A challenge to Democrats

Here's a letter I sent to the local paper. It'll be published in the next couple of days.

I’m a registered Republican, and I’ll be voting for Barack Obama in the November general election…if the Democrats nominate him, that is.

One of the reasons Obama has my vote is that I’m disgusted with the political culture of this country. For the last eight years that culture has been personified by George Bush and Karl Rove. Before them it was Bill Clinton and Dick Morris. Now we have the specter of Hillary Clinton bringing us Rove redux as she wages her own scorched earth campaign against Barack Obama.

Whatever high ground, Democrats may have imagined they had after the debacle of the Bush presidency, they are in the process of frittering it away by revealing themselves to be held in thrall by the same Machiavellian imperatives that the GOP used to divide this country and remain in power. I’m embarrassed by my own party’s divisive and unprincipled tendencies; I wonder if conscientious Democrats feel much better about their party.

Say what you will about the Clinton and Bush political policies and legacies there is no denying the fact that the American electorate has until now become increasingly disenchanted with our political process. It’s been 38 years since 60% of registered voters even bothered to cast a ballot for president in a general election.

Take a moment and digest that fact.

Now ask yourself, who among the three candidates running for president has the most potential for reviving public participation in American democracy and for restoring pride in our government and for mobilizing coalitions of people from across the political spectrum to tackle the problems facing our country?

Democrats: wake up and deliver Obama to us. America needs him.

K