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Yeah, the religion angle has been ignored – but it’s a stronger force than most of us know.
This just in: The old standby for describing temporary stupidity commonly known as “blond moments” has been officially changed to “american moments”.
We’re putting away the bottle of champagne for another opportunity to celebrate something. Didn’t get a chance to pop the cork last night.
Your right something just doesnt make sense …
– He has been on vacation 40% of the time in office!
– Jobs are being lost / outsourced!
– The economy sucks!
– Healthcare sucks!
– Were in a war justified by lies!
– The deficit is growing exponentially!
– Social Security is about to be 86d!
– On and on and on …Yet – he wins handedly ? It was weird how they kept holding back on calling Pennsylvania to Kerry until Ohio was going their way even though it was like 70%-30% with 50% reporting. Hell they were calling other states at 52-48 and just 2% reporting.
Are Americans that blind? What is funny everyone I talk to is saying the same thing – bush sucks! WHAT has he done in 4 years? WHAT?
I think weve all been duked again and if so the next 4 years are going to be a bumpy ride.
I am still in a state of shock. I feel like I have been hit with a 2×4 between the eyes. This has got be a collective nightmare.
I think peewee would make a better president..
Bush unbound
Winning on fear itself, the GOP is ready to take the country even farther right.– – – – – – – – – – – –
By Sidney BlumenthalNov. 3, 2004 | “This country is going so far to the right you are not even going to recognize it,” remarked John Mitchell, President Nixon’s attorney general, in 1970. Mitchell’s prophesy became the mission of Nixon’s College Republican president, Karl Rove, who implemented the strategy of authoritarian populism behind George W. Bush’s victory.
In the aftermath, Democrats will form their ritual circular firing squad of recriminations. But, finally, the loss was not due to their candidate’s personality, the flaws of this or that advisor or the party’s platform. The Democrats surprised themselves at their ability to raise tens of millions of dollars, inspire hundreds of thousands of activists, spawn extensive new organizations, attract icons of popular culture and present themselves as unified around a centrist position. Expectations were not dashed. Turnout vastly increased among African-Americans and Hispanics. More than 60 percent of the newly registered voters went for John Kerry. Those concerned about the economy voted overwhelmingly for him; so did those citing the war in Iraq as an issue. But the surge of the Democrats was more than matched.
Using the White House as a machine of centripetal force, Rove spread fear and fused its elements. Fear of the besieging terrorist, appearing in Bush campaign TV ads as the shifty eyes of a swarthy man or a pack of wolves, was joined with fear of the besieging queer. Bush’s announcement that he favored a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage was underscored by referendums against it in 11 states, including Ohio — all of which won.
The evangelical churches became instruments of political organization. Ideology was enforced as theology, turning nonconformity into sin, and the faithful, following voter guides with biblical literalism, were shepherded to the polls as though to the rapture. White Protestants, especially in the South, especially married men, gave their souls and votes for flag and cross.
The campaign was one long camp meeting, a revival. Abortion and stem cell research became a lever for prying loose white Catholics. (Rove’s designated Catholic leader, his own political pontiff, had to resign in disgrace after being exposed for sexual harassment, but this was little reported and had no effect.) To help in Florida, a referendum was put on the ballot to deny young women the right to abortion without parental approval, and it galvanized evangelicals and conservative Catholics alike.
While Kerry ran on the mainstream American traditions of international cooperation and domestic investment, and transparency and rationality as essential to democratic government, Bush campaigned directly against these very ideas. At his rallies, Bush was introduced as standing for “the right God.” During the closing weeks of the campaign, Bush and Cheney ridiculed internationalism, falsifying Kerry’s statement about a “global test.” They disdained Kerry’s internationalism as effeminate, unpatriotic, a character flaw and elitist. “You can put lipstick on a pig, but it’s still a pig,” Vice President Cheney derided in every speech. They grafted imperial unilateralism onto provincial isolationism. Fear of the rest of the world was to be mastered with contempt for it.
These emotions were linked to what is euphemistically called “moral values,” which is actually social and sexual panic over the rights of women and gender roles — lipstick traces, indeed. Only imposing manly authority against “girlie men,” girls and lurking terrorists can save the nation. Bush’s TV ads featured digitally reproduced crowds of cheering soldiers, triumph of the leader through computer enhancement. Above all, the exit polls showed that “strong leader” was the primary reason Bush was supported.
Brought along with Bush is a gallery of grotesques in the Senate — more than one of the new senators advocating capital punishment for abortion, another urging that all gay teachers be fired, yet another revealed as suffering from obvious symptoms of Alzheimer’s.
The new majority is more theocratic than Republican, as Republican was previously understood; the defeat of the old moderate Republican Party is far more decisive than the loss by the Democrats. And there are no checks and balances. The terminal illness of Chief Justice William Rehnquist signals new appointments to the Supreme Court that will alter law for more than a generation. Conservative promises to dismantle constitutional law established since the New Deal will be acted upon. Roe vs. Wade will be overturned and abortion outlawed.
Now, without constraints, Bush can pursue the dreams he campaigned for — the use of U.S. military might to bring God’s gift of freedom to the world, with no more “global tests,” and at home the enactment of the imperatives of “the right God.” The international system of collective security forged in World War II and tempered in the Cold War is a thing of the past. The Democratic Party, despite its best efforts, has failed to rein in the radicalism sweeping the country. The world is in a state of emergency but also irrelevant. The New World, with all its power and might, stepping forth to the rescue and the liberation of the old? Goodbye to all that.
If I feel depressed about the results, and I don’t even live in United States anymore, I can only imagine how my American friends must be feeling. Probably feeling like a deer in the headlights while the significants of these events soak in.
Although another 4 years of Bush is sure to have global impact,
United States will bear the brunt of it economically and socially.Lastly; Tho I joke around to make light of a grim situation, my thoughts and sympathies are with all my american friends and family.
I think peewee would make a better president..
No kidding :bigsmile:
I am really disappointed as well..
And if you need more understanding of what happened. The high turnout seems to have been evangelical christians. Karl Rove brilliantly got the anti-gay amendment initiatives onto the ballots in the battleground states. This brought all the Jesus republicans to the polls to vote for that.
So it wasn’t the Supreme Court this time. It was Jesus who picked our president.
Good article, wagerprofits.
What a lousy day…
Antoine, is there really even a handful of positives? Of the “25 billion package to fight aids,” I’d wager the bulk of the money went to major drug companies for research and to promote abstinance until marriage. Research is improtant, and abstinance effective prevention, but there are other effective programs that don’t fit with the religious right’s moral agenda, and therefore don’t get funded.
I have some good friends that spent the first half of Bush’s term in Zambia, a country being devastated by aids. Did we send condoms and education on how to use them, education on the spread of aids (many still believe it’s bad magic)? No, we preached abstinance…
I’m all for people having a belief system, but Kerry said it well in debate #2; you can’t legislate based on faith.
My message to the powers that be; get your god out of my government.
Excellent article, Jeff. It’s a slam dunk.
I am Canadian and I stayed up until 3 a.m. watching the results. Personally, I think this election was probably the most important event for everyone, in determining our future. I am deeply saddened by the result. And also at a loss to figure out how in the hell it happened. I thought for sure that the US would vote overwhelmingly for a drastic change. I don’t think I even want to know what shape the economy will be in four years from now. And where all the other issues will stack up. Very depressing day.
I am beside myself. I CANNOT believe that after all that has happened during the last 4 years, people actually voted for this idiot! It says a lot about us, to countries all over the word, it appears that we APPROVE the war. How else can it be interpreted? People in general are afraid of change and I think that’s why Bush won. They rather go with something miserable yet familiar, then take the chance on the unknown. I’m disappointed and embarrased for us. :confused:
And if you need more understanding of what happened. The high turnout seems to have been evangelical christians. Karl Rove brilliantly got the anti-gay amendment initiatives onto the ballots in the battleground states. This brought all the Jesus republicans to the polls to vote for that
That is right on the money.
And if you need more understanding of what happened. The high turnout seems to have been evangelical christians. Karl Rove brilliantly got the anti-gay amendment initiatives onto the ballots in the battleground states. This brought all the Jesus republicans to the polls to vote for that [/B]
Could you say that all the Bush hating over the years brought out the Lefty’s just as much?
I’d say they canceled each other out, the people that made the winning vote were the middle of the road mom and pops.
I’d say it all worked out quite well, we are not the EU we don’t want Kerry, the rest of the world can have him now… thats cool, all yours.
Yesterday was the first time I had to wait in line to vote in my little hick town. I took that as a good sign, didn’t have a clue I was surrounded by religious fanatics. But that is what did it. I read where Republican turnout was slightly higher than Democrat. Apparently, none of the moderates showed up. The gay issue (my state was one of the eleven) attracted them to the polls and while they were there they voted straight right wing ticket.
Hope all of the tunnel minded inbreds enjoy watching their sons and daughters get shipped off to never ending wars. The people I really feel bad for are my long time Republican (1st time Dem voter this year) friends, whose Reservist son is getting deployed middle of November for 18 months.
That is the worst that this goofball has done, but the list is a long one, imo.
