Sue Castner

[August 27th, 2008]

When politicos put intra-party feuds over the general welfare of the human race, the Rogue Desk cries foul.

And because that’s exactly what one committed Hillary Clinton delegate from Portland did Aug. 25 at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, the Rogue Desk is nominating Sue Castner for this week’s Mile High honors: Roguedom.

“If I had to base my vote on how [Barack Obama’s] supporters have treated us, I’d be voting for [John] McCain,” Castner told The Oregonian.

Really? The Rogue Desk can grapple with principled protest votes for, say, Ralph Nader or Ron Paul. But John McCain?

McCain is the candidate who has promised more war and fewer civil liberties. He would let states criminalize abortion.

He admits to knowing jack about economics.

His mental map of the Middle East has Iraq bordering Pakistan, and he jokes about bombing Iran. Ha, ha, ha….

Really, Castner? McCain? Imagine if Castner’s logic applied to the 2004 election.

“I don’t see it as being the same at all,” she tells the Rogue Desk by cell phone from Denver.

Instead, Castner, a member of Clinton’s national finance committee, says her feelings grew out of the rudeness and sexism displayed by some Obama supporters. One told Castner, as she walked down the street in Denver wearing a Clinton T-shirt, to “take the shirt off, bitchface.”

Knock it off, guys. That was really not cool. But it wasn’t like Obama himself has flipped Clinton supporters the bird.

Yet Castner says a couple of her friends plan to vote for McCain anyway. She believes Obama “has a lot to prove to a lot of Hillary supporters,” and says, “in my heart of hearts, I would never hope for a McCain administration.”

In that case, it’s simple: Stop playing into Republicans’ divide-and-conquer strategy.