And so it was, including several people I once called friends and have refused to deal with since. I don't think a single one of them has admitted they should have actually thought about who they were voting for either.
I doubt that they would have won by a landslide no matter who the Dems got to stand. The whole process of voting in the States is so skewed to the rural areas of the south where population density ain't as great. And that is without considering the interesting voting anomalies that occured in other places. In fact, I'll go so far as to predict that something or other will get in the way of the Dems this time around, no matter what they do about it, and no matter who stands. Which is not necessarily to imply that the next elections will resemble that of let's say for example's sake Zimbabwe. There will be a crisis of some kind, and an emergency....perhaps a terrorist attack. And all the newspapers and networks will fall into line, PDQ. And before you know it, you'll have a brand new Republican president. I'd be pretty scared if I were you, even if you are a right-wing sort of chap.
I severely doubt anyone was going to win in a landslide in 2004, though perhaps the Democrats would've done better without someone whose campaign tagline was "I want to do all of the same things as the president, but I can do them BETTER!"
Well, if someone had only been better at it than George we might not be in this up to the neck, but just the kneecaps: and from where I'm standing at present that would have been a win of a kind. But the debate got seriously skewed: Kerry should have played a different card, but to a certain extent the media, the situation, and the popular feeling in America was....it's a democracy, you get what you vote for, or abstain from. The trick now is to move on and try to make things better than they are now....All politicians should have the ambition to leave things better than when they started. Few have managed quite as spectacularly as GWB. And History shall remember him, poor lad.
I'm pretty sure we're only up to the midsection, maybe the chest, but at that point it all gets pretty arbitrary anyway.
Most people want to leave the world a better place than it was before--I have no problem with the idea that much of the administration thinks it's already doing that, making the hard decisions to make America and the rest of the free world better and more secure and all that. Of course, I respectfully disagree that that's what they're actually doing.
I voted for Kerry, but I had to close my eyes and hold my nose while I did it. He was an amazingly stultifying candidate, even as politicians go--I'll grant that part of that was the commonly-accepted narrative of the campaign going around the culture at the time, but certainly the man didn't help himself.
'Managed spectactularly' is somewhat different to succeeding. But he has been spectacular.
O tempora O mores....After all, it wouldn't have been a proper shoot-em-up war without the requisite explosions, various alarums, and exits pursued by bear (or insurgents). He had to appeal to the 'gaming' generation, and many folk these days seem to make little differentiation between gaming and real life.
As I said before, History will remember him, Poor lad. And I'm going to try to make sure they don't forget his supporters, either....because in a democracy it is their fault.
Now a different rant.... I'm surprised that universal education still exists....after all, you don't really want your cannon fodder to be able to reason for themselves.
So as an aside I'll suggest that the next Republican president should be abolishing universal education: if people want their children to learn, they should have to pay for it. Socialised education....pah, as bad as socialised medicine....surely, and no doubt as close to the Republicans' heart.
And I can confirm that state education is considerably worse than my own private education was, so I don't think we should waste our taxes on giving a second rate education to folk just because they're too poor to afford a proper education. We should give them nothing at all, at least out of our taxes...I'm sure if they believe in it enough, they'll afford it. And if not, we've got our cannon fodder.
Now there's an idea that should be enough to depopulate some of the more ridiculously bigoted enclaves. And one in keeping with small Government and low taxes.
Gotta be a vote winner, surely....or perhaps Hillary has a point about socialised medicine.
They're not going to get rid of socialized road construction either, or the minimum wage. Come on now--surely the way Republicans govern should've long since gotten rid of any illusion that Republicanism has anything to do with capitalism, regardless of how the talking heads prattle on sometimes (but only sometimes).
Agreed. Kerry was just another rich white bitch. McCain vs. Murtha... now that would be an interesting race. Or for that matter, McCain and Murtha on the same ticket. I'd vote for 'em.
Believe it or not, the words used in this cartoon were used in public. I heard them come out of the mouths of many people... once specifically from a chef I worked with who watched the debates with me. Straw man, yes... unbelievable straw man, no...
no subject
Date: 2007-10-18 03:21 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-10-18 05:21 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-10-18 11:40 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-10-18 12:57 pm (UTC)And that is without considering the interesting voting anomalies that occured in other places.
In fact, I'll go so far as to predict that something or other will get in the way of the Dems this time around, no matter what they do about it, and no matter who stands.
Which is not necessarily to imply that the next elections will resemble that of let's say for example's sake Zimbabwe.
There will be a crisis of some kind, and an emergency....perhaps a terrorist attack.
And all the newspapers and networks will fall into line, PDQ.
And before you know it, you'll have a brand new Republican president.
I'd be pretty scared if I were you, even if you are a right-wing sort of chap.
no subject
Date: 2007-10-18 01:19 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-10-18 07:45 pm (UTC)But the debate got seriously skewed: Kerry should have played a different card, but to a certain extent the media, the situation, and the popular feeling in America was....it's a democracy, you get what you vote for, or abstain from.
The trick now is to move on and try to make things better than they are now....All politicians should have the ambition to leave things better than when they started. Few have managed quite as spectacularly as GWB.
And History shall remember him, poor lad.
no subject
Date: 2007-10-18 09:00 pm (UTC)Most people want to leave the world a better place than it was before--I have no problem with the idea that much of the administration thinks it's already doing that, making the hard decisions to make America and the rest of the free world better and more secure and all that. Of course, I respectfully disagree that that's what they're actually doing.
I voted for Kerry, but I had to close my eyes and hold my nose while I did it. He was an amazingly stultifying candidate, even as politicians go--I'll grant that part of that was the commonly-accepted narrative of the campaign going around the culture at the time, but certainly the man didn't help himself.
no subject
Date: 2007-10-18 10:07 pm (UTC)O tempora O mores....After all, it wouldn't have been a proper shoot-em-up war without the requisite explosions, various alarums, and exits pursued by bear (or insurgents). He had to appeal to the 'gaming' generation, and many folk these days seem to make little differentiation between gaming and real life.
As I said before, History will remember him, Poor lad.
And I'm going to try to make sure they don't forget his supporters, either....because in a democracy it is their fault.
Now a different rant....
I'm surprised that universal education still exists....after all, you don't really want your cannon fodder to be able to reason for themselves.
So as an aside I'll suggest that the next Republican president should be abolishing universal education: if people want their children to learn, they should have to pay for it. Socialised education....pah, as bad as socialised medicine....surely, and no doubt as close to the Republicans' heart.
And I can confirm that state education is considerably worse than my own private education was, so I don't think we should waste our taxes on giving a second rate education to folk just because they're too poor to afford a proper education. We should give them nothing at all, at least out of our taxes...I'm sure if they believe in it enough, they'll afford it. And if not, we've got our cannon fodder.
Now there's an idea that should be enough to depopulate some of the more ridiculously bigoted enclaves. And one in keeping with small Government and low taxes.
Gotta be a vote winner, surely....or perhaps Hillary has a point about socialised medicine.
no subject
Date: 2007-10-19 12:02 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-11-23 05:49 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-10-18 03:47 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-10-18 05:42 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-10-18 07:08 pm (UTC)But if you think about it, Scarecrow "If I only had a brain. . . "
no subject
Date: 2007-10-18 07:47 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-10-19 03:03 am (UTC)