Posted on Mike Malloy's FB page, Oct 28-29 2010

Mike:
I think I can at least partly concur with what you've been saying about the election, with the Dems in mind especially. I'd like to respectfully tell you where I'm coming from this season: I say vote AGAINST Republicans. Using my own state of Wisconsin as an example, I strongly feel Russ Feingold is measurably better than his Republican opponent Ron Johnson. If nothing else, Feingold's a lot more consistent; Johnson claims he'll cut the deficit, but won't say how he'll do it. Especially mystifying considering Ron Johnson wants to continue the "open-ended commitment" in Afghanistan, i.e, the endless, blood and treasure-sucking war. And Tea Party favorite Ron Johnson wants to make the Bush Tax Cuts for the rich permanent; cuts like that are a time-tested way of adding to the red ink. Russ Feingold has at least proposed a timetable for withdrawl from the Afghan quagmire. Another issue: The GOP's Johnson is purportedly against "Government intrusion in health care," even while some of his plastic factory's employees have been covered by our state's "Badger Care." There are SOME important differences this year. But admittedly, I'm not able to follow the New Jersey, Nevada or Florida situation as closely as I'd like; maybe ALL the Dems in most other states really suck!

If people don't want to vote for any of the above, they should write in someone's name. That's my take. When my father first got involved in the Civil Rights Movement, somewhere around 1967, he started doing his activist thing in Mississippi. People, the vast majority of them Black, were being beaten or even killed in the Magnolia State. Just for trying to exercize their CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT to vote for the candidate of their choice. Women didn't obtain "Suffrage" until 1920, after years of agitation and protest. I believe one should fight to retain those precious rights enumerated in the US Constitution. Voting is one of those rights. Not to pretend like a piece of paper really enables or safeguards our often illusory "freedoms," but still. Voting rights aren't some touchie-feelie notion. "Democracy" (even the pretense thereof) dies with the death of honest elections, as it did in 2000, 2004.
Voting rights: use them or lose them!