2008 has certainly been an interesting year so far

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Old Chinese curse: May you live in interesting times.

Much like Lambert, I was utterly amazed to watch self-styled "progressives" so eagerly adopt right-wing framing when it suited their purposes. A lot of people whose opinions I used to respect went completely insane this year. It's been a real eye-opener.

It's hard to see much difference between the Bush dead-enders and the deluded fools still trying to defend Barack Obama after his disgraceful capitulation on the FISA bill. Hillary very pleasantly surprised me with her stand - to tell the truth, I rather expected her to do the same as Obama.

I never particularly liked Bill Clinton, but I eventually couldn't help but feel a grudging sympathy for him over the shitty way he was treated by stupid fucks who weren't fit to fold his laundry. And damned if they didn't do the EXACT SAME THING to his wife. Granted, Hillary's no great prize, but she's not Lizzie Borden either. The Clintons actually did a half-assed decent job for this country, particularly when you compare them to the GOP pieces of shit who came before and after Bill. The fucked up way they've been rewarded for their efforts is an absolute disgrace.

Unlike most people, I have the luxury of being able to throw my vote away this year with a clean conscience. I live in Kansas, which hasn't gone for a Democrat for President since LBJ in 1964. Home of Fred "God Hates Fags" Phelps and his halfwitted family. Both of my Senators are not only Republicans, but total right-wing loons: Pat Roberts and Sam Brownback. My Congressman is Blue Dog Dennis Moore. (who I refuse to support again after his MoveOn vote)

Kansas's electoral votes will go to John McCain, guaranteed. My vote - whether for Obama or none-of-the-above - is absolutely worthless. The polls aren't open long enough for me to make any difference even if they'd let me vote as many times as I wanted. There are just too many Republicans here.

So I'm going to write in Hillary Clinton.

There's a couple of reasons: first, my mother. A lifelong Republican, she fell away from the Dark Side in her final years of life, wanting nothing more than to live long enough to be able to vote for Hillary Clinton for President. When Hillary decided to run, I decided to vote for her more as a memorial to my mom than any real faith in Hillary as anything but a self-serving pol, like all of them.

The second reason is because I can't think of a better way to spit right in the Democrats' lying, conniving, cowardly faces than "throwing away" my vote on the candidate they rejected.

Now, if you live someplace where your vote actually matters, I can't in good conscience advise you to follow my example. Not because I really give a shit who you vote for, but because you're likely to hate yourself when/if that fucking lunatic McCain wins, and being a bleeding heart sort of liberal, I'd like to spare you that.

But if you live someplace where your vote doesn't mean shit and you're as pissed off at the gutless and corrupt Democrats as I am, please consider writing in Hillary Clinton. It just might send a message to the party they won't be able to ignore. I thank you, and my mom would thank you if she hadn't passed on in 2004.

Any fauxgressives trying to spin Hillary's no vote on FISA as an attempt to make Obama look bad yet? If not, give 'em time. Interesting times indeed.