Another Mama for Obama? Nope.

I've been a staunch Democrat my whole life. I was writing to politicians in grade school. I was 20 in 1992, and I was so excited for the election. I worked on Bill Clinton's campaign and even got to see him speak at the University of Arkansas. It was an incredibly exciting and idealistic time in my life. That idealism has taken many hits over the years. The beginning of the end came two years ago. I was eight months pregnant during the summer, and I was one of many people hitting the pavement trying to get enough signatures to get Referendum I on the ballot. Referendum I would have given same sex couples many rights that they do not currently have. Honestly, I never thought the measure would pass, but it was too important not to try. So, I did my part by dragging my fat butt around the city getting signatures. Man it was hot! I filled up my petition and sent it off, and there were enough signatures to get Referendum I on the ballot. That November I went to the polls with a pretty heavy heart. I figured that every ultra conservative in the state would come out of the woodwork to defeat Referendum I and in the process every conservative on the ballot would get elected. Imagine my surprise when almost every Democrat on the ballot got elected! However, Referendum I got soundly defeated - not by Republicans - by DEMOCRATS! We voted down a liberal ballot issue.

Since then I've been taking a hard look at the Democrats. I've always believed the Democrats to be the party to stand up for people, to fight for equal rights, to fight for worker's rights, to take care of people, and to protect the environment. Unfortunately, I've been seeing them in a new light. There's nothing liberal about the Democratic party anymore. They go as far as they have to make people think they're going to fight for them, but then they do as little as they can to keep from pissing off the conservatives too much. I'm sick of the fence walking. The Democratic politicians hide behind liberal ideals, but then don't actually fight for them.

This "war" between Clinton and Obama just took it over the edge for me. I couldn't believe the venom aimed at one supporter from another - mostly from Obama to Clinton supporters, but it went the other way as well. It could even been more understandable if the two candidates had been very different, but they were basically the same person. I went cross eyed one night looking at their voting records trying to find a major difference. It wasn't there. The biggest difference was when one voted and the other didn't. They're both two steps away from being Republicans. I really can't understand this fervor for Obama. I truly think that the Democrats are yearning for someone to believe in. I know I have been.

I just can't get behind Obama. I cannot in good conscience support someone who can justify the death penalty, who wants to build a fence between us and Mexico, who doesn't have the balls to stand up and support gay marriage, who comes up with a crap health care plan to appease people instead of supporting H.R. 676, who has a wishy-washy gun control record, etc. There's not a radical bone in Obama's body. He's a mediocre moderate at best. He doesn't even come close to representing change, and he is certainly not someone I can believe in. I pimped out my integrity four years ago to vote for someone I didn't believe in just to get Bush out. I just can't do it again. I need to teach my children that we can vote for people we believe in. I need to fight for their future, and the Democrats aren't interested in their future - just politics.

When I found Cynthia McKinney and the Green party, I knew I had finally found a party I could believe in. Finally, my idealism has had a chance to resurface. If the Democrats can't step up to the plate and fight for the people, it's time for the Green party to become a player. I can't vote for mediocrity anymore.