I would vote to elect Coakley to fill Kennedy's vacant seat, I would be part of that committed minority that turn out for a special election. In other words I would be a loyal Democratic base voter. I wouldn't stop with that though, I would also help out on Tuesday with get out the vote efforts, and I would volunteer to drive folks to the polls. Indubitably by now I would have made a small cash donation to the Coakley campaign also, even though I am severely underemployed.

In other words I would force myself to over ride my overall disillusionment with the Democratic Party and my anger over the HCR cave in to do at least that much to keep Republicans from picking up a Senate seat from my state. But I know I am capable of doing a great deal more than that.

Even though I live in New York State instead of Massachusetts, I could have been driving over to Massachusetts on my off days to volunteer for her campaign. It's a 90 minute drive, I've done that for politics before. Even living here in New York State, I could be giving up drinking coffee out and donating that money to Coakley's campaign instead, but I'm not. I do those type things when I really believe in something or someone, not when I'm just objecting to something or someone else. One thing you can't fake, and you can't replace, is enthusiasm. I have none for the Democratic Party right now.

I can still depend on my mind to tell me what I must do, and so if I lived in Massachusetts I would do all of what I said I would do above. I clearly do not want Brown to win. But my mind can't force me to do things that take a real sacrifice on my part to do, only my heart can make me do that, and my heart just isn't in it right now. That is political reality 101, it's a law of human physics. I hope the National Democratic Party understands the difference between loyalty and devotion. They can convince me of a need for loyalty, but my devotion can only be earned.