Putting "Us" Back into the U.S.

Well, it looks as if Barack Obama will indeed win the White House. And already, there is moaning and sighing from people who think he won't be progressive enough.

Excuse me, but that's where WE come in.

No, he does not support gay marriage. He's the most pro-gay presidential candidate in history, but that doesn't seem to be enough for some people. The Log Cabin crowd is criticizing him for not being a full advocate of gay marriage. What they're overlooking is that (A) he has not ruled it out for the future, even for his own administration and -- more importantly -- (B) John McCain not only opposes gay marriage, but opposes gay rights in almost any form. He's for keeping the ban on our open military service, he's against including us in hate crimes legislation, and -- in his home state of Arizona -- he favors cutting our partnerships out of all legal protections.

Excuse me again, but what the hell is the matter with the gay Republicans? Why are they criticizing Obama for being one stroke less than perfect on gay rights, but supporting McCain for being TERRIBLE to us? Hello? What planet are these people living on?

In the first Obama term, the priority will be on cleaning up the unchristly mess the Republicans have made of our country, the Constitution, and world peace. For any real progressive progress to be made, he'll need a second term. And again, that's where we come in.

We must hold his feet to the fire. The Democratic Party (not merely the presidency, but congress) must be turned away from the ruinous "centrist" course it has been on for far too long. Instead of sitting passively back and expecting things to just magically change on their own, progressives will have to work -- and fight -- to make things better.

Greens should join (or rejoin) the Democratic Party and stop throwing childish tantrums because the Democrats aren't giving them their way. In order to GET their way, they've got to join the Democratic Party.

No party listens to those who remain outside of it.

In the same way, Libertarians should join (or rejoin) the Republican Party. It's up for grabs right now, and the way to oust the fascists who have taken it over is to JOIN it and shove them out. That is the only way to save the GOP from permanent powerlessness -- or from a fascistic resurgence. The nuts and whackjobs won't leave voluntarily; they've got to be thrown out.

The United States is no longer the country of those who love freedom and believe in progress. If we do not salvage it within the next four years, I really believe it will become something monstrously unrecognizable. If the rest of the world comes to believe that it must be rid of us in order to save itself, then we will be doomed.

Let's not go the way of the Roman empire, or of its would-be successor, the Third Reich. Let's step up to the plate and save America. We need to put "us" back into the U.S. It won't be our country anymore unless we fight for it.

The crucial first step is voting Barack Obama into the White House. Not only is this Job One, but the rest simply will not happen without it.