I like to think, or hope there are fewer dems and republicans than those who vote their conscience, e.g. many could more accurately be labeled "independent." Unfortunately Oregon is one of many states that penalizes such folks by limiting voting rights in primaries (something which, along with the electoral college has lost it's reason to exist. It is time for both to go.)  One of the most effective ways available to make change is to work from within. To do that I must vote. To do that as often as possible in Oregon, I must register with one of the major parties. Regardless, I am feeling a little (tiny bit) less worried this evening. It seems cracks may be appearing in the foundation of support/fear of reprisal on the Republican side of the House. While the group of swing votes come from a corner of the club I wouldn't normally spend time with, at this point we need to take what we can get. 

With regards to health care reform Comrade Donald has had his tantrum (I swear, I can picture him with his hands balled up into fists stomping his little feet up and down) and taken his ball and gone home. Once again showing himself to be Master Statesman and King of Compromise. Not. 

Hopefully the Republican side of Congress is at least a teensy bit emboldened and will try to insert more common sense into things. It will be slow but I believe it may have started. 

Oh - ObamaCare (or however you want to describe it) is far from perfect. A downside to Captain Pouty walking off the court is we have lost an opportunity to actually improve on it.

It's late, sitting here with a glass of wine. What the heck -
The country has one less Republican. I officially switched teams. I am now batting Democrat. Surprisingly easy to do. Just.....hop online and git 'er done. Anyway, I figured, why not? The Republican party is pretty much dead, anyway. Certainly Trump is not Republican. Trump is Trumpian. He would have aligned himself with Satan if Satan had a political party Little D thought would help get him elected. 

So I have gone from being middle-of-the-road, even slightly conservative republican to full-on Democrat. I suppose I was more independent when it came down to particular issues, but more often than not fell on the R side. Not anymore.

I continue trying my best to stay away from the news. Continue being embarrassed cause I am a US citizen. Bits of information still get through, however. Just enough to remind me that Comrade Donald, in his short time in office, has done more to make the world a dangerous place than the scariest, most effective terrorist out there. In close second place is the vast majority of "Republicans" in the House and Senate lacking the kahonies to do what they know is right. Like little puppies, following Trump down his self-serving paranoid path to God only knows where.
As I mentioned in a previous post, I usually vote when given the opportunity but have never been politically active, or activist. Not really, anyway. Now, though....I am very worried. The longer this racist, misogynistic, out of touch possibly clinically paranoid wack-job you elected is in charge of  this country, the world is less safe. He may actually have the ability, and the will to fuck-up the whole thing.

And he'll do it via Twitter.

Cool