Well, I went and voted on Tuesday. I wasn’t sure if I was going to vote, but I was scared not to.
Puffy said I was gonna die if I didn’t vote. And when a soothsayer like the Diddy speaks, I take heed. I don’t wanna die! More frightening, though, would have been a campaign like “Vote or I’ll put out another solo records, but it won’t have any featured artists!” I’d have walked over broken glass to prevent that from happening.
(Also, maybe Puff should have had some of the good things that would happen if people did vote. You know…”vote and get a free glass of cognac.” Or “vote and get a record contract.” If Da Band could get a deal, we all could.)
Then, Bush won, and death didn’t seem so bad.
That’s right, he won…again. Not much I can say that hasn’t been said ad infinitium, but the most conversation I had about this was with Canada Ron at the office. As you can imagine, Ron’s from Canada. He hit me with something interesting…
“My wife and I are really at a bad place with this country right now.”
I’m always at a bad place with this country, but for many, Bush has managed to shake the way they feel about America. But it’s not just Bush that’s done that…it’s the amazing level of support he’s managed to engender. For all the idealism America’s founded upon–the land of milk, honey, and tolerance–there appear to be several handfulls of people that are willing to use that as advertising, then run a bait and switch. The sins of this administration have been widespread and egregious, yet most seem not to care about that.
Now that’s scary. He’s managed to shake the most effective and enduring level of idealism left on planet Earth. It isn’t the first time these American ideals have proven to be totally false, but it’s one of the few times that people are unable ignore the hypocrisy. It just so happens that a lot of folks are just fine with said hypocrisy.
But beyond anything ideological, there are questions about competence that must be answered with dealing with the Dubya. This was where Kerry dropped the ball. All he needed to do was offer some meager points on how he would handle things better than Bush did in the last four years, and he could offer very little. Bush has been bungling, and that bungling has been well-documented, but Kerry could not capitalize.
The overall moral of this story–the GOP runs better campaigns than the Democrats do. No, that isn’t a novel observation, but it’s the truth. This was more than Bush beating Kerry. The last go ’round was more than Bush (sorta) beating Gore. That was the Elephants stomping the Donkeys. The job of a party is to win elections, and the Democrats just can’t get it done in the big time. So, the Donkeys need regroup for what will be the most open Presidential race in recent memory in four years.
Think about this…Cheney says he’s not going to run (and he won’t), meaning this will likely be the first election I can think of that will have no link to the incumbent, whether that be a Vice President or a second-term Presidential hopeful. There’s no way to describe how bizarre that race will be, especially if Bush keeps blowing things like he has already. Will the GOP candidates then distance themselves from Bush? Will they embrace him?
And how ironic would it be if they chose to embrace him? Gore lost in 2000 because he chose to distance himself from eight years of peace and prosperity. Would some silly Elephant lose from embracing eight years of expensive gas and international discord? Or would that Elephant cash in by showing an attachment to eight years of renegade unilateralism?
At least four more years of Bush will give us plenty to talk about. However, a good presidency is a lot like good officiating in a football game–the way you know it’s good is when you don’t notice it at all.
Four more years…if Puffy’s threats were correct, this is almost enough to make me wish I hadn’t voted.
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Look out for the column tomorrow…I’ll probably put a link up, but maybe not. Either way, it’ll be an open letter to Nelly. I doubt you’ll see this one coming.
13 thoughts on “I'm still alive…thanks to Sean John.”
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Man, if Cheney became president, man. That would make me go crazy. I hate Cheney more than I hate Bush. Hilary Clinton in 2008! (yeah right…)
I totally agree, the Dems need to take the next four years to regroup, sing a few bars of “We Shall Overcome” and come out kicking in 2008. I was sick to my stomach upon hearing that we have to live through 4 more years of lies and having fear shoved down our throats. But I guess if we survived 8 years of Regan and 4 years of the elder Bush we can survive Jr.
The Democrats need to abandon the high road and start playing dirty. They need to get smart instead of just banking on the fact that they are smartER. Because in the end sure Bush is dumb, but the people standing behind him were smarter than anyone anticipated. And playing dirty and getting smart certainly don’t include Hillary Clinton for President. A man who said that single moms shouldn’t be allowed to teach in schools won a seat on the Senate – Hillary better stay her ass at home in 4 years. And the Democrats better keep her there.
I think what amazes me most is the degree to which we have accepted corruption within the very act of voting itself in America. It’s inherent in the process, and we accept it. Whether it be the existence of the ‘legally corrupt’ electoral college, or what journalist Greg Palast describes as the institutionalization of dismissing millions of ‘provisional ballots,’ or the 2 million Democratic votes uncounted because of outdated machinery in poor Black & Brown areas across the country, the “convict” purge lists, the entrenched heirarchy of privilege that insures that only the wealthy can run a “noticeable” campaign, the corporatization of newsmedia (which should be a public trust), the fact that the vote for a president is not for them or their agenda per se, but for the corporate interests they represent–whether we are privvy to who they represent or not, the fact that the U.S. supports the corruption of global democracy in our names (Haiti, Aphganistan, Iraq, etc.), or lastly, the fact that we can’t have a national discourse on these types of corrupt acts (and what types of responses we should mount) without suppressive CIA/FBI response.
Why do I have a strange feeling that Barack Obama’s name is about to be thrown out as the first SERIOUS black candidate to make a run in a ticket..
If Baton Rouge/East Baton Rouge Parish can elect a brother as mayor-president…then darnit..Barack could be pres or Veep…but he’ll hafta get a body double to take the bullet, a la “Head of State”
You weren’t the only one who took that death threat seriously. I don’t know…there was just something ominous about those shirts. I can’t tell if it was the carefully selected font or the plush velour scraps used to make the letters. Whatever. Puffy scared me enough to run to the polls (or at least enough to run to the mailbox and mail my absentee ballot) and here I stand, alive and well. I wish I were dead. Or Canadian.
The biggest problem with the past four years was that we had an idiot in office. Well, I have to tell you that my biggest fear for the next four years is not that idiot in office for the repeat. I’m more afraid of the idiots that re-elected. A million idiots outweigh one idiot with power for one simple reason: when the blind leads the stupid, the stupid have a tendancy to credit the blind with some kind of divine vision. The irony is so pure that I couldn’t be making this up.
May God bless America. Not with prosperity, peace or a bull market. May God slip a little common sense under every pillow until time carries us to 2008, when yours truly will be (with any luck) a major influence in the (Hillary) Clinton 2008 campaign.
This is the source of why I was sick to my stomach on Nov. 3rd.
The republicans, and more than that, the imperialist, neo-fascist, savage capitalist racists have managed to take over the country. They have the presidency, the senate and the house. And with than 4 supreme court justices over 70 and all of them are over 65, they are about to get the supreme court. If politics were a chess game our freedom has just been put in check, and they took our queen, both, bishops and a knight.
See, to end the term limit for a president is only a vote away….it only was voted in during the 40’s by Republicans who recognized they were never gonna beat Franklin D. Roosevelt. And if they could get the senate to give its constitutional power to vote to go to war to the president, start a premptive war, pass the patriot act 1 (and probably 2 as well) and win an election by a majority vote, don’t think that they can’t change the term limit.
These people have taken the helm of the most powerful nation, and more importantly, the most powerful military force in recent history at a time when two of the worlds most precious resources are being depleted, oil and water. World Peak oil production, by the best estimates, will occur in 2006, in 2010 we will begin to have shortages. Currently only half of the world’s population has access to clean drinking water, and experts say in the next 15-20 years water will be the most coveted resource on the planet. And this is the era were are entering with Bush, Cheney, Ashcroft, Tom Delay and Condaleeza rice at the helm. This shit ain’t politics as usual…..
You don’t know me, but I remember you when your mom was dean at PV..I’m quite impressed with your site…
As for Canada Ron, at least he has options..he can go back home…The furthest I could go is back to Houston…*sigh*
Bomani,
it is evident that you, Canadian Ron who happens to be from Germany, and all those who have commented have not correctly identified the root of your loss. The loss is not because “the GOP runs better campaigns than the Democrats “, the loss is because your message did not resonate enough with people to motivate them to vote for Kerry. Until you articulate a message that appeals to moderates, such as Clinton did, you will continue to lose.
Bomani,
I’ve reacted to this election result like I would to a death in the family. And not one of those you see coming for years, but one of those painful sudden ones.
Before Tuesday night’s rude awakening, I was hoping there would be something to be learned from this election, a lesson roughly the opposite of what it turned out to be. I was hoping that a Bush loss, albeit an incredibly narrow one, would drive home the lesson that you can’t govern from way over there and expect to be re-elected. That is, don’t expect to get re-elected if you go for the whole deck of conservative ambitions: a federal bench stacked with conservatives AND an elective war AND two rounds of taxcuts AND a rollback in overtime pay eligibility AND reduced air emissions standards. But it turns out you can. Another devastating aspect is that John Kerry is probably the most honorable presidential nominee America ever had. His biggest flaw is that he hates being wrong more than he hates losing. Maybe you can’t make it to the White House like that. I keep hoping somebody can.
Now, if you believe that Kerry is a radical liberal, then you have (a) listened to the Bush campaign for too long, and (b) not spoken to any liberals recently. To the left wing of the Democratic party, and there are millions of them, John Kerry is far too conservative. He had not opposed (threatening Saddam with) this war, nor had he proposed rescinding all of the President’s tax cuts. Presumably the next few dozen issues of ‘the Nation’ will be preoccupied with identifying the candidate that would go for it all. Not content with expanded health insurance coverage or building international coalitions, this candidate would advocate tripling the minimum wage, confiscating guns, and getting the “God” off our money and out of the schools. Of course, the George W. Bush of the left is not electable. He wouldn’t even carry California. Some will find this asymmetry enraging; I believe it is real.
Of course, even more will suggest looking for a more conservative Democrat. Apparently we we need speeches sprinkled with gratuitous references to God (That’s how we’ll get Arkansas back!), loaded with over-simplifications (… and Iowa!), and characterized by a general denial of all genuine problems, be they fiscal, environmental, or security-related (Nevadans have always been an optmistic people!). Do we have to take such a dim view of the American “heartland”? Maybe, but that’s depressing. Hence my mood for mourning.
Just as an aside, there is one Supreme Court Justice under 60. His name is Clarence Thomas. His friends will soon call him Chief (a speculation relayed to me by a.a. george, and I think he’s right). Marinade on that one.
Surprise, Surprise…Anybody who half way paid attention to this election process, realized back duriing the primary season that J.Kerry wasn’t going to win this election. I HATE IT, but John kerry was simply a week dog going into the fight will little to no chance. He wasn’t even the favorite to win the primary… Richard Gephart was the favorite. Finally forget about H. Clinton or Obama in 2008… possible consider Sen.Bayh Dem of Indiana or R.Feingold Dem of Wisconsin.
As far as how Bush beat Kerry (or Rep. v. Dem. if you like), there’s a point that I don’t think anyone has mentioned yet. Ever since the campaign started, the anti-Bush rallying cry has been “He’s Stupid”. Whether it’s true or not, it is quite possibly as ignorant a thing to say as anything Bush himself has uttered. Why in the hell would anyone think that that was the key to removing an incumbent President from office? This is the sort of thing that makes you wonder who the hell the Democratic Party has running the show. THAT was the best people could come up with?
Also, I think we need a bit of perspective on this. People, naturally, have strong opinions when it comes to politics, and I respect that. However, neither of the candidates is as bad as their opponents wanted people to believe. In a relatively short period of time, this election and this President will be forgotten. The funny thing is that people will still be complaining the exact same way on both sides of the political fence, regardless of who wins what and how they won it.