Today I stood in line in Lawrenceville, Georgia for 2 hours and 15 minutes to cast my early vote in Election ’08. I’d seen and heard enough this presidential election season to last me the next three presidential election seasons. As I stood there in line, I thought about the issues, the controversies, the slop, the unreal, the surreal, the joy, the passion, the sadness, and the overall tone of the primaries and general election. So when it was my turn to fulfill my civic duty, I voted the way I always voted. I voted for Bob Barr for President of the United States.
As I have said many times here, I’ve never voted for a Democrat or Republican in ANY election. I completely dislike our two-party, Hatfields vs. McCoys system. And it was very easy to vote third party prior to this presidential election. Why? Because there was no Barack Obama.
I come from a family of black activists and black nationalists. My parents were Black Panthers. My grandparents on both sides marched with Martin Luther King Jr. My grandfather was part of the Deacons for Defense and Justice in Alabama from 1965 to 1968. And I have family members who belong to the Nation of Islam led by the always-controversial Minister Louis Farrakhan. I grew up immersed in civil rights, Marxism, Socialism, and Black Power. My grandparents waxed poetically about King’s Dream. I would sit for hours as they along with my parents filled my head with the glory of the struggle. That sweet struggle for equality. The sweet siren song that calls many black folks in America. So when Barack Obama passed the threshold of “he could really win this thing” with black people, I became a supporter of him for the Presidency. My family and I would sit and just talk about how historic this is. The pride I felt was so intoxicating. Obama was like my generation’s Martin Luther King Jr. as a transformative figure in race in America. White folks were voting for him! This what King talked about! But even though I felt the pride and the history, a nagging thought just kept popping up:
He’s a representative of the two-party system that you hate!
So I went through most of this election season conflicted. I defended Obama during the Jeremiah Wright Affair (I understood his views totally because of my background). I defended Obama against questions about his patriotism. I defended Obama because he is our (black folks) history. A realization of a dream in the black community. But he’s a member of the decadent two-party system in this country. And my inner protester was going crazy. So I decided to give Bob Barr a look since I couldn’t vote my normal Green Party since they put Cynthia McKinney at the top. Just terrible but I digress.
Nothing really stood out about Bob Barr. He has some solid plans for the country but so did McCain and Obama. I watched him on CNN, Jim Lehrer’s show, YouTube, etc. He is an impressive individual. But so his McCain and Obama. But one things stuck out about him and it was his answer about racism and inequality in the “Issues” section his official website:
The Declaration of Independence states that all men are created equal. Government should make no law that discriminates based on race, religion, sexuality or any other personal characteristic. Government laws should respect each person as an individual and treat them equally as such.
WOW! So simple. So sweet. When I went to Obama’s site, he had a lengthy 12-point plan type of response on that issue, while McCain had nothing. And when I started looking at Barr more closely, I really started to like the his simple and direct way of breaking the issues down. He made the Libertarian case very well. Of all the third-party candidates I have voted for in the past, Bob Barr is the most presidential.
So I had a decision to make, history and pride or my convictions. And it was hard my friends. So very hard. So hard that I almost voted for Obama today right there in the voting booth. But my convictions won out. I will still defend Obama against character attacks and questions about his patriotism. My inner black pride guy always says “Help a brother out”. But I just can’t vote for a member of the two-party monopoly. I… just… can’t… Even if it is history. But I can vote for a qualified third-party candidate in Bob Barr. And I did.
Bob Barr isn’t going to win. And I will support a President John McCain or a President Barack Obama. But at least I was able to vote my convictions. And feel damn good about it.
UPDATE
You want a little more as to why I dislike our two party system? Because they work together (along with the media) to effectively-silence debate outside of Democrats and Republicans in elections. And I feel real change will come when a third party candidate wins the Presidency. Not saying McCain and Obama can’t implement “change” but it’s always colored in two-party political paint. No disrespect to those who support Democrats and Republicans.
I’m not complex. Don’t have time for all that. And all that complex stuff bad for the stomach. Just color me simple and plain with a twist.