Politics

[avevale_intelligencer]

madfilkentist, who never lets his dislike of Bush deprive him of an opportunity to get at the Left, gleefully (well, maybe not gleefully as such: I may have been imagining that) calls attention to Hillary Clinton's attempt to engage in some sort of skulduggery to secure the nomination as Democratic candidate, and comments, apparently in all seriousness, "This dwarfs any previous attempts at presidential vote manipulation in Florida."

I commented to say that I don't think it does. Unless of course you discount successful attempts such as the 2000 presidential non-election, which actually put an unelected candidate not just on the ticket, but in the White House. (I'm sorry, I'm not going to hedge on that. I know the current thinking is that history is infinitely rewritable if you repeat your given factoid loud and long enough, but this particular palimpsest is showing the marks. He was not elected. Clarificatory EDIT: whether the actual number of votes cast would have favoured him or Gore is to some extent irrelevant. If cheating is discovered, on the part of either side, then that election is invalid, the "winner" not entitled to take office, and the whole thing must--must--be done again, and again, till it can be proved to have been done fairly. Otherwise the entire democratic process is broken, and what you have is government by the most successful cheat. I would have thought any country, or any party, that prides itself on its democracy would support this policy with vim and diligence.)

Nor does this revelation make any previous or future cheating on either side excusable, and nor should we who incline to the left cease to raise an outcry when we see it happening, whoever is doing it. The actions of individuals cannot make me ashamed of my principles: I didn't become whatever the Brit equivalent of a Democrat is because of Hillary Clinton any more than I did because of Tony Blair, and their failure to live up to the ideals to which, in varying degrees, they pay lip service, does not invalidate those ideals nor impugn the worthiness of any others who may choose to follow them.

In like manner, of course, madfilkentist is both entitled and in duty bound to raise a similar outcry. I don't disagree with his doing it, in fact I'm glad of it. It's just the editorialising I don't agree with.

Comments

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

I commented as well. I think... well, what I think doesn't matter. He believes what he believes, even as you or I. I do think we've got a few facts on our side....

[lil-shepherd.livejournal.com]

I normally refrain from commenting when madfilkentist goes off the deepend, either on his own journal or atheism though I enjoy his posts.

The situation re the Democratic primaries is, as I understand it, rather more complex and a lot more ambivalent than he makes out...

[madfilkentist]

I try to be gleeful when going off the deep end. Going off the deep end somberly would be no fun.

[lil-shepherd.livejournal.com]

Long may you continue to do so. As I said, I love reading your posts and comments.

[soren-nyrond.livejournal.com]

It doesn't matter what you do

-- the Government gets itself elected.