Dear Independent Voter,

As you keep swinging with the wind, and 'revolting' against Washington, you are costing our country a great deal.  You flocked away from the Republican party in a rage against George Bush's policies of torture, tax breaks for the wealthy and Wall Street deregulation and corruption and elected Barack Obama president in a landslide in 2008.  Then, you figured, hey, why isn't he waving his magic wand and changing everything in one fell swoop?  Damnit!  So you turned right back to W's party in 2009 and 2010.

You know what, dearest Independent Voter?  You are acting like a five-year-old throwing tantrums.  A five year old who voted for a piece of candy, and now is turning around and voting for a piece of turd because the candyman didn't give him the candy fast enough.  A five-year-old with the fate of our nation in your hands.  You are having your buttons effectively pushed by the right wing thugs who want to destroy this country and what it stands for.  You are being had by the nutjobs that have no interest in being serious about solving whatever it is your particular problem happens to be.  You are walking right into the trap laid out by those who would represent anyone but you in Washington.  And why?  'Cause the guy's got a truck.  And the other gal didn't get on her proverbial political knees and beg for my vote.  You have "Look-at-me-I'm-important" syndrome.  And the dude talked about how b-a-d Washington is.  And did you hear?  The gal went to Washington for a fundraiser!  Oh, and who can forget, the lady called the bastion of public service and democracy, Curt Schilling a - gasp - Yankee fan!  Oh noes!

You just elected, in Massachusetts, the guy who supports waterboarding and torture, scares the bit-jesus out of you about terrorists being tried in American courts - despite having elected a Constitutional scholar who explained to you barely a year ago that our courts and prisons are perfectly capable and effective in handling terrorists, and boasts about going to Washington to kill health care reform.  The same health insurance reform that might have put your costs under control.  The same reform that would insure anywhere between 31 and 36 million Americans who have no insurance now.  You voted to send a guy to Washington who would just as soon let 45,000 people die a year for the lack of health insurance.  Well, Congratulations.  Now when you have to file bankruptcy because your insurance company dropped you when you got sick, please, call your Senator and see if he gives a shit.  You just voted in a guy that - if he has anything to say about it - will stop us from recovering our money from the bank bailouts.  And a guy that will put the interest of polluters over the right of your children to breathe clean air and drink clean water.  A man that wants you to pay all the taxes so the ultra rich can get a break.  But hey, don't you let any of that take away from the feel-good of punishing "Washington" or anything.  That's the important thing.

Dear Independent Voter, grow up.  You live in a Constitutional democracy, and your votes have consequences.  If you are willing to vote for change, then please stick with it.  If you are willing to trust a president into office, hold his feet to the fire, but stop whining that he isn't parting the seas.  And for goodness' sakes, stop voting to undermine what you voted for just a year ago. Change isn't easy.  Your wild swings from side to side won't make it any easier, either.  It will make it harder.  Stop being so easily punked.  Grow up and see what's going on around you.  See that your vote isn't a candy bar.  Grow up and realize that the system cannot be changed in a day, and your wild swings aren't helping things change.  They are helping us return to gridlock.

Grow up.  Just goddamn grow up.

Sincerely,

A Proud Democratic Voter.