Shocked
At the election results. At Chris Mihm putting up 23 and 12…I could go on...
Obviously I am supremely disappointed with last night's results. It’s hard for me to imagine that people want for more years of Bush.
A few random thoughts:
- Why did people in Ohio have to stand in line for 9 hours in order to cast their vote? What century is this again?
- It saddens me that “moral values” was the major issue for the Republican voters out there. We are at war you know. Not to mention the deficit, economy, rising healthcare costs, the environment, Haliburton and unemployment.
- Maybe now candidates will take a stand on something instead of reacting to each and every poll and trying to be all things to everyone.
- How funny was Tim Russert and his tablet PC? That thing was like a $5,000 dry erase board.
After the last election, it seems to me that the gov't would have done everything it could to make sure everything ran smoothly last night. When I was at the gym, Peter Jennings was on TV telling everyone how ABC (or whatever network he works for) spent millions and millions of dollars to upgrade their facilites and means in order to make sure they get it right this time. I never heard anything like that coming from the government. But then again, one party in this election wanted everyone to vote. The other did not.
The moral victory in all this is now the spotlight is squarely on Bush. He controls the White House. His party controls the House and Senate. No more blaming the Dems for the country’s ills. Someone else pointed out that generally President's don't do as well in their second terms and usually have to fight through all sorts of scandals and controversies (see:Clinton, Bill [Monicagate] and Reagan, Ron [Iran/Contra]) However, right now that’s not making me feel any better.
The conspiracy theorists out there are pointing out that exit polls matched everywhere except FL and OH.
Vote or Diebold.
Four More Wars.
Republicans already controlled the house and the senate for the past 4 years, so they didn't have any excuse for not getting anything done then either.
Also don't be fooled that people who voted on "moral values" have a deep rooted concept of morality. The republicans have effectively tied "moral values" to an antiquated notion of justice. Basically it's all an eye for an eye, which wouldn't even bring them up to date with their favorite first century jewish carpenter.
It's basically all about vengance, imposing your will and being able to destroy any one you disagree with. Moral values folks are virtually amoral in the classical sense. It's how they can be pro-life but support the executions of abortionists. One of the major failings of the democratic party is the inability to remind the american people that the values of classical liberalism -- civil rights, human rights, social welfare (not a welfare system just feeding the hungry, healing the sick kind of stuff) are at the very crux of the morality. Esspecially in the judeo-christian tradtion of America that these people suposidly are out to support.
Oh yeah, but John Kerry was going to ban the bible -- because a free speach catholic is going to ban the most popular document in human history.
Until the democrats can break through the liberals are out to get you dogma of the last 25 years, we're all basically fucked. Or until the republican party splinters into a right wing and theocratic party -- which could happen.
Whats wrong with asserting your will in order to get what you want? A British woman in Iraq is taken hostage and her life threatened while giving out food and medicine...what else do we need to see?
Ask Kyle's dad, he agrees with me I'm sure....