I am holding my breath. Almost literally. Much of last evening and this morning was spent viewing or listening to election coverage — CBS News, MSNBC, National Public Radio, and Fox were my channels of choice. The latter network was chosen, naturally, for opposition research.
The balloting and vote count were fascinating to watch. After exit polls gave the impression that Kerry was winning handily, the truth finally emerged — this was a horce race. At 3:05 Wednesday morning, the race was too close to call. Ohio was the focus: The Bushites insisted they'd won the Buckeye state; Democrats said the race was not yet over. As the world watched and waited, right-wing media took the Bush line as left-leaning journalists hoped against hope that sanity would win the day.
It didn't, of course. I awoke to the news that Kerry shortly will concede the election to the Shrub. I am still numb at this point — hence, the inability to breathe consistently: The hell that was the last four years is about to get worse. Much worse. The smirking one now thinks — erroneously — he has a mandate.
A FOX analyst said chilling words very early this morning: "This is a Republican country." In other words, non-GOPsters are in for a world of hurt — quite bluntly, it appears half the nation is screwed. And so is the US's electoral system.
Who or what is to blame for the nightmare we face? I suspect it is Christian fundamentalism combined with right-wing fear and good old American bloodlust. Another factor is a Democratic party that resolutely refused to budge beyond Demublicanism. From Counterpunch:
The strategy of the Democratic Party as formulated by DNC chairman Terry McAuliffe amounted to belief in the simple potency of corporate cash, plus hysterical demonization of Bush and Nader, represented at full stretch by Michael Moore, who began the year backing General Wesley Clarke and ended it as a pied piper for Kerry. They came to the Rubicon of November 2 replete with fantasies, about the unknown cell phone vote, the youth vote (which actually remained unchanged from 2000), the galvanizing potential of Bruce Springsteen and Eminem.Week after week Kerry and his boosters displayed an unmatched deafness to political tone. The haughty elitist from Boston probably lost most of the Midwest forever when he said in the high summer that foreign leaders hoped he would win. The applause of the French in Cannes for Michael Moore's 9/11 was the sound of the cement drying over the corpse of Kerry's chances of carrying the Midwest. Soros's dollars were like flowers on the grave. After the billionairess Portuguese-American Teresa Heinz Kerry said in mid-October that Laura Bush had never held a job it was all over.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - vox populi
The true progressives are those who want to leave behind the failed policies of Jimmy Carter and support Bush.
How can you say intelligence lost? Kerry offered nothing but a draft, a series of unspecified "plans", a promise to raise taxes, some platitudes and a record of nonaccomplishment.
2 - Kurt Nordstrom
Criminy, I just have no time for the whole "Bush is worse than the terrorists" bile. If its that bad, scram. Seriously. We voted, you lost. You know which way the border is.
Don't agree with Bush? That's your right. You can disagree with me and I'll respect you. But making comparisons to terrorists is beyond the pale. Stop wasting bandwidth.
3 - Natalie Davis
I said what I -- and a lot of people -- believe to be true. Deal with it.
If I could afford to leave, I would be booking the flight right now. Color me trapped. For now.
4 - Cap'n Ken
Hey Natalie:
Do you have a PayPal account? We can probably scratch up enough money to get you out of here.
OK, that's a joke. Sorry, was too easy.
As I've said on comments all around here today, I think the really scary thing about the election was this requirement to bow to the Christians. And I think the Democrats will head that way in 2008.
Of course, as someone who teaches their kid to parrot back crap about "what Jesus would do", don't you support the Christianization of America?
5 - khiddy
Please, oh please, choose flee!
6 - Natalie Davis
Mr. Cap'n Ken: I didn't teach my kid to parrot that statement, which is one I tend not to use. I am a religious person, yes, but one who interprets Christianity differently than Bush Bros. Banana Republic types. I believe the true Christian position is opposed to war and opposed to discrimination. In any case, my religion is mine. Unlike fundies, I know I have no right to punish others because they don't follow my brand of morality.
And yes, I do have a paypal account. You and khiddy and anyone else want me out of the country soon? By all means send donations to the Flee Fund. Now, there would be true compassionate conservatism, something any intelligent person knows is just another Repugnican lie.
Unable to afford flight, I am left with one option: Fight like hell.
7 - boomcrashbaby
In any case, my religion is mine. Unlike fundies, I know I have no right to punish others because they don't follow my brand of morality.
A-freaking-men.
8 - Gee Dubs
Natalie,
Are the same natalie who plays for the Dixie Chick(ens)?
Don't make me come over there and open up a can of whoop ass on ya.
I would look totally ridiculous wearing a chaftan with a cowboy hat. not gonna happen!
G. W.
9 - Gee Dubs
Nat,
May I recomend you try holding your breath just alittle longer?
GW
10 - Natalie Davis
A death wish. Typical.
11 - boomcrashbaby
And I thought he was politely telling you he was full of gas.
12 - Natalie Davis
There you go, giving (apparent) right-wingers the benefit of the doubt.
13 - Gee Dubs
Nat & Baby,
You two sure complain alot. You had your chance to vote didn't ya? Didn't ya read the newspapers? Bush is OUR president. He won the election fair and square. Gay rights lost in 11 state battles. It's a fact. Is it just too hard for you two to comprehend that your viewpoints do not represent the mainstream of america?
BTW I visited your site, Nat...I must be the only one to do so. Many of your thoughts seem oxygen deficient. Perhaps you should resume breathing.
Baby, I have never gone down the 'ole dirt road' so I am not able to support your position. Maybe in due time we will allow HEing & HEing and Sheing & sheing but for the time being all we can handle is the heing and the sheing.
Stick that in your pipe and smoke it.
G.W.
14 - Vic
It's truly amazing to me how Christians are demonized in this country while Islam is called "the religion of peace."
Wow.
Of course the majority of those making such statements have never read the Bible or the Koran.
I'm really starting to believe that Christians are the new Jews, and that if some folks had their way Christians would be rounded up and have who knows what done to them. Concentration camps perhaps?
Vic
15 - bhw
Oh, puhleeze, Vic. In this country, Christians are the ones doing the demonizing.
16 - MCH
Isn't it interesting how the same people who condemn the Middle East for combining politics and religion just claimed a presidential victory on the power of joining church and state?
17 - RedTard
Thanks Natalie.
Your brand of radical left wing garbage is what's driving more and more of the country into the Republican party, not the gay rights issue. Keep up the good work!!
18 - Mark Saleski
...Your brand of radical left wing garbage
nice!
by the way, given yesterday's numbers, you're talking about 49% of the country.
just a thought.
19 - Mac Diva
Such vicious little trolls. I'm actually beginning to prefer reading the spammer's stuff.
20 - Kurt Nordstrom
Not so, Mark. Not everybody who voted for Mr. Kerry believes that Bush is the devil. Most of them, I believe, just thought that Kerry was the better man for the job.
While I disagree along with my fellow 51% of the populace, I still respect my countrymen who hold those views.
But when you ("you" in the general sense) start talking about how it's now time to go to Canada, or how Bush is a terrorist, you've totally lost any reason to be taken seriously.
21 - Marc
"The smirking one now thinks -- erroneously -- he has a mandate."
Say what is the flavor of Kool-aid your sipping? A near 4 million popular vote advantage, a clear electoral college advantage, and the first clear majority since 1988. PLEASE
You say an option is to flee? Well there is a flight leaving for Paris, but their may be a wait to get into Canada.
Don't let the door hit you on the way out.
22 - Eric Olsen
if one accepts the scientific assumption that most homosexuality is genetic, or at least the predisposition toward it, then I would think one should be empathetic to the concerns of those who feel demonized for something that is not their "fault"
23 - Pandora
Hmm, I never thought of Bush as the devil..just the antichrist..
Until yesterday..
24 - Vic
Actually the antichrist is supposed to unite the world, so Kerry would have fit the description much better.
Not that I think that of course, I think he's just misdirected.
Vic
25 - Eric Olsen
I understand hyperbole and emotion in the immediate aftermath of disappoint, but they remain just that