The Aftermath...
Well it is the day after the election. The good news is that they system worked. We had a candidate win fair and square, both popular and electoral votes. I can't imagine what would have happened had we had another result just like last time. Everything would have been a mess and a call for the end of the Electoral College has we know it would be made. This goes for both sides. Also, kudos for John Kerry for his very well-spoken concession speech and for the decision to concede rather than draw out the recounts, litigation, etc. forever.
The sad news, for me and other Democrats though, is that President Bush won re-election. The thing with Bush is that he seems like a good guy and all and maybe it is just cynicism about leaders, but I do not believe he is as "clean-cut" as everyone thinks. He is a faithful guy and that is excellent, I really do admire it, I just sometimes thinks he puts himself on a pedestal too much or uses his faith as a campaigning tool. Here is what really gets under my skin though. His campaign team is so darn good that they use dirty tricks galore and get away with it spot clean. Let's try the 2000 campaign. Bush's team painted John McCain (his counterpart during the Republican nomination process) as being anti-military and questioned his record on items dealing with military/missile defense/etc. McCain served in Vietnam and was held as a prisoner of war for something like nine months, and you question his record? This year, the Swiftboat Veterans for Truth were out to get Kerry and ties could be made to this group and the Bush campaign. In fact, some were the same people who questioned McCain. Questionable indeed, but covered up the the right-wing media.
Yes, I did just say "right-wing" media. Hey, I'm not defending CNN or CBS, I don't even watch them. But people like Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh though won this election for Bush. Hannity gets to be on Fox News every night (a media outlet) but because he is a "pundit" he gets to say whatever he wants and even hit the campaign trail. He argues that the questions asked by the media to Kerry, etc. are bogus and then he has the opportunity to interview the President. So what questions did he ask? "Mr. President, do you really think Kerry knows he is lying when he talks?" Nice Sean, but I guess because he is a "pundit" and not a "journalist" he gets away with it.
Okay, enough whining. The system works and Bush is president. I'm not leaving the country. I love America too much. So where do the Democrats go from here? Well first, they need to fight back against charges by the right that they are "weak" and "un-American" or "unpatriotic." The last two really get me. If you really know me, you know I love the Fourth of July more than Christmas. I felt so much pride going to vote last night. Yet, because I'm a Democrat and think Bush didn't choose wisely in the War with Iraq I'm not a "great American" as Sean Hannity would say? That is totally bogus and everyone here knows it. Yet the Democrats seem to cower when these words are spoken. Stand up for yourself. Democrats don't have "values," also a myth. What really defines values too? Tom Delay, a high ranking Republican has been censured twice in the last two months for questionable tactics with donors, etc. But he's a family guy! Also, and this goes with both sides, but their values contradict each other. Republicans are anti-abortion (which I agree, except in extreme cases) but pro-death penalty. Does that makes sense. You want life, yet you take it. Democrats are no better. Most say "women's right to choose" but anti-death penalty. So you want to take one life but save another?
The Democrats just need to get their heads screwed on straight and fight back against these charges. It may also be better to have a small town, country Democrat take charge of the party to reach out to the "commoners." Anyways, this is long. Just my thoughts, congrats to G.W. Bush and good luck to John Kerry in future endeavors.
The sad news, for me and other Democrats though, is that President Bush won re-election. The thing with Bush is that he seems like a good guy and all and maybe it is just cynicism about leaders, but I do not believe he is as "clean-cut" as everyone thinks. He is a faithful guy and that is excellent, I really do admire it, I just sometimes thinks he puts himself on a pedestal too much or uses his faith as a campaigning tool. Here is what really gets under my skin though. His campaign team is so darn good that they use dirty tricks galore and get away with it spot clean. Let's try the 2000 campaign. Bush's team painted John McCain (his counterpart during the Republican nomination process) as being anti-military and questioned his record on items dealing with military/missile defense/etc. McCain served in Vietnam and was held as a prisoner of war for something like nine months, and you question his record? This year, the Swiftboat Veterans for Truth were out to get Kerry and ties could be made to this group and the Bush campaign. In fact, some were the same people who questioned McCain. Questionable indeed, but covered up the the right-wing media.
Yes, I did just say "right-wing" media. Hey, I'm not defending CNN or CBS, I don't even watch them. But people like Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh though won this election for Bush. Hannity gets to be on Fox News every night (a media outlet) but because he is a "pundit" he gets to say whatever he wants and even hit the campaign trail. He argues that the questions asked by the media to Kerry, etc. are bogus and then he has the opportunity to interview the President. So what questions did he ask? "Mr. President, do you really think Kerry knows he is lying when he talks?" Nice Sean, but I guess because he is a "pundit" and not a "journalist" he gets away with it.
Okay, enough whining. The system works and Bush is president. I'm not leaving the country. I love America too much. So where do the Democrats go from here? Well first, they need to fight back against charges by the right that they are "weak" and "un-American" or "unpatriotic." The last two really get me. If you really know me, you know I love the Fourth of July more than Christmas. I felt so much pride going to vote last night. Yet, because I'm a Democrat and think Bush didn't choose wisely in the War with Iraq I'm not a "great American" as Sean Hannity would say? That is totally bogus and everyone here knows it. Yet the Democrats seem to cower when these words are spoken. Stand up for yourself. Democrats don't have "values," also a myth. What really defines values too? Tom Delay, a high ranking Republican has been censured twice in the last two months for questionable tactics with donors, etc. But he's a family guy! Also, and this goes with both sides, but their values contradict each other. Republicans are anti-abortion (which I agree, except in extreme cases) but pro-death penalty. Does that makes sense. You want life, yet you take it. Democrats are no better. Most say "women's right to choose" but anti-death penalty. So you want to take one life but save another?
The Democrats just need to get their heads screwed on straight and fight back against these charges. It may also be better to have a small town, country Democrat take charge of the party to reach out to the "commoners." Anyways, this is long. Just my thoughts, congrats to G.W. Bush and good luck to John Kerry in future endeavors.
posted by CKG at
12:26 AM
1 Comments:
Interesting take on the election, my friend.
In my opinion, what Democrats (and the world for that matter) needs more of is Christianity and with that comes Judeo-Christian morals. An interesting read comes from the Detroit Free Press: http://www.freep.com/news/politics/riley4e_20041104.htm
I remembering hearing on election night that those with "morality" as their #1 issue of focus in the election overwhelmingly voted Bush. From my perspective (I have no factual data to back it up) people tend to tie morals with religion. If Kerry claims he to not let his faith interfere with his governing, then in a sense he is throwing religion, aka morals, out the window. Just as some may see G.W. framing himself "superior" by touting religion, I make the claim that Kerry, whether he wants to or not, is framing himself as "less moral," if you will, by refusing to incorporate his religious beliefs into his policy.
I hope this sparks some discussion.
Also - we need some more people on this blog to spice up the conversation, eh CKG?
By
Matt Townsley, At
10:40 PM
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home