It seems that a lot of Democratic Party insiders – prominently including those who get a paycheck from the Barack Obama for President campaign – are just plain furious that rank and file Democrats have the audacity to criticize Obama for voting in favor of George W. Bush’s FISA Amendments Act. They’re profoundly offended that voters are declining to speak according to the script that has been so painstakingly written for them.
I’m tired of arguing the point that the Constitution is more important than any politician. So, instead, to those Democrats who think that Democratic voters are obligated to support Barack Obama, I want to offer the following compromise (unlike the FISA Amendments Act, it’s a genuine compromise).
Support Barack Obama by supporting the ACLU.
See, these Democratic partisans insist that Barack Obama, in spite of his actions, deep down is in favor of upholding the Constitution. They say that we just need to trust that Barack Obama will reverse course once again, and restore our constitutional rights once he becomes President.
Well, if Barack Obama really is the candidate of constitutional rights, then one way to support Obama’s campaign is to support the organizations that work, day in and day out, to support constitutional rights. The way I figure it, by supporting the issues that a candidate claims to be aligned with, you’re supporting the candidate himself.
So, if Barack Obama claims that he is the candidate of constitutional rights, then he ought to be a stronger candidate when organizations like the ACLU, which promote issues of constitutional rights, are strong.
So, here’s the test, you cranky pro-Obama Democrats: If you really believe that Barack Obama is the candidate of constitutional rights, then take that money you were intending to donate to the Obama campaign, and write a check to the ACLU instead.
That donation should provide strong indirect assistance to the Obama campaign, if Obama is the candidate you really claim him to be.
