Are You Crazy?

Are you crazy? Take this simple test:

1. Were you a strong supporter of Hillary Clinton for President during primary season?

2. Are you thinking of voting for John McCain in the general election because you feel mad that Barack Obama won the Democratic nomination in a process that you perceive as unfair?

If you answered yes to both questions, you're crazy.

Now, I suppose that if, like these PUMAs, you really "believe Obama is grossly unqualified for the Oval Office," then you're just wrong, not crazy. (I'm sure you were President of the Harvard Law Review, served six years in your state Senate, and got elected to the U.S. Senate with 70% of the vote.)

But if you're supporting McCain because you think the "Democratic process [was] abrogated" in the primaries, you're crazy.

Let's run down just a few of the things you're thinking of voting for.

If you supported Clinton, you probably like her stance that abortion should be safe and legal. John McCain's view is that "Roe v. Wade is a flawed decision that must be overturned." Justice Stevens in 88 years old and Roe v. Wade is hanging by a thread, so if you vote for McCain you're voting to outlaw abortion.

If you supported Clinton, you probably agree with her that "we must bring an end to the war in Iraq" and that we should "advance a strategy to redeploy our troops out of Iraq as quickly and as safely as possible." John McCain has defended his statement that we should keep our troops in Iraq indefinitely, maybe for 100 years.

If you supported Clinton, you probably like her plan to ensure that everyone has health insurance. John McCain's big plan is to tax health care benefits.

The list could go on. But the point is clear. If you vote for McCain, you're voting against everything you believe in. And all because you're upset that your candidate lost in the primaries. In short, you're crazy.

I'm sure this smarmy post isn't going to change your mind. But excuse me for being upset too. Presidential elections are serious business. They're for choosing the next president of the United States. They're not for protesting, sending messages, venting your frustrations, or other silly, stupid, feel-good frivolities. You have to cast your vote with the thought that you could be deciding the election. If you vote for John McCain in a fit of pique, you might get what you deserve -- four more years of all the policies you hate. And frankly, I don't care if you get what you deserve, but you might be giving me what I don't deserve.

If you don't believe me, believe Charles Barkley, who politely pointed out that Democrats thinking of voting for McCain are idiots. I refuse to have the election decided by idiots. So knock it off. Vote your beliefs, not your emotions.