Wednesday, July 25, 2007

Going UnGreen: Blogger Talks Himself Off The Ledge

As really dedicated readers know, I have for years been a registered Green Party member. I have opined on the positives/negatives of said membership here and here.

Put into mathematical terms, I'd put my Green Party thing thusly:

Love of Dadaism + Too Lazy To Change Registration = NM Green Party Membership
.

Or something like that. Plus, it's cool to be in a group of .0000001% of the population and shrinking every day.

So it was with something of a heavy heart and even heavier conformity that I called Bernco yesterday to request a form to get a new registration card.

And on that card, it's going to read.....argh, I can' t bring myself to say it. Double argh....head beginning to spin...will slipping away...must keep hands on keyboard....

Democrat

Of all the closets to come out of, this might have been the toughest. In fact, somebody needs to talk me off this high ledge, this Golden Gate Bridge of politics. My feelings about the NM Democratic Party fall somewhere between those felt for Barry Bonds and Josef Mengele. For those wondering, that's not good in my book. There is so much not to like.

Example: A few weeks back I call the NM Democratic Party to ask about folks who might be running against Teresa Cordova for County Commissioner District 2 (down here in the South Valley) in '08. I'm just calling out of the blue, having never contacted the party before, ever. A guy who shall remain nameless calls me back and I ask him about Cordova and potential Dem competitors. The very first thing out of this guy's mouth (and remember he's saying this to a person he's: 1. never heard of; 2. never talked to before; 3. talking to over the phone) is "well, to win that District you have to have a Hispanic surname". He then continues to monologue about the other attributes needed for a successful District 2 candidacy, his personal feelings about Cordova, and a bunch of other details that combine to make me: 1. cringe repeatedly; 2. want to take about five showers, one immediately after the other.

And I'm thinking of joining ranks with this cringefest?

Now, you might be saying to yourself: "Well Scot, you do need to have a Hispanic surname to win in District 2". I understand that, and you might very well be right, and right until the end of political time. Still, should one join a group whose assumptions are so glib, cynical and kinda outright discriminatory?

I think the glibness is what bothers me the most. I mean if Dem Dude had thrown the Hispanic surname card after we knew each other a few months I'd understand him, and the context of the position, and probably be only mildly bothered. But here's this guy representing the entire Party and in the first three seconds of communication he casually drops this as an absolute given. As a starting point for discussion.

I'm kinda phobic about groups in general, but it is especially creepy to contemplate joining an outfit with group think like that. Not to mention the many, many positional differences I have had with the Party and individual Democrats over the years. Then there's the whole "baa! baa!" sheep thing, quietly shuffling into the large motley herd as we wait for Nanci Pelosi, Harry Reid or Hillary Clinton to possibly, possibly feed us.

Nope. Can't do it. Sorry to waste your time, but becoming a Democrat just so I can vote in a primary ain't worth it, even with the Worst President Ever hanging around. Forget I ever wrote this thing. Move along, nothing to see here, as they say. Again, sorry to waste your valuable 'Net viewing seconds.

Still, this morning's navel gazing has resulted in something. I know what my new registration card is going to look like. The space under "Party/Partido" is going to be blank. Deliciously, liberatingly blank.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

well, to win that District you have to have a Hispanic surname

So. what is your Golden's last name??????????

Kelsey Atherton said...

I was so damn tempted to register as an independent. I applaud you for doing so, but I'm think that the primary is where I can vote Kucinich and be ignored.

There's no good way around this, and the way elections in the US are set up, the two-part centrist dichotomy is all but given. When we switch to national elections for legislatures based on party and with seats awarded for percentage of the national vote (parties then filling the seats with their respective ideologues), I'll be more than happy to move further left than a party clinging to the center allows.

Until then, independent is viable, but, as anyone who works with 8th graders would know, more importantly its the cool thing that only the hip people do.

And retirees in New Hampshire. Crap

Anonymous said...

Dear Frannyzoo,

I am sorry for the delay in posting this comment. I would have preferred to be timelier, but your post was only recently brought to my attention.

Please let me provide an unequivocal apology. My name is Brian Colon and I am chairman of the Democratic Party of New Mexico and the behavior you described on your post is 100% unacceptable. Indeed the response you received to your inquiry was all the negative things you said it was.

That being said, I am confident you spoke to a volunteer who was trying to invest time in the Party in order to be helpful. Based on your post, I will be implementing a more formal policy about who answers and/or returns calls to the DPNM HQs.

Thank you for expressing your justified frustration and disappointment. We will work hard to do better in the future. If you would like to contact me directly, I would be happy to take your call.

Best regards,
Brian Colon
242-2228
brian.colon@yahoo.com
www.nmdemocrats.org

marjorie said...

Scott, I'd love to hear the reasons you have for disliking Teresa Cordova beyond the APS grade change controversy. What makes her a bad County Commissioner? First, let me say...I know Teresa and have worked with her off and on for a number of years now. I think she's done a good job when it comes to development issues in the South Valley. You can give her a lot of credit, actually, for pushing forward a real planning process before the valley gets bulldozed over every which way by the development crowd. This is a primary reason she was elected in the first place...unrelenting activism and organizing from her multiple roles: resident of the valley, planning professor, and as board president of Rio Grande Community Development Corporation. She did not get elected because she has a Hispanic surname. As for the grade change, I really think she got the short, short end of the stick in the press...big time. It's all been quite unbalanced. It was sickening to me to watch the bitter vitriol coming from anonymous members of the public on talk radio and online bulletin boards who know nothing about her and her son. APS? Throw bricks at them all you want. But it's a mistake to put Teresa in the same bag with school administrators.