Voting for Rep. Gene Taylor (D-MS) is going to be hard to stomach, but it is something I will probably do. I can find little reason to support Taylor in his voting record, but I am now thinking about it as more of a numbers game. It isn't just about minimizing Democratic losses in the House; it is also about the very real possibility that we could end up with John "the Orangeman" Boehner as Speaker of the House.

In the eight years we endured under Bush, we learned that the Republican Party is incapable of governing effectively. More recently, we have seen the Democratic Party refuse to take a stand and fight for sensible policy, preferring to grasp at the illusion of bipartisanship. So yes, the Democrats seem unable (or perhaps just unwilling) to govern without a supermajority of real Democrats in the Senate. They clearly aren't going to get that in this election.

So why is it so important to keep Boehner away from the gavel? His behavior (e.g., loudly sobbing on the House floor multiple times, the "hell no you can't" spectacle, etc.) has made him an embarrassment - at least, it should have. I think we deserve better than cartoon characters in Congress. So I think I am finally prepared to hold my nose and vote for Taylor.

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