Troll concern

I live in a pleasant little place. Forgotten or unknown, perhaps…after all, the rest of you have a nasty habit of leaving us off the map…but as pleasant as you’ll ever find. In many ways, i’m ok with being left off the map if it means things like Walgreen’s not finding us until last year. So i never imagined that my little corner of the world would be a topic of national, political conversation. But there it is and here we are. All because my Democratic Representative has made a name for himself after just 18 years in Congress. So now many of you have decided that it’s in our best interest that you involve yourself in our local politics. What, did you follow Walgreen’s?

Don’t look to me for a defense of Stupak’s horrendous abortion amendment to the House bill on health care reform. I know the Congressman. And while i like the Congressman, he and i have opposing points of view on more than one issue. I figure that’s to be expected in a free country. On the other hand, i deeply resent his attempt to legislate his religious morality. A morality, i might add, that has no Biblical basis but is a product of his church. Silly me for thinking that Church and State were separate in my nation.

I won’t threaten to not vote for him, if only because i’ve already vowed to never vote for another Democrat for the rest of my life. Try and fool me once (Clinton), shame on me…even if i didn’t vote for the guy. Try and fool me twice (Obama) and you can fuck right off.

Stupak, however, might gain an exemption this time around if he does vote against that monstrosity of a “health care reform” bill. He may be doing it for all the wrong reasons, but each and every politician who votes for that hideous affront to all that is hopeful in America will actually surpass Jimmy Buffet on my “If i ever see him/her in public i’ll kick ’em in the groin” list.

Oh, i’m for reforming America’s dysfunctional health care system, but i’m against preemptive bailouts of monopoly industries that don’t add value. And i’m certainly against the federal government acting as a collections agency for corporations. I’d be all for socialized medicine or mandated universal coverage provided by private insurance at no profit. Other than that, the Democrats can stick Truman’s dream where the buck stops.

But let’s get back to the progressive blogosphere’s new found interest in Michigan’s first congressional district. You’ve found a primary challenger willing to run well to Stupak’s left. Congratulations.

Here are the logistics. It covers 25,000 square miles and boasts a population of just 662,563 people. (that would be 26.5 people/sq mile) Let’s just call it rural, shall we? The biggest city in the district is where i live; our population is just shy of 20,000 plus students. Developing name recognition in this district is no easy task, and the wonders of teh internetz will only help you so much in a place where not everyone has it and a great many people still access it via dial-up modems.

Should i mention that the district is pretty conservative? Collect five dollars from everyone up here who says on election day, “I would have voted straight ticket Republican, but i vote for Bart,” and you’ll have a hefty war chest. He doesn’t win those votes because he’s so conservative (he endorsed Edwards). Many of his constituents don’t agree with his political party or his stands outside the abortion issue, but they know him and they like him and they trust him.

So the great plan is to run an unknown to the left of him in a district that leans conservative. A district that the GOP has been hoping to pick off for years but can’t find a candidate capable of unseating Stupak. And if all that wasn’t enough, you’re all backing a Troll.*

Good luck, but remember, if you were a real progressive you’d want this bill dead many times over…no matter how it gets killed. And if it dies then the Stupak-Pitts amendment dies with it. Get the picture? Instead it sounds like you’ve got your marching from the Party and you’re ready to crush whoever gets in your way, even if it means coming into my house and trashing the place to make yourself feel better.

You won’t give a shit about my pleasant little place after we end up with a nutjob Republican representing us. I was frothing mad at Bart for this, but frankly the progressive response to his actions make me want to defend the guy. Maybe the rest of the Democrat Party and its supporters could learn something here. This is what a spine looks like. These are convictions. And while i disagree vehemently with Bart on this, i can at least respect him.

I wish i could say the same for all the people working for a Pyrrhic, political victory because they refuse to stand for anything.

*A Troll is any Michigander who lives south of the Mackinac Bridge. Yoopers live north of the bridge, but one can only be born a Yooper, never become a Yooper. A Troll who moves to the U.P. is a Trooper. But a Yooper that leaves is, and always will be, a Yooper.

~ by Lex on March 17, 2010.