The (Anti) Democratic Party

Or why I'm not voting in the “Democratic” Primary

For over a decade, since I turned 18, I have voted in every primary, and every election. Didn’t miss a year. I vote democratic, and am usually registered as one, excluding a couple of years in school where I registered republic, on the musing that I cared more how the republican primary went and who their candidate was. 

This year, I’m not voting in the primary, here’s why. 

The Democratic party, in so many ways and on so many topics, to me, seems ineffectual, but let’s leave criticism of their activity and results to the side. I’m not voting on exclusively democratic grounds. 

Also - to get it out of the way, I’ve had the virus, and am young and healthy, so going to a polling place really doesn’t intimidate me. (I obviously will take whatever actions are necessary to be a responsible citizen and contribute to public safety efforts). 

No, I’m not voting because - to the Democratic party, my vote doesn’t matter. 

I live in New York state, a bastion of democracy, liberalism, with a culture of strong social programs and safety net - one of the most populated, richest, and liberal states in the country. The current senate leader Schumer, has been a senator of ours for longer than I could count, and recently the country has been looking to the Democratic parties’ mayor of New York City, and governor of New York State for leadership, sanity and updates during the recent pandemic. 

This is a state with a strong party presence. There are so many races for grooming candidates. Accordingly there are so many candidates coming out of those races, available for the next step up. Indeed even, states like NY and California have the most citizens paying attention to, contributing to, and involved in the democratic party.

So why then do we vote last in the primary? I’m in the position, now, of (per usual) taking the lesser of two evils in the general presidential election. America to date, is a biparty system, which, begrudgingly, I operate within. However - my parties candidate is already spoken for. I, actually and in effect, get 0 choice. 

I’ve been paying attention to this primary for over a year, hosting debate night parties, voicing thoughts on the issues and to the candidates, arguing various positions and ideas with my peers, donating money to campaigns. I get called by more blue donation organizations and campaign canvassers than I can count. 

But, Biden is it. The game is over, he’s the guy.  I haven’t even voted yet, it’s been decided elsewhere.

So, it seems pretty clear that the Democratic party doesn’t care about my opinion. They don’t care about my vote, or else they would make it matter. 

Why can’t they get it together to have the states rotate every year? It should be random chance who’s first, who gets to ask the questions, what group of citizens get to be interviewed in the news, who gets their town halls with the candidates and caucuses and occasions to ask questions. 

What about the issues, concerns, and ideas especially important to New Yorkers? What, our money is good enough but our voices and ideas aren’t? 

I can’t help but suspect that some of these oddball minority issues that get front seat treatment, and indeed get acted on beyond their actual presence in the citizenry, wouldn’t have quite so much sway if we had a bit more variability in who spoke first. 

I’m looking at you corn subsidies, and yes that means you Iowa. 

(A state which I have more affection for than most coastal Americans, as my mom grew up there.)

What about being unrepresentative of the country, fairly absent in minorities and being overwhelmingly white? Black voters need not apply? (Iowa, you’re not off the hook, but here,) I mean you Vermont. 

This party, which I always wish would do better, fight stronger, achieve more, win frequenter, is just not cutting it. 

They haven’t been able to move the national conversation on the electoral college, and the fairly imbalance in democratic design the presidential race has fallen to since the inception of the country. They have made nearly zero noise or progress to move the needle on gerrymandering. Or really properly ensuring voting rights. Or controlling money in elections. 

They haven’t managed to make voting easier, either by automatic registration, legalizing it as a requirement (making it illegal to not vote, like say that great leader of democracy, Australia), or even starting the conversation on electronic (remote) voting. This year, the country could (hopefully not, and perhaps improbable, but possible), be stolen by a canceled election. Who knows. Pandemic sponsored low voter turnout, protests being shut down by increasingly militarized police (et al) action, a post office under assault - the weakness of which would potentially compromise absentee voting, a president who’s been saying even before he was elected ‘it’s rigged,’ and casting doubt on the validity of elections. 

If ever there was a time to make some hay over voting, the right to vote, ensuring equal voice to all Americans, and how that is democratic and as American as apple pie… perhaps it’s now? To say nothing of the last 20 years… 

This is to say nothing of delegates, super delegates, and the various bits of seeming shenanigans in the last primary, with Bernie and Hliary. That looked pretty bad, to anybody paying attention… Certainly seeming to slang an election, as the “order, democracy, and American norms” party, only invites more criticism from the other side. Especially criticism on these topics that you want to be standing tall on! Amid all the other attacks you know you’re going to get, all the criticisms and nonsens you’re going to get beat up on with real issues, things that matter, you really want to have to watch your back, and fend off attacks from behind, on being pro democracy, equality and having the people’s voice heard? 

I know there’s an opposition party. I know the citizenry don’t all agree and are difficult to work with. But even just have the discussion, fight the fight, move the public awareness, and slowly educate and catch everyone up on this. Be strong on these basic things. 

Why do they cede all the patriotic ground? Why do they give up the American, democratic, freedoms and rights, brand? Why is it not, in the mind of every American, unpatriotic, and improper to want to decrease voting by any measure, in any capacity, anywhere, and in any way?

Everyone in the country should be hearing and convinced, that democracy, getting power to the people, ensuring their voices, votes are heard, is truly American, and not partisan whatsoever.

Why can’t they get that far? 

I could easily see ‘democratic’ candidates running in every extremely strong republican and conservative district throughout the country, who are exactly the same as the republican on a litany of issues. Exactly the same, except voting, funding of elections, gerrymandering, standing by the constitution and rights, democracy and hearing the voices of the people, etc. Run a candidate who is pro gun, religious, not for more spending, blah blah blah, but is PRO DEMOCRACY.

Try to move some of the public consensus in these other parts of the country, just on the fundamentals that we should just have pinned down. Maybe if some of these parts of the country respected and liked you on this issues you might get some agreement on, maybe they’d hear you out on some of the other stuff.

Re-brand a bit. Reclaim, rather re-earn, the name Democratic.  

The Democratic party has been completely unable, or unwilling, to fight for, make appreciable action on, or change, any of the degradations of democracy that have occurred in this country. 

And, when it comes to within their own house, their own primary - which they have complete control over -  they don’t go with some more democcratic option. This is something they can simply change. No republicans, consensus of the other side, compromise and bipartisan, nothing! They could just do it. 

I don’t see them polling on issues, some ballot section that says “what would you like us to do, this isn’t official as a ballot measure to be enacted but we want your thoughts.” or “again, not going to be passed, but which of these 3 stances would you like us to take around issue x.” I get more options, and my thoughts understood better, by isidewith.com than I do with the elected officials that are supposed to represent me - that are supposed to be acting on my behalf for our government and society. 

They don’t want to hear from me. They don’t care about my opinion, or vote. 

They just want me to shut up, donate money, and vote blue in the general election. 

Well thanks but no thanks. For a party with democracy in the name, they sure don’t act like it.