Poison Pen

First of all: HAPPY MARDI GRAS to all my loved ones in New Orleans! I celebrate vicariously through you.

So - the Super Tuesday voting hoopla has begun. I'm glad to see so much of a voting push. So much bright eyed wonder and enthusiasm. Such impassioned and fervent urging. It is even a relief to see abrasive argumentativeness. I wish I felt any of those things about this election. It is, on paper and in reality, an important one for this country. Alas.

I'm voting. But I'm voting while existing in, politically speaking, a state of extreme and unrelenting apathy. I'm voting for the individual I think will be able to accomplish the least amount of additional or new damage to this country both domestically and abroad. That is not a statement of this individual's abilities or finesse either - it is a belief, sadly, in their ultimate ineffectiveness, especially that which could cause or bring about more overall harm - be it a Republican or Democrat who ends up in office.

My vote is, I regret to say, a vote for someone as against everyone else in the running.

I find nothing appealing in any of the candidates. I cannot relate to much of the Clinton platform - which to me is basically the Democrats saying "fuck we're exhausted here, let's just get someone from our party in office already" sort of a campaign.

I am also repelled by those hordes stumbling willy nilly aboard Obama's carnival campaign, all eyes glistening with feverish hope and childish giggly excitement. (Are people really that naive? Really? I'd expect much more cynicism at this point in time. But then I suppose that is the main appeal with Obama. A freshness that is lacking in the Clinton arena and a backlash against the Republican Greed and War Machine Party.)

One of my favorite lines from Dangerous Liaisons the movie applies well as a sort of warning regarding the whole Obama phenomenon:

"One does not applaud the tenor for clearing his throat."

I find the Republican candidates all to be laughably tepid. McCain's surge can be considered troublesome b/c the man does not look at all healthy. And the Republicans are sneaky fuckers so I believe this election for them is more about who becomes the Vice President if they win the election again.  Especially if McCain wins the nod (which he may) so the chosen VP can thus slither into the big chair through unforseen (or even expected - remember, sneaky fuckers) calamity.

All that said, my vote is cast. Unwillingly. Without any sort of optimism. With a sigh and a shrug. I don't apologize for this apathy. I don't feel a shred of guilt for not getting 100% behind any of the candidates. I will probably feel the same come the Big Election and will cast my vote again, in the same "least amount of damage" state of mind.

 To quote from memory from "Personal Darkness" by Tanith Lee:

"They had to borrow a new Knight from a different board. But it was still chess."