Written by Thurman Zare   

Why didn't many progressive people vote in 2010? Allow me to answer this question in the traditional tribal method of transmitting information, by storytelling.

In the tiny Midwestern town of Apple Meadow there was a small mom and pop restaurant Named Ma's Diner. The people of the town ate there often and enjoyed the healthy fare they served.

One day a new Corporate Chain restaurant called McKoch's moved into town and opened it's doors. The folks running Ma's diner soon noticed that there business had fallen off 10% as one in ten folks would eat the Crappy McKoch burgers and drink the Mcunionbuster flavored ice milk shakes.

These folks didn't really care for the noxious fare they just were taken in by the glitzy box's it was served in and the little plastic Karl Rove action figures that goose step around the table when you put a nickel in their ass.

The folks at Ma's diner decided that in order to win these customers back they must change their business to be more like McKoch's. They felt this was their duty as without the healthy fare served at MA's the folks would have no where to get a decent meal.

They changed a few items on their menu and removed others substituting greasy Freedom Fries for salads and McKochburgers in shiny wrappers for grilled Salmon.. Ma's business still seemed to be dropping off yet not as abruptly, so the owners of Ma's decided it would be in their best interest to become even more like McKoch's.


As the two businesses became more and more alike the crowd of every day diners that used to frequent MA's was reduced to a small number of loyal diners. Many of the departed felt that the type of healthy fare they enjoyed was no longer available at Ma's and the choices offered on the menu were much the same as McKoch's.

The loyal diners tried to get their friends who used to join them at Ma's Diner daily and enjoy a meal to return, explaining that there was a difference Ma's diner served their McKochburgers with a pickle and slice of lettuce and 20% of the grease was allowed to drip from their Freedom Fries before they were put in the shiny box.

Business continued to fall of until one sad day Ma's Diner closed its door for the final time...

A few moons later Fred Mertz the former co-owner of Ma's diner stood patiently in line waiting for his McKoch brother’s meal. The fellow in line behind said in a conversational tone: "I wish there was somewhere besides McKoch's to get a meal around here" Fred Mertz replied: "Don't look at me. There was another place to eat but it's not my fault people didn't support it."