Martha Burke has a point

I just finished reading this somewhat short article by Martha Burke and it got me thinking.

This last election, you know, where we were duped into voting Bush into office yet again, the Dem party didn't really take one giant stand and say, "That's my story and I'm sticking to it." They waffled, they bit around the edges....they were afraid of losing as we all saw this as being an important election. We risked losing our country so I can see why the Dem party was a little freaked.

However, the way they chose to go about it was a bit asinine. Now Howard Dean is in charge and I'm not sure he's got the right idea of how to lead the Dem's either. In Burke's article, she reminds us of his appearance on Meet the Press last week (which I slept through) and do I wish I had watched. He wants to take the "frame" of "abortion" and "pro-choice" out of the platform altogether and wishes he could somehow pull it off. His reasoning is that the basic argument is whether or not women have the right to decide for themselves what is/is not right for their bodies. I can agree with that because, after all, that is what it boils down to: do we trust each individual woman to make these choices for herself and if we don't, how come?

Dem's weren't really interested in the woman vote at all. We make up most of their voter base (or used to), yet they didn't feel the need to sway us. How sad. We get ignored by the right and the left now. The Dem's removed the Equal Rights Amendment from their platform this past election, which I was unaware of. That makes me not like them even more. We have a new mayor in Richmond who is kicking ass and burning tons of bridges. What many are saying about him is: it's easy to say no when you don't give a shit. This could also be said for the Dem's in power. They aren't women or a minority so they have no real idea what it's like not to be treated equal. When their power is brought to their attention, or thwarted, they cry "reverse discrimination."

I can't see myself not voting though and I knew I wasn't going to vote for Nadar. I wanted Dean actually and heartily defended him after the "Dean Scream" incident.

Speaking to a co-worker just a little bit ago, we joked about how the election was all about "manly men" and according to Ahhnold, Dem's and masculinity don't belong together.

All of this party politics has been on my mind because here in Virginia, we get to vote for a new Governor in November (they are only allowed 1 term). Both the Repub and Dem primaries are June 14th (in Virginia you don't have to register as a Repub or Dem that way everyone can have flexibility within voting, get to the polls, etc) and I've been pondering my choices.

I know that I will not vote for Jerry Kilgore with or without the speech therapy that is beginning to take his Appalacian twanginess away. I don't like Tim Kaine either and he's the Dem. My only other alternative is the Independent, former Senator Russ Potts. He used to be a Repub and in fact tore himself away from the party not too long ago. He consistently votes pro-choice/woman/family but I may throw my vote over to Kaine to ensure Kilgore's defeat.

Then there is Lt. Governor, which is what the primaries are for. And guess what? There are two (!) women running this time. Cool yes? My friend S. and I are elated because the Lt. Governor usually runs for Governor in the next election. There is a guy running, too, but I don't think he has a chance (the guy is Senator Bob Bolling, my Senator actually, and I really really really don't like him). Delegate Viola Baskerville is staunchly pro-choice, pro-little people, pro-liberal everything just about. Just today my friend S. sent me an email that detailed Baskerville's tax plan that would take effect next year, not in 2009. Baskerville is for the rights of women, the elderly and the disabled. I had to send myself an e-card from Leslie Byrne's website to find out about her stance on Civil Rights, pro-choice issues and the like. Even then she has consistently skirted around the issue and that does not please me.

The Richmond Crusade for Voters rejected Baskerville and voiced their support for Byrne instead. I'm hoping they are wrong and end up eating crow.

And I just signed up on Baskerville's website to put a sign in my yard. Yay!