so long that let the current disaster keep growing and building until it all started to unravel in the last few weeks. Sure, a few Republicans like John McCain did make some doom and gloom pronouncements over things, but they were just wildly guessing about the ultimate impact of such decent, humane, common-sense programs as Bill Clinton’s expansion of the Community Reinvestment Act, and Barney Frank and Chris Dodd were right to fight off those greedy, mean-spirited attempts to rein it in and keep Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac from going too far.
As a lifelong Democrat, sickens me to say this, but I find I can’t vote for Barack Obama this November. I’m going to hold my nose and vote for McCain-Palin, and hope that this sends the message to the leaders of my party: we want REAL change, from a candidate we believe in.
This confession has not been easy for me. I’d like to thank such fine folks as Christopher Tarsa and Trish Castiglione for inspring me to find my courage and to speak so forthrightly.
What a liar. A quick scan of your posts over the years shows that you are no democrat. It is quite plain to me that anyone who claims to be a life long democrat, but has “had enough” of the democrats and is going to vote for McCain, is either a blatant liar or suffers from a disabling mental defect.
Business as usual for the right wingers out there. Lie lie lie. Who cares if anyone with a shred of curiosity can prove it’s a lie? The sort of audience you pander to has no intellectual curiosity.
Democrat. Huh. Really?
Read the Constitution lately?
Dan Patterson
Arrogant Infidel
And Tony wins the prize for his inability to see bait even after the hook is firmly planted. Apparently, he also lacks the ability to follow links.
Jay Tea, is this one a keeper or should you throw it back?
We can discuss the “intellectual curiosity” concept after we all get off of our “superiority” high horses.
DP
AI
Judging from the number of non sequiturs and factual errors, the author must indeed be a Democrat, or sufficiently like one to be indistinguishable.
Wow…I’m surprised-NOT.
Liberals can’t tell satire and humer when it stares them in the face.
LOL, good one Jay Tea!!
Jay, you’re evil!
I’m with Oyster on this one Jay.
It’s been a long time since I’ve seen one
fly right over the head of a poster (Tony).
You think he’s embarrassed?
This is a great piece Jay! But did you ever think in your wildest dreams that you would get comments from Obamatrons who missed the impostor links? It’s like it’s April first. Thanks for the great work!
Maggie, Oyster,
We should probably go easy on them. They are fortunate to be able to go through life without the burdem, trials and tribulations faced by those with a triple digit IQ.
See, they don’t realize the problem and can’t be expected to handle something as complex as Jay Tea’s post.
Be gentle.
Faith+1: “Tony wins the prize for his inability to see bait even after the hook is firmly planted.”
Faith+1, the Left doesn’t NEED bait…or even hooks! They just willingly jumped right in the boat eager to be gutted. Witness their mindless devotion to THE ONE (aka: Obama). He says the words: “Hope” & “Change”, and doesn’t offer them anything additional details and they swoon in the aisles.
So if you’re using bait to catch Leftists then you’re just wasting the worms! 🙂
As a concerned Christian conservative I understand where you are coming from Jay Tea. I’ve been having similar thoughts about supporting my candidate as well.
hat tip: Instapundit…
This link to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, quotes a TRUE lifelong Democrat and former AFL/CIO Union leader: Joe O’Connell.
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/opinion/columnists/zito/s_589297.html
fascinating part of the article is that the reaction from the current AFL/CIO leader is to IMMEDIATELY play the “Race Card”…immediately!
Read the article, and note that every Democrat they quote says “RACE is the issue”. That is the Democrat mantra this election: you’re a RACIST if you don’t vote for Obama.
Bulls**t!!!!
Jay Tea, looks like you hooked one. Alas Tony is too small and will probably have to be thrown back.
Justrand,
In reviewing your points I’ll counter with an argument so profound and game changing you won’t know what hit you. It will have the True Believers flocking to my side in unchecked devotion.
I vote.
“Present”
😉
Very good JT. A Decent Proposal. 😉 ww
What adds additional sting to Jay’s satire is that many TRUE “lifelong Republicans” WERE “having second-thoughts” about voting for McCain until Sarah Palin came along.
Now we’re fully on board, and motivated!!
Right wing blogs have finally come to their logical endstate, and now are now just conduits for lame wingnut chain emails.
It was gonna happen eventually; the only question was when.
I expected to see Signed, Lee Ward, since he changes his mind so often and then actually believes he never held his former positions. For example he would never admit to the posts denigrating Bambi when he was a Billary supporter.
Faith+1…the vote of “Present” is indeed a winner for Obama. In any of the three meanings the word can take on:
“Present” [temporal meaning]:
“I, Barak Obama, am in the Present! Although I appreciate the Past, and look to the Future, I vote “PRESENT”, because I want to work on today’s problems.”
“Present” [a GIFT]:
“I, Barak Obama, AM the Present you have been waiting for! I am a gift to you from the world…according to Chris Mathews. And I am voting “PRESENT” to remind you of that fact!”
“Present” [spatial sense]:
“I, Barak Obama, am HERE! I’m not THERE, or ELSEWHERE…I am HERE! and I am voting “PRESENT” to remind you of how lucky you are to have me here!”
Jay,
Just enjoyed the heck out of the post.
Then I got to Tony’s post – and had to clean the keyboard. Classic!
Off to go do a long run with a (huge) smile on my face…Ya’ll just keep piling on Tony and the likes. It’s entertaining.
*Obama (supporters) rapid response: Gun, Foot, Fire. Zero Thought required.
JT,
You have also sent me off to my day with a smile on my face.
Thanks,
OhioVoter
Ummm, sorry about the duplication.
The first time the system said the comment didn’t go through.
Though – that post was worth two smiles. 😉
I must admit I felt my breakfast re-entering my throat while reading the first few sentences. Not until I realized that this was written with the same sham mentality that guides the Obamessiah campaign was my digestion restarted. Good one.
Heh, good post JT. “Tony” was icing on the cake.
Snarkasm at its finest. Jay, You are the GREATEST!
“Hope and promise…” *Smiling*
“I was excited when Obama vowed to accept public financing for his campaign.” *Chuckling*
“Senator Obama said he favored a “wait and see” approach before saying what he would do.” *Guffaw*
Very “tricky” of you not to file this under “Satire”. 😀
That was precious Jay. Bagging some libs who let it go completely over their heads just made it more so.
Still cleaning my laptop screen.
OK, “Tony”, ‘fess up! You’re just a Republican troll trying to make Democrats look bad, aren’t you?
Aren’t you?
I must admit that you had me wondering JT. That is until I clicked the links. This piece is worthy of the Onion. LOL
I find it highly ammusing that Tony didn’t have the “intellectual curiosity” to click on the links provided.
Well, I guess I will balance your vote out. I am a Republican that will for the first time in eons be voting for the Democrat. The Republicans lost me when they abandoned Americans after the storms of 2005. They have since then given me no reason to change my decisions, as this latest banking crisis proves.
Two words:
Jeb Eddy
To more words:
Jim Ronca
doctorj: “The Republicans lost me when they abandoned Americans after the storms of 2005.”
sniff…sniff…NOPE, doesn’t pass the sniff test
and p.s., doctorj, that is the LIMPEST “rationale” having voted Republican for “eons”
mcg – “Jay Tea, looks like you hooked one. Alas Tony is too small and will probably have to be thrown back.”
To hell with that, toss him in the bottom of the boat, if you don’t some reproduction will occur sometime in the future. (assuming he knows how)
I suggest gutting him and making Sucker Jerky from the flesh.
Thanks for writing this Jay.
As a lifelong Democrat myself, I am glad I’m not alone in my disappointment with Obama.
I’ve had enough!
McCain/Palin ’08
(Let’s hope other lifelong Democrats are inspired as well)
I too am a Lifelong Democrat and Jay Tea’s testimony spoke to my heart. I will now be voting for McCain/Palin with a song in my heart knowing that defeating Obama will finally force the party of my youth to reform, rebuild, and once again become a positive force in American politics instead of the canker it is today.
actually, two members of my family ARE lifelong Democrats…and BOTH are voting for McCain/Palin now. And two other members of my family NEVER registered to vote before, and both registered Republican and are voting McCain/Palin.
That’s a swing of SIX (the two “flips” count double since they went from D to R!!)
But, I am a conservative leaning independent — and I have to vote FOR Obama! 5 reasons:
1. He wants to invade Pakistan and carry on the Bush Doctrine. That makes so much sense — that’s where Osama and Al Queda are now, so we have to go in there and root them out. Go Barry!
2. Look at his record! Well, I mean, look FOR his record. You can’t put lipstick on his pig, ’cause there ain’t no pig to put it on. That suggests that the media won’t be able to crucify for anything, because he won’t DO anything. Perfect in a figurehead.
3. He’s so bi-polar-partisan, he’s actually multi-personality-partisan. He’s reached across his own party lines to Marxists, Maoists, Moonbats, Illegal Immigrants, the Green Party, Islamists, Ron Paulians and even Socialist parties and revolutionaries in other countries. Sure he’s never taken on the corruption in his own party like McCain or Palin did theirs, but face it, he does have to use that corruption to fill his war chest!
4. He’s so much smarter than anyone else! He has all the answers — and when he doesn’t, it’s only because we didn’t listen to him before, when he had a different answer.
5. I don’t want to be racist. He’s partly black. I’m mostly white. It would be as racist for me to vote against Obama, as it would be for a mostly black person to vote for him.
Obama/Biden for the White House. Just wait till
all you people put McCain/Palin in, and McCain
keels over in a month or two. Be ready to accept an ignoramus for your President, a gun-
toting, warmongering, sexmaniac (mating habits
of crabs?)ignoramus. Someone who basically
insists that even if your fathwer or your brother rapes you and gets you pregnant, in her
administration, you’ll be forced to keep that
child and look on him/her each day, who will be in essence your dauhter/sister or your son/
nephew. Get my drift? Vote Obama/Biden, grass-
roots, for the people.
Thank you Jay for coming out, it has givin me the strength to do the same.
Being associated with both the ACLU and PETA,
I too can NOT vote for Barrack Obama.
It pains me deeply…
Sarah, Greenaway: If I were you I’d change my first name. It must be painful for you each day waking up and looking in the mirror at someone named ‘Sarah’. And when you have to sign a check or sign in at the doctor’s office and have to write the very same name that a warmongering sexmaniac carries? ….
I don’t know how you do it, sister!
I was just going to write something short like, ROFLMAO, but after reading Tony’s response, all I can do is picture Jeff Dunham’s puppet pal Peanut, doing his, “Neeeeaaaoowwwww!” as the joke goes past his victim’s head.
Although I seriously can’t think that anyone could be that gullible.
“Get my drift?”
Another “voice crying out in the wilderness” from upwind. heh. Why do they look like they are texting when hysterical?
What follows in the most unnecessary comment I’ve ever posted on Wizbang.
Good one, Jay!
Hooray! From someone who has supported John McCain from the beginning, thank you! John McCain has promised to have a bi-partisan cabinet, to eliminate the White House political office and has always held a moderate Republican stance. I sincerely believe he is the best leader for our country this election.