(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . Dear 'Pubs: Sometimes You Vote for the Other Guy [1] ['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.'] Date: 2024-06-03 I see Paul Ryan has joined the ranks of brave Republicans renouncing the ex-president and all things MAGoid, standing proudly with Cheneys and Romneys and Roys (oh my) who fearlessly proclaim they will never, ever vote for Convict Trump… … and there the statements end. As of April, NBC had found no Republican officials who could force their mouths around the words “Vote Biden.” A cursory google finds no additions since. I guess I understand why. Plain old fear. I mean, you can be pretty sure Dem base voters won’t call in death threats and picket your house if you publicly break ranks. I mean, we might say some pretty nasty things here. Unless you’re Joe Manchin, of course, which case is mostly a source of humor. Sorry, I digress. What I really want every ‘Pub pol and voter to hear, loud and clear, is this: Sometimes it’s okay to vote for the other guy. I know, because I’ve had to. In 2008, the first year I proudly cast my vote for Barack Obama for President, I also cast a vote against my longtime, long personally supported congressman, William Jefferson. Yeah, you remember, the freezer guy. But it wasn’t hijacking rescue helicopters during Katrina to rescue his own frozen assets that soured me on Dollar Bill. It was the next three years, when his district and constituents needed a strong advocate more than ever in history, and Rep. Jefferson cowered in the back row of every recovery photo op, terrified that the FBI and DOJ would see him and remember they were prosecuting his corrupt self. Bill ran for re-elect in ‘06, and won, on the argument that being indicted on multiple felony counts isn’t the same as being convicted (sound familiar, ‘Pubs?), but by ‘08, even the most loyal partisans had to admit he was an anchor not only on our party but on our city’s chances for help in rebuilding. So we voted for the other guy. Anh “Joseph” Cao was a pretty good congressman in his single term. He was the only ‘Pub to vote for Obama’s Recovery Act, royally pissing off his caucus. His response: I want to toe the party line, but there’s too much in this bill that my constituents need. What a concept, huh? Placing the people who put you in office over your backroom buds. Sorry, rambling again… Cao wasn’t perfect, by any means. He voted against Obamacare because of (unfounded) concerns about abortion funding. Thankfully, his return to the fold didn’t prevent his constituents from enjoying affordable health insurance. Inevitably, the voters of one of the nation’s near-bluest (and Blackest) districts said farewell to Rep. Cao the next cycle, electing Cedric Richmond to the seat. Still, however brief or irrelevant the interregnum in LA-02, that period holds a lesson that current Republican pols and voters need to hear: There are times when you can—and must— vote for the other guy. When your party’s nominee is so hampered by personal and legal troubles that he simply can’t serve anyone other than his own, desperate, ass, it’s okay to vote for the other party’s candidate. I’ll give you a little time to let that settle in. Once you’ve gotten used to the concept, we’ll talk about how it’s okay to tell people you’re voting for the other guy. [END] --- [1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2024/6/3/2244436/-Dear-Pubs-Sometimes-You-Vote-for-the-Other-Guy?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=more_community&pm_medium=web Published and (C) by Daily Kos Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/