GreenKY

Here in Kentucky, you’ll know that we’re often stuck in an electoral conundrum at this time of the year - vote for a Republican who has done no good whatsoever in their lifetime, or vote for a Democrat that is, more often than not, just about as promising as their opponent. We walk a very fine line in the Commonwealth. This year, perhaps even more than in 2004, it is important that, regardless of the nuances, we do the right thing. And yes, by do the right thing, I mean vote Democratic.

While it would be incredibly easy for one to see my qualms with Senator Obama on energy and environmental issues, he has, in reality, proposed the most sweeping reforms to our energy and environmental policy in American history - and, sadly, John McCain has done nothing but pay lip service to his supposed ‘mavericky’ persona on energy policy. Instead, he has simply sounded the “drill, baby, drill” refrain a few too many times for my liking. Likewise, it’s hard to take a candidate’s environmental policy seriously when their half-brained running mate disputes the scientific consensus of anthropogenic global warming, while simultaneously suggesting that one can solve a problem without knowing its causes. Such is the thinking behind the whole GOP ticket.

So we’re stuck in the conundrum, but there is only one way out - vote for the candidate who will help put you where you want to be. Barack Obama isn’t going to be the end of history (since when did Marxism become really important to 21st century Americans?) - but he’ll get us at least one step closer to the place that we should all want to be: a prosperous, equal, inclusive and carbon neutral country.

In Kentucky, we are cursed with many god-awful politicians - but we’ve also been blessed with a few of the best. If you live in Louisville or central Kentucky, be proud to go to the polls tomorrow and cast your vote for either Rep. John Yarmuth (KY-03) or Rep. Ben Chandler (KY-06), who have performed honorably in their short years representing our Commonwealth, each earning 100% scores from the League of Conservation Voters. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said about their Republican counterparts in the Kentucky congressional delegation. Senators Mitch McConnell and Jim Bunning, along with Rep. Ed Whitfield (KY-01), Rep. Geoff Davis (KY-04) and Rep. Hal Rogers (KY-05) are five of the worst congressmen, ponying up for big coal time after time. Even if progressive candidates like Heather Ryan (D-01) and Michael Kelley (D-04) face an uphill battle tomorrow, it is important that whatever you do, you don’t vote Republican. Even if you’re still bitter over Bruce Lunsford endorsing Ernie Fletcher in the 2003 gubernatorial race, defeating Mitch McConnell should be the 2nd most important priority for progressive Democrats across the country. McConnell has, as Senate Minority Leader, engineered obstruction time and time again, especially on global warming and renewable energy legislation - as much as Lunsford falls short of the goal, there is nobody who could possibly perform worse than McConnell.

Even when you get down to our state legislative races, we’re presented with any number of miserable DINOs like Jim Gooch in eastern Kentucky, as well as the mini-obstructionist in GOP State Senate President David Williams. By electing progressive Democrats to the state legislature, like Lexington’s own Kathy Stein and Kelly Flood, we can look forward to taking back the state legislature, as well as creating a cleaner and healthier environment here in the Bluegrass state, along with more prosperous communities that value all citizens - not just the executives of big coal. Even if you want to throw environmental policy aside (but why would we do that?), the Democratic party represents the future of our state and our nation, and the only realistic way to move towards a more just and more positive future - just look at the past eight years to know what the next four would look like under John McCain and the Republican party.

Whatever you do tomorrow, vote Democratic.