It's election season. I know lots of people get turned off by that. I love it.
Also, I think for the first time EVER IN MY LIFE, I'm going to vote for a Republican.
I had a hard time even typing that.
Todd Stroger is running for president of the Cook County Board, as a replacement for his dad, John Stroger, who is no longer in the race due to suffering a stroke. Todd Stroger is incompetent. He is a total party hack. County government, which provided important services like hospital care for the poor and juveneille correction facilties, is run badly. It is rife with waste, patronage, and piss-poor service. Todd Stroger will continue this.
So I have to vote for Tony Peraica. Who is a douche. Nay, a douche extraordinaire. Peraica of course hates those gays (he tooks his name off the banner welcoming the Gay Games to the city!) and is anti-choice. He also loves guns. This stuff sort of matters. Peraica argues that these issues are not "county issues," in response to Stoger's continuing attempts to label Peraica as a right wing freak. Peraica is about half-right. The Cook County Board President has a fair amount of latitude, and could do something like, oh, decide that county hospitals would no longer provide abortions. And that would suck.
But I feel like that's not what this election is about. This election is about a government that wastes tax dollars and provides piss poor services (actions of mismanagement which disproportionately impact the poor and racial minorities, I might add). Peraica has publicly stated he wouldn't do things like ban abortions. I tend to be willing to trust him - the Illinois Republican Party is pretty easy going on social issues so there will not be a lot of "grass roots" pressure for Peraica to crack down on social issues. Plus, the race is tight - if Peraica wins, he knows he won because of "Lakefront liberals" jumping party to vote for him. Given the power of the Democratic Party in the city/county/state, Peraica is going to be on egg shells come the next election. He knows their gunning for him. I don't think he'll do anything *that* stupid basically.
[It's worth nothing that the Strogers are not known for being super progressives. They are hand-in-hand with the Daley machine - total stoogers. And *John* Stroger was not considered a friend of African Americans (Stroger is African American), and was *also* had accusations that he would do things like stop abortions at county hosptials tossed at him when he first ran for the Board.]
Basically, I'm voting for good government. Crossing the partisan line. Being a rational voter. All that fucking jazz.
One of my politically active college friends called me on this, trying to shame me into voting for Stroger. It sort of pissed me off. He tossed out all kinda of cute little things such "Peraica hates unions. If Stroger gets elected, he'll give out union jobs - so what if they're patronage. People need work!" When I suggested that while I support unions, but not wasteful government, the "idenitty politics" came out ("Look at you, a blue collar kid... jeez..."). Whatevs. I'd rather be a responsible voter than a party hack.
Also, I think for the first time EVER IN MY LIFE, I'm going to vote for a Republican.
I had a hard time even typing that.
Todd Stroger is running for president of the Cook County Board, as a replacement for his dad, John Stroger, who is no longer in the race due to suffering a stroke. Todd Stroger is incompetent. He is a total party hack. County government, which provided important services like hospital care for the poor and juveneille correction facilties, is run badly. It is rife with waste, patronage, and piss-poor service. Todd Stroger will continue this.
So I have to vote for Tony Peraica. Who is a douche. Nay, a douche extraordinaire. Peraica of course hates those gays (he tooks his name off the banner welcoming the Gay Games to the city!) and is anti-choice. He also loves guns. This stuff sort of matters. Peraica argues that these issues are not "county issues," in response to Stoger's continuing attempts to label Peraica as a right wing freak. Peraica is about half-right. The Cook County Board President has a fair amount of latitude, and could do something like, oh, decide that county hospitals would no longer provide abortions. And that would suck.
But I feel like that's not what this election is about. This election is about a government that wastes tax dollars and provides piss poor services (actions of mismanagement which disproportionately impact the poor and racial minorities, I might add). Peraica has publicly stated he wouldn't do things like ban abortions. I tend to be willing to trust him - the Illinois Republican Party is pretty easy going on social issues so there will not be a lot of "grass roots" pressure for Peraica to crack down on social issues. Plus, the race is tight - if Peraica wins, he knows he won because of "Lakefront liberals" jumping party to vote for him. Given the power of the Democratic Party in the city/county/state, Peraica is going to be on egg shells come the next election. He knows their gunning for him. I don't think he'll do anything *that* stupid basically.
[It's worth nothing that the Strogers are not known for being super progressives. They are hand-in-hand with the Daley machine - total stoogers. And *John* Stroger was not considered a friend of African Americans (Stroger is African American), and was *also* had accusations that he would do things like stop abortions at county hosptials tossed at him when he first ran for the Board.]
Basically, I'm voting for good government. Crossing the partisan line. Being a rational voter. All that fucking jazz.
One of my politically active college friends called me on this, trying to shame me into voting for Stroger. It sort of pissed me off. He tossed out all kinda of cute little things such "Peraica hates unions. If Stroger gets elected, he'll give out union jobs - so what if they're patronage. People need work!" When I suggested that while I support unions, but not wasteful government, the "idenitty politics" came out ("Look at you, a blue collar kid... jeez..."). Whatevs. I'd rather be a responsible voter than a party hack.
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... although I must confess that I would love to watch P&T shoot someone in the kneecaps. Like Sean Hannity, perhaps. You just can't put a price on that kind of entertainment.
Oh, and identity politics is bullshit. Trying to use someone's background to shame/inspire them into voting a certain way is a dick move. Kudos for making the right choice, Sig, even if you are voting for someone you despise. I'm in a similiar boat: I hate most of the Arizona democrats, who are so eager to cling to the middle and not offend that they fail to do ANYTHING when they're in office. Our governor, who is bound to win, is the textbook case for this style of backbone-less politicking. Still, I have to follow the lesser of two evils principle...
re: the whole nails thing? *shudder* that scene gets me every time.