I'm glad to see someone else out there who feels completely like I do. Thanks for your words.

Sincerely,

Melody

i am so sad!

Same here. I'm scared, too.

Gått te helvete!

I'm trying not to be too fatalistic, but I fear that you're right. I've posted a few comments on my own site and a comment Russ Beattie's blog in response to his post, http://www.russellbeattie.com/notebook. The fact that this president will likely choose several Supreme Court justices is HUGE and makes me the most ill. I'll let my other posts speak for themselves. It's not a good day.

Wil,

I voted for Bush, so of course I believe that the next four years will not be a disaster, though I don't think they will be a new Golden Age either. If 9/11 had happened I would probably not have voted for Bush again.

By conceding, Kerry showed that he has the best interests of the country at heart. I hope Bush will show Kerry supporters that he does, as well.

Graham

I am sorry for your country today Wil. I've been watching the election with growing horror as the results have slowly been coming in. I find it amazing that the majority of America not only is allowing Bush's hate crimes, for there is no other way to describe his actions in my mind, but condoning them by allowing him another term.

I fear for the United States, and the rest of the world.

Congratulations America! It's your country and you can do damn well what you like with it.

Why do you think Bin Laden gave George a free boost just in time for the election?

Do you think the US President will still be the Leader of the Free World in 4 years time?

Will the free world still look for the USA for leadership?

Indeed, will the free world still include the USA?

The next race is going to be interesting. Certainly the candidates will have to be much more radically different than they have been this time. Perhaps Hillary vs. Arnold?

hey, I was wondering if someone could help me out...

About the military draft that Bush is trying to impose on the US... I have a green card (resident alien), but am living currently in another country... If there is a draft, could I be drafted, cause if I could be, then the green card is going immediately in the trash ;)

Oh, and btw, the people of Iceland were very sad to hear that Bush was reelected... I think over 90% of the people here wanted Kerry to win.

I wore all black today because it doesn't feel like an election, more like a funeral. Or worse, an execution. I mourn for the future of this country and the world. My shirts says, "Oops I went to Hell" and that's exactly how I felt when I woke up this morning.

It's over and the nightmare continues. CNN announced that Kerry concedes to Bush. On top of which, eleven states have pass laws to ban same-sex marriage (and in many cases even the hope of civil unions).

Thanks for speaking out and for speaking your mind. We need more of that in this day and age. As a gay man, I'm just sorry that I get relegated to the back of the bus -- again.

i feel the same way - very shocked & stunned. as cheesy as it is, i am most sorry my kids, who will be stuck with the mess the next four years brings.

You have summed up my feelings completely.

I just don't even know where to go from here.

I wasn't vocal enough in this election. I need to change that. I need to change -things- before my basic liberties are taken away.

(Hmm...first post, gotta make this good...)
Well, honestly Will, I disagree with you. But that is the wonderful thing about our country, we can disagree and not be in fear of persecution. I've always believed that you will get exactly what you expect of someone. If you expect that the next four years are going to be a nightmare, then your experience of the next four years will be exactly that. I am not crazy about Bush myself, but I want to believe positively in hopes that things will improve. Just my thoughts. Thanks for letting me share.

What if...
I'm thinking, probably naively:

What if most of the Bush voters are actually not that different from most of the Kerry voters? What if they don't "hold a fundamentally different set of values", or are not morons (as I saw suggested on dailykos), or are not evil and deluded (as yet others seem to be saying)?

What would have to be true for them (ie. somone very much like you) to vote Bush? What would you need to do to change their mind?

It's not as bad as all that. I think a VERY VOCAL FEW have managed to demonise Bush to the point that I don't think his mother would vote for him, having listened to the rhetoric.

But it looks like the EBs and (unlike last time) the majority, didn't feel the same way. like it or lump it, that's the system we've chosen to live by.

I figgured changing direction on 'the war' mid stream would be a bad thing.

What I DO NOT like about this system is: You've gotta take all of the bad with the good. I don't care for Bush's views on religion, 'morals', abortion, etc, but I feel he HAS shown the ability to make some necessary, if unpopular, decisions that had to be made.

Try not to get too worried about what Bush _may_ do, he's got a bunch of Senators, Congressmen, a Judicial system, and a pretty well written couple of documents to keep him in check.

I'm departing the reality-based community for the fantasy-based community. I take up studies as a half-elven sorceror starting now.

They will reap the whirlwind.

Wil, I don't think you can call it a national nightmare if the majority of the population votes in support of Bush and his policies. I try to stay out of the comments of your political posts since I don't share the same political views, so I'm not trying to start trouble. Don't take this the wrong way, but it seems that the area you live in feels opposite the way a majority of the country feels.

I was told by Bush supporters today that Kerry scares them because he is a strong supporter of the draft. Bush scares me but I can't like Kerry for supporting the draft either.

I was told by Bush supporters today that Kerry scares them because he is a strong supporter of the draft. Bush scares me but I can't like Kerry for supporting the draft either.

Try not to get too worried about what Bush _may_ do, he's got a bunch of Senators, Congressmen, a Judicial system, and a pretty well written couple of documents to keep him in check.

Actually, this is what scares me the most: the GOP has control of all the branches of government. There is nobody to check or balance the Bush Administration.

We're all gonna wind up taking it in the teeth for this one, mark my words.

Four more years of Nehemiah Scudder - whee!

'Moral values' my ass; tell my friends who jobs went to Bangalore about 'moral values', or the uninsured sick and injured that I see all the time on EMS calls.

Oh well, I wasn't using my civil liberties anyway...

Sigh...

ob Onion article: http://www.godlessgeeks.com/BushNightmare.htm

A Fucking Men.

I can't shake this sence of dread.

I looked at the Oliver Willis piece and you picked out the wrong part to focus on. It was what he said about Howard Dean that was the most important.

"You may not agree with him, but where he stood was clear."

This is was killed John Kerry. He didn't stand for anything and was never clear.

If the Democrats had run Howard Dean or someone else who had a clear idea of who he was, then Bush wouldn't have won.

Ben Franklin said "The people pretty much get the government they deserve", or something like that.

And you're right Wil, it is the beginning. But I see it less as a nightmare (though I understand the sentiment) and more of an opportunity.

The political process in this country is broken. It cannon't be fixed. The Democrat party is trying so hard not to piss-off the oxymoronic Moral Majority that they no longer stand for anything.

Republicans have been hijacked by the ultraconservative fundamentalists, a hugely powerful voting block, and remain convinced that babies will be ripped from the womb and their great-grandparents marrige will be annulled if Karl Rove is out of a job.

Things have to change. Perhaps in a few months, when the shit really starts to hit the proverbial fan, folks will remember this and start working on a new tomorrow which has NOTHING to do with the politics of old.

I didn't vote for Bush or Kerry, but I think the reason Kerry lost is because too many people voted for him for the wrong reason(s)...ie, simply to get Bush out, and not because they supported him. The Universe is crazy like that.

Can't say I'm at all pleased with so many states passing measures to ban gay marriages. Last time I checked, America was supposed to be a free country where people could do what they wanted, provided they weren't hurting anyone else.

Gay marriages certainly don't hurt anyone except the ignorant. Seems we have a lot of ignorant people in America, more so than I would like.

Land of the Free, indeed.

Wil, I thank you for having the eloquence and courage to post what a lot of us (former?) monkeyboxers are feeling today. I moved to Canada recently for a job, but I can't be any more grateful to be in a place where I find that a lot of my values are reflected in the way people treat each other here. I am so saddened by this election because the country I once loved is changing for the worse (I believe). It's like watching your best friend self-destruct, and you can't do anything to stop it. I guess the best we can do is to try to look for that elusive silver lining. I'll let you know if I can find it.

I know, Wil. It's devastating and absolutely inconceivable to me that SO many people have actually voted for this man. After everything that's happened in the last year, I just don't understand how this could have happened again....

the only positive that will come from this: bush will have to clean up his mess himself, and not rely on others... kerry cannot be blamed in 2008, when military and allied civilian deaths pass into the tens of thousands... kerry cannot be blamed for an economy that targets the wealthy and leaves behind a larger lower class... kerry cannot be blamed for more countries around the world believing the US has abrogated its position as a world leader in science and diplomacy...

what scares me even more, to be honest, is that as many as four supreme court justices may be replaced by bush... as a gay person who knows how to think, i'm seriously tempted to move to another continent, and live free (if illegally)...

the people want to feel good, instead of doing good. the people appear to want someone who would be nice at the dinner table, tell a good joke, and party until morning... the people appear to want someone who doesn't threaten their beliefs or their intelligence.

the US has just elected someone it deserves... it makes me sad...

Madison is winning today.

Jefferson just rolled another 180 degrees.

I feel your pain.

Well, Wil, if things just get too ugly for you down in the US, we could keep a spot open for you in Canada... :-)

But yeah, I can't believe that Bush won. Your country is frightening me. :-(

I've spent the entire morning alternately crying and numb.

I've never been so emotionally and physically invested in an election in my life. I feel betrayed by all those people who said they supported Kerry but didn't bother voting.

And I am terrified for our country in the next four years.

I feel like a ship that has just entered the doldrums - how a mobilized political campaign that gave me hope at a better future for our children lost all its wind so quickly I'll never know.

As I wander the halls today I hear conservative friends talk about how they feel safer with GWB in the White House, and I just want to scream at the top of my lungs "don't you understand that he's the one who made you feel unsafe in the first place!" Then I realize how useless it all feels today - and I take a look around..

So here we sit in the doldrums - waiting for the next breeze

Let me see if I understand this correctly. Is our national concept supposed to be:
"Fuck the old, fuck education, fuck our soldiers, fuck future generations, fuck civil liberties, fuck health care... just don't let them faggots get married!"

I mean, REALLY? We don't hold a President accountable for what he's done, we don't care that we'll be mired in Iraq for another 3-5 years (if that's all), we don't want a quality education system, and we don't care about reducing our debt. The ONLY issue that matters to us is homosexual marriages? Honestly... by banning gay marriage, and if (when) abortion gets outlawed, will that make our Country a good place to live? Please.

Besides... how can anyone be so arrogant as to believe that a) They know what G-d wants, and b) G-d wants what they want?

I am dismayed and disheartened by the people who are commenting who do not understand the graveness of what happened yesterday.

Bush is in office and the GOP has complete control of the government.

If you can't fathom what that means, people, then you deserve the fucking idiot you re-elected.

In response to your comment, "Apparently, my country holds a fundamentally different set of values than I thought we did, and that scares the shit out of me."

That is exactly how I feel. I don't feel angry at Bush so much as I am angry at the hating fundamentalist simpletons who evidently make up the bulk of this country. Like I don't belong here.

Ben Franklin said "The people pretty much get the government they deserve", or something like that.

And you're right Wil, it is the beginning. But I see it less as a nightmare (though I understand the sentiment) and more of an opportunity.

The political process in this country is broken. It cannon't be fixed. The Democrat party is trying so hard not to piss-off the oxymoronic Moral Majority that they no longer stand for anything.

Republicans have been hijacked by the ultraconservative fundamentalists, a hugely powerful voting block, and remain convinced that babies will be ripped from the womb and their great-grandparents marrige will be annulled if Karl Rove is out of a job.

Things have to change. Perhaps in a few months, when the shit really starts to hit the proverbial fan, folks will remember this and start working on a new tomorrow which has NOTHING to do with the politics of old.

I've spent the entire morning alternately crying and numb.

I've never been so emotionally and physically invested in an election in my life. I feel betrayed by all those people who said they supported Kerry but didn't bother voting.

And I am terrified for our country in the next four years.

the only positive that will come from this: bush will have to clean up his mess himself, and not rely on others... kerry cannot be blamed in 2008, when military and allied civilian deaths pass into the tens of thousands... kerry cannot be blamed for an economy that targets the wealthy and leaves behind a larger lower class... kerry cannot be blamed for more countries around the world believing the US has abrogated its position as a world leader in science and diplomacy...

what scares me even more, to be honest, is that as many as four supreme court justices may be replaced by bush... as a gay person who knows how to think, i'm seriously tempted to move to another continent, and live free (if illegally)...

the US has just elected someone it deserves... it makes me sad...

Right on, Wil - I hear those comments and echo them back a hundred-fold. What scares me the most is the appointments on the supreme court that are coming up. With Renquist out and at least one other appointment coming in this term, Bush could completely change the composition of the court. This is the high supreme court, mind you, the one that sets precedents such as Roe v Wade. I don't want to be around when all three branches (White House, House and Senate, AND Supreme Court) are controlled by Bush's particular brand of "compassionate conservatism." I too, am very scared.

But on the other hand, it is only four years. I for one am looking forward to 2008.

I'm going to get back to packing now.

I've spent the entire morning alternately crying and numb.

I've never been so emotionally and physically invested in an election in my life. I feel betrayed by all those people who said they supported Kerry but didn't bother voting.

And I am terrified for our country in the next four years.

Wil,

I am busy putting my own thoughts together on this as well (feel free to read them as linked below). I agree with you - I feel like I've awakened in a foreign land where most people have a wildly different belief system. I truly am afraid, but it is nice to know there are some out there who think the way I do. But make no mistake - this was a resounding victory for Christian Evangelicals. And, I truly believe there will be a war in Iran before 2006. My country, tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I weep . . .

Jeff

Wil, I don't think you can call it a national nightmare if the majority of the population votes in support of Bush and his policies.

Just because the majority of a populace believe something doesn't make it right. I completely agree with Will. I feel as though we're in for a horrific nightmare. The majority of the populace has endorsed Bush's 'moral' campaign of lies and bloodshed, and it's enough to make me vomit. Everywhere in America the GOP has been given free reign. The gaps in the Senate and House only grew larger, like Bush's margin of victory. It's a sad, sad day.

There is NO draft, there isn't going to be a draft.
Stop believing everything you hear from left-wing
media and get informed. You have been lied to
in order to further the Kerry agenda and tarnish
Bush's. REPEAT: THERE WILL BE NO DRAFT. If you
believe otherwise, you are delusional.

Nice going there. And for the rest of world let me just say "SAVE US JEBUS"

I never thought SO MANY people could possibly stand beside Bush and declare that he is the right man with the right policies to represent our country. At least I'm in a state that wanted Kerry and gave him the electorals we had, so I know that my vote helped in that respect. Now is not the time to fall weeping to our knees, though. Oh, I cried alright, and I'm devastated and scared, too. But, we can't let this defeatist attitude wash over us and sleep for another 4 years until our next perceived chance. If anything good comes from Bush's victory, I think it'll be increased activism that follows in its wake. Don't give up and threaten to move to Canada, folks! Find ways to continue the good fight.

I have to agree with Hannah who posted earlier. It's the self fulfilling prophecy. Expect four years of woe and misery and you'll end up with woe and misery. There are still battles to win folks. Make sure your Senators and Congressperson know how you feel on those inevitable Bush nominess to the Supreme court. Make sure they know how you feel on all those environmental issues. Trade policies. Crime Bills. Economic incentives (tax cuts/increases). Speak up. Don't Whisper. Make sure your heard and those around you are heard. Keep that voter turn out momentum going. Your candidate may not have won but that doesn't mean we have to lose. And if all else fails we can declare Jihad. That'll get their attention.

Let me see if I understand this correctly. Is our national concept supposed to be:
"Fuck the old, fuck education, fuck our soldiers, fuck future generations, fuck civil liberties, fuck health care... just don't let them faggots get married!"

I mean, REALLY? We don't hold a President accountable for what he's done, we don't care that we'll be mired in Iraq for another 3-5 years (if that's all), we don't want a quality education system, and we don't care about reducing our debt. The ONLY issue that matters to us is homosexual marriages? Honestly... by banning gay marriage, and if (when) abortion gets outlawed, will that make our Country a good place to live? Please.

Besides... how can anyone be so arrogant as to believe that a) They know what G-d wants, and b) G-d wants what they want?

I never thought SO MANY people could possibly stand beside Bush and declare that he is the right man with the right policies to represent our country. At least I'm in a state that wanted Kerry and gave him the electorals we had, so I know that my vote helped in that respect. Now is not the time to fall weeping to our knees, though. Oh, I cried alright, and I'm devastated and scared, too. But, we can't let this defeatist attitude wash over us and sleep for another 4 years until our next perceived chance. If anything good comes from Bush's victory, I think it'll be increased activism that follows in its wake. Don't give up and threaten to move to Canada, folks! Find ways to continue the good fight.

I have a 40-something liberal friend who is opposed to Bush on almost every issue. But she voted for him. Why? Because his brother, Jeb, is the governor here in Florida, and she thinks that having a governor who's tight with the prez means extra special treatment for Florida. Yeah, right.

My grandmother has a friend who said that she "had" to vote for Bush. Grandma asked why, and the friend said, "Well, because the Catholic Church told me to!" Grandma tried to explain that a vote is an individual expression of choice and opinion and shouldn't be dictated by religion, but the friend wasn't swayed.

People are sheep. Thanks to the mass society that TV helped to introduce 50 years ago, we are all trained to get our news from 9-second sound bites and late-night talk shows. Gone are the days when most people read 2 newspapers a day (morning and evening) to get full coverage of the issues. People are vehement in their support of opinions that they formed based on little or no information, and most will fight for their right to vote those opinions.

Democracy is good, but the throngs of people who don't know enough and don't care to know it scare me.

People turned out in droves, and they drive the nation. So here we are.

Canada, anyone?

I am dismayed and disheartened by the people who are commenting who do not understand the graveness of what happened yesterday.

Bush is in office and the GOP has complete control of the government.

If you can't fathom what that means, people, then you deserve the fucking idiot you re-elected.

Wil, I'm with you on this one. While driving across country during the summer, I mentioned to several people that I live in New York City...and THREE times (in Wyoming, Nebraska, and Indiana) people asked me how I could live there and wasn't I afraid because of all the terrorist attacks. They believed, because they have been told, that NYC is constantly under attack, that the United States even is constantly under attack. Politics aside, that's just scary.

Take heart...I can only hope(naively, I'm sure, but...) that those who do not agree with this administration will try to not allow it to destroy our country.

We're all in deep shit now !!!!!

Don't let the despair and fear get to you. DO NOT. Let it change. Let the anger come out to fuel you for the fight to make things RIGHT. Do everything in your power to effect change. Don't just let it run over you. You're strong. You can do this.

Wil, you have a power through this medium like no other person. You have a following that is beyond anything I've seen. Help to get this change started and help fuel it with your passion, your drive, your incredible words.

My email address is listed in the comment (I hope). If you want some help in NorCal, toss me a message. I'll do what I can.

-- J --

Wil, I'm with you on this one. While driving across country during the summer, I mentioned to several people that I live in New York City...and THREE times (in Wyoming, Nebraska, and Indiana) people asked me how I could live there and wasn't I afraid because of all the terrorist attacks. They believed, because they have been told, that NYC is constantly under attack, that the United States even is constantly under attack. Politics aside, that's just scary.

Take heart...I can only hope(naively, I'm sure, but...) that those who do not agree with this administration will try to not allow it to destroy our country.

I am literally sick. I have been crying since Kerry conceded.
Traces of hope for our country...my faith in Americans all gone with 4 years' and one day's dirty work. How could Americans truly want 4 more years of the worst economy, the worst standing in the eyes of the world?
I am grieving.
I guess there is still a chance we can get him impeached. But there must be solidarity among us...and never have I seen America so divided.
My husband says I am an egoist who cannot see that anyone could have a different point of view than I do. I don't think that is true, I just am sick that so many Americans buy the stuff that the Bush Admin has been selling wholesale to cover their blatant abuses and attrocities. When I put myself in in a Bush supporters' shoes and thoughts, I find that the space that they occupy gives me claustrophobia... a place where fear, not hope or wisdom, governs your thoughts and decisions. That is where the Bush people want us to live, and I find it very hard to stomach.

I am dismayed and disheartened by the people who are commenting who do not understand the graveness of what happened yesterday.

Bush is in office and the GOP has complete control of the government.

If you can't fathom what that means, people, then you deserve the fucking idiot you re-elected.

Our government was set up as a system of checks and balances to keep one group from gaining too much power, now all Bush has is a check and check system. We can wave goodbye to Roe V. Wade, wave good bye to equality for the other than hetero., and if we're not careful girls, wave goodbye to the 19th Amendment. I am stunned by the loss and as I dressed my girls this morning, I was already grieving over the choices they won't get to make in their lifetimes. Then I looked at the globe sitting on the shelf, it's a big world out there...and Bush is not in power everywhere....hmmmmmm...Dragon

I never thought SO MANY people could possibly stand beside Bush and declare that he is the right man with the right policies to represent our country. At least I'm in a state that wanted Kerry and gave him the electorals we had, so I know that my vote helped in that respect. Now is not the time to fall weeping to our knees, though. Oh, I cried alright, and I'm devastated and scared, too. But, we can't let this defeatist attitude wash over us and sleep for another 4 years until our next perceived chance. If anything good comes from Bush's victory, I think it'll be increased activism that follows in its wake. Don't give up and threaten to move to Canada, folks! Find ways to continue the fight. It's a long climb back, but if we don't keep at it, 2008 is already lost.

Another first-time poster here...

I usually try to stay out of politics, but I think there are some important points that people are overlooking...

Let me first state that I am neither pro-Bush nor pro-Kerry. Rather, I just like to think of myself as pro-America.

In all of the "our country is headed for a nightmare" posts, I think people may be forgetting that this country, and its people, really have a political SPECTRUM... people are scattered all along the way from far-left to ultra-right. Just because someone voted for one of the candidates doesn't mean that he or she agrees with EVERY stance, or EVERY statement, or EVERY past or promised action of that candidate. It's just that they feel that one candidate would make a better leader than the other for the next four years. The fact that this election was so close goes to show just how diverse the population of our country is regarding political beliefs.

A colleague sent me a snippet from an op-ed article that something to the effect of: No matter who wins, remember that this country has withstood elections for hundreds of years, and we're still here, and we'll go on being one of the best nations in the world.

The President is just one person in one political office. Yes, he wields enormous influence, but so too do other elected leaders of our country. And, I hope that the winner of this election will exercise the intelligence to consult influential members of both major political parties, for the betterment of our country.

So, without meaning to make this sound like a group hug, I'm just trying to point out, in short, that a vote for a candidate isn't necessarily a 100% endorsement.

Flame away, if you feel that you need to. Thanks for listening.

Our government was set up as a system of checks and balances to keep one group from gaining too much power, now all Bush has is a check and check system. We can wave goodbye to Roe V. Wade, wave good bye to equality for the other than hetero., and if we're not careful girls, wave goodbye to the 19th Amendment. I am stunned by the loss and as I dressed my girls this morning, I was already grieving over the choices they won't get to make in their lifetimes. Then I looked at the globe sitting on the shelf, it's a big world out there...and Bush is not in power everywhere....hmmmmmm...Dragon

Wil I'm so sorry for your country. But I'm also sad for the entire world. The fact is that USA is THE major power of the free world, and the rest of us are forced along for the ride. Being from Canada, but living in Sweden, I know what it's like to be shafted by the Bush government (Log exports, perscription drugs, their hatred of us for not going to war with them). It upsets me because its four more years that the world will have to deal with a government that is, lets face it, almost as corrupt as an "African tribal" government. But we do have to look on the the other side of the coin, Kerry didn't stand a chance with the all Republican senate and house. Would they have voted for him come the end of November, I doubt it. But it is such a shame that Kerry gave in so quickly, with out even finding out the results of Ohio, Iowa and New Mexico, I think he owed it to his loyal supporters and voters to give it another day or too and see where all the final cards will fall. Wil, I'm sure i'm not the first to post this, nor will I be the last, but I wish your country all the best, and hope for the entire world's sake that the next four years are at least better than the last four.
Good luck, and just remember there's always room in Canada ;)

I never thought SO MANY people could possibly stand beside Bush and declare that he is the right man with the right policies to represent our country. At least I'm in a state that wanted Kerry and gave him the electorals we had, so I know that my vote helped in that respect. Now is not the time to fall weeping to our knees, though. Oh, I cried alright, and I'm devastated and scared, too. But, we can't let this defeatist attitude wash over us and sleep for another 4 years until our next perceived chance. If anything good comes from Bush's victory, I think it'll be increased activism that follows in its wake. Don't give up and threaten to move to Canada, folks! Find ways to continue the fight. It's a long climb back, but if we don't keep at it, 2008 is already lost.

I am appalled that the vast majority of us Americans are unable or unwilling to connect the dots and see the Bush Administration for what they are.
It’s amazing that, despite the mountains of empirical evidence to the contrary, Bush supports blindly believe him to be honest and good for the nation.
I was a Republican, but above all I am an American.

Apparently, the values of the majority of Americans is not what they purport to be.
By voting in Bush/Cheney, America said to the rest of the world, “we have no problems with America being a rogue nation that can wage war wherever we want, kill whoever we want with no moral authority”.
(Don’t forget, the reason Germany, France and others didn’t back the invasion of Iraq was that there was no evidence of WMD, and America doing so violated not only UN resolutions, but the very charter of the United Nations.)

Over the past 4 years, America has become more divided and a meaner nation.

“…do not trust to Hope. It has abandoned these lands…”

Well, I wasn't that surprised, unlike you, Wil. Being a college professor, I am always keenly aware that my students believe things (political, scientific, cultural, aesthetic, moral) with which I unequivocally disagree, and sometimes even despise. My job is not, however, to change their minds, but to help them develop the tools to think about these ideas. Most use those tools to reinforce their pre-existing beliefs. So be it. In this, at least, it's still a free country.

But I disagree with you on this statement: "Not just because we have gotten four more years of the Bush agenda, but because this election has been an enthusiastic endorsement of that agenda." Remember that about half of all voters wanted the other guy. And, more specifically, I don't think it's because we worshipped Kerry but that we feel horror, anger, even disgust for the policies of the present administration. When half the country wants your head--and is embarrassed to be identified with you--even the Republican hatchet/spin machine will blush when it tries to present the results as an "enthusiastic endorsement."

Oh, and by the way, just wait until the "reaping what ye sowed" part. Health care, social security, foreign relations, oil, environment. It's going to be ugly being an American in the short run, but look for voter backlash in the long.

Now you know how we Aussies felt with the re-election of our Prime Minister. We live in a period of neo-conservatism not experienced since the 1950s. It's a period where atrocities against humanity can be inflicted and the people simply turn their heads away. Terribly, terribly sad.

"Apparently, my country holds a fundamentally different set of values than I thought we did, and that scares the shit out of me."

Simply put, your values don't align to the majority of the country... it's just a question of the numbers. Not that it makes it any less scary or any more right - just different. And America has always been divided into quadrants - what's important to the Northeast is NOT important to the Midwest, etc... that's why the electoral system was put into place in the first place: balance.

JM2C of course.

You aren't the only one that is surprised at where the country stands. Quoting Moby: "tonight i realized that although america is possessed of a lot of progressive people, america is essentially a right-wing republican country." Where do we go from here? I'm crushed.

I am soooo sorry for the way the election went. Not only for America but for the whole world. I know there are decent people in USA but things are starting to go the wrong way.
We people in Scandinavia are scared as hell of what will be the next 4 years.
You know, in our perspective Bush is as much as a religious madman as Bin Laden and Bush god is not the father of Jesus. His religion is Money and just uses God as a cover up. And as Americans is well aware, you can't really trust a madman.

I hope everything will end up fine but as of the look of it now... Im afraid... really afraid.

"Im afraid of the americans"

"Apparently, my country holds a fundamentally different set of values than I thought we did, and that scares the shit out of me."

Simply put, your values don't align to the majority of the country... it's just a question of the numbers. Not that it makes it any less scary or any more right - just different. And America has always been divided into quadrants - what's important to the Northeast is NOT important to the Midwest, etc... that's why the electoral system was put into place in the first place: balance.

JM2C of course.

As a Brit sat watching this across the pond I'm actually stunned...On the basis of this result America appears to be a completely different place than the one relayed to me by my American friends. Do the people really want that man back in power after everything he's done?

Then again most of the Americans I know have chosen to live permanently over here. Maybe that's indicative of something about their mindset - they certainly don't come for the weather.

It's a crying shame regardless. For all of us.

America voted.. Get over it..

As far as the draft!.. Charlie Rangel (A DEMOCRAT) was the one who introduced the bill. Get the fact right!

Dear Mr. Wheaton,

Canada welcomes you into a firm, yet comforting and not creepily-sexual hug (unless you want it to be). You're welcome to join us here in the north. I have provided a detailed guide by province for Americans here.

We feel your pain. :(

I feel like a ship that has just entered the doldrums - how a mobilized political campaign that gave me hope at a better future for our children lost all its wind so quickly I'll never know.

As I wander the halls today I hear conservative friends talk about how they feel safer with GWB in the White House, and I just want to scream at the top of my lungs "don't you understand that he's the one who made you feel unsafe in the first place!" Then I realize how useless it all feels today - and I take a look around..

So here we sit in the doldrums - waiting for the next breeze

I am appalled that the vast majority of us Americans are unable or unwilling to connect the dots and see the Bush Administration for what they are.
It’s amazing that, despite the mountains of empirical evidence to the contrary, Bush supports blindly believe him to be honest and good for the nation.
I was a Republican, but above all I am an American.

Apparently, the values of the majority of Americans is not what they purport to be.
By voting in Bush/Cheney, America said to the rest of the world, “we have no problems with America being a rogue nation that can wage war wherever we want, kill whoever we want with no moral authority”.
(Don’t forget, the reason Germany, France and others didn’t back the invasion of Iraq was that there was no evidence of WMD, and America doing so violated not only UN resolutions, but the very charter of the United Nations.)

Over the past 4 years, America has become more divided and a meaner nation.

“…do not trust to Hope. It has abandoned these lands…”

Wil,

I'm as stunned as you are. I definitely tried to get my thoughts into words on my blog ( www.xanga.com/averagejoe523 ) but I definitely think you portrayed the raw emotion much better than I did.

Bush four more years
Bush for more tears...

I am soooo sorry for the way the election went. Not only for America but for the whole world. I know there are decent people in USA but things are starting to go the wrong way.
We people in Scandinavia are scared as hell of what will be the next 4 years.
You know, in our perspective Bush is as much as a religious madman as Bin Laden and Bush god is not the father of Jesus. His religion is Money and just uses God as a cover up. And as Americans is well aware, you can't really trust a madman.

I hope everything will end up fine but as of the look of it now... Im afraid... really afraid.

"Im afraid of the americans"

I'm not as scared or discouraged as many of you are, although I am concerned. I don't think this country is going to go to hell on the handbasket express now, because I don't think four more years is enough time for that kind of momentum to build. But I think D was right about the problem being that the Democrats ran the wrong candidate. I didn't get a really confident feeling about Kerry. I still voted for him, because (yes, I admit it) I would still rather have had him, or almost anyone, than W.

What does encourage me is that this race was still quite close. I don't see the results as an "enthusiasic endorsement" of Bush or his agenda. That tells me that there are a LOT of people who DO think that Bush should not have been re-elected. Those of us who feel that way have to keep making our voices heard in the next four years, and beyond. If we let this defeat silence us, then that is scarier than ANYTHING else that could happen.

Wil, you echoed my thoughts and feelings from last night and this morning exactly. I went to bed last night, late, with Ohio in the balance, but pretty clearly heading toward Bush, feeling totally alienated from "my fellow Americans."

I woke up feeling like I should take Professor John-Paul Spiro's suggestion from the same Slate piece you contributed to (http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2004/10/30/unthinkable/index2.html) and go on strike. Not just an intellectual strike, but a commercial and consumer strike. I feel like I should just take four years off. Not work, not spend, not contribute. Maybe travel, definitely read, possibly write, but not give my tacit consent to a culture and society that is clearly at odds with what I know to be reality.

Participating in the American economy and culture begins to feel morally equivalent to buying conflict diamonds or taking a sex tour. Or buying sweatshop goods or oil. Oh, wait, those are already part of the American economy.

well, okay, i don't agree. but, that's cool. i think it's a grand opportunity for our country. we just have to do some good with it. i voted bush. i like the guy. i know where he stands. i don't like his spending habits, but hey, no one can like everything about everyone. ever consider running yourself? at least that way, you'd be able to make the proposals for things you stand for. and it'd ensure that the bills and laws would be well written. certainly better to read than they are now.

From now on, every voter must hold at least a Master's degree or pass an IQ test to vote, or not live in the South. I'm pretty tired of the plains states, the south, and a smattering of other states deciding the future of the world (and I live in Texas!)

Now we know that change won't occur in politics or from others. I urge all of you, and myself, to start changing from within first, and make our lives better for ourselves and other immediately around us. This election proves that we can't count on our leaders or those asked to make it for us. Simplistic, I know. But what else is there?

Wil,

I'm as stunned as you are. I definitely tried to get my thoughts into words on my blog ( www.xanga.com/averagejoe523 ) but I definitely think you portrayed the raw emotion much better than I did.

Bush four more years
Bush for more tears...

Are you down with the G-O-P?! :)

I swear the only thing I don't like about you is the fact that you're a democrat... your views are whacked. It's NOT about oil- there is no conspiracy... Bush did not lie.

You can't change leaders in the middle of a war,ass.

Who would you REALLY rather see as President? George Bush- or some alien looking fuck whose more stuck on himself than anything else?

From now on, every voter must hold at least a Master's degree or pass an IQ test to vote, or not live in the South. I'm pretty tired of the plains states, the south, and a smattering of other states deciding the future of the world (and I live in Texas!)

Now we know that change won't occur in politics or from others. I urge all of you, and myself, to start changing from within first, and make our lives better for ourselves and other immediately around us. This election proves that we can't count on our leaders or those asked to make it for us. Simplistic, I know. But what else is there?

What the Republicans are reaping today is the result of 40 years of machine building.

Democrats have only been seriously doing the same for less than 18 months.

Real change takes time.

I am soooo sorry for the way the election went. Not only for America but for the whole world. I know there are decent people in USA but things are starting to go the wrong way.
We people in Scandinavia are scared as hell of what will be the next 4 years.
You know, in our perspective Bush is as much as a religious madman as Bin Laden and Bush god is not the father of Jesus. His religion is Money and just uses God as a cover up. And as Americans is well aware, you can't really trust a madman.

I hope everything will end up fine but as of the look of it now... Im afraid... really afraid.

"Im afraid of the americans"

I am so upset that this has happened. In 7 months I will be moving to Tampa from Toronto Canada. And I can say that as bad as the corruption and mismanagement in Canadian politics is, nothing compares to Bush and his administration of liars, imcompitant useless assholes! In three months, my first born child will be here and in eighteen years she will STILL be paying off this administrations blunders and lies. Let us all hang our heads in shame, pray that the next four years will be quick and as painless as possible. In God we Pray. In God we Pray. In God we Pray.

the rest of the world would be laughing right now at the stpidity of the americans voting in bush, that is if we weren't all so scared of what he is going to try next.
i live in scotland and i don't want my country following bush into another war that we don't agree with. lets hope we get rid of tony blair at the next elections and remove bush's ally in their war of terrorism on the world

Dear Mr. Wheaton,

Canada welcomes you into a firm, yet comforting and not creepily-sexual hug (unless you want it to be). You're welcome to join us here in the north. I have provided a detailed guide by province for Americans here.

We feel your pain. :(

Wil,

I'm as stunned as you are. I definitely tried to get my thoughts into words on my blog ( www.xanga.com/averagejoe523 ) but I definitely think you portrayed the raw emotion much better than I did.

Bush four more years
Bush for more tears...

averagejoe
www.xanga.com/averagejoe523

I don't think you can call it a national nightmare if the majority of the population votes in support of Bush and his policies.
I rest somewhat easier knowing that (apparently) the will of the people was done and that they had the opportunity to evaluate the facts and opinions to decide wherein the truth lay. I can't understand the conclusions that majority reached, but, unlike last time, we collectively will get what we deserve. It's just sad that the country's priorities seemed to revolve around who-does-what-to-whom-and-how in the privacy of their bedroom rather than Iraq or terrorism (regardless of where you stand on those issues or even think they *are* separate issues). Even *if* you agree with the "moral stance" of the Republicans, surely it isn't the most pressing issue of this election cycle?

A lot of people have been running down the electorate here. The fact is that most of the electorate is moderate, and there were no moderate candidates. I am no fan of Bush's domestic agenda, but to quote something I read on the Internet (so it must be true), I don't want what happened in Beslan to happen in Baltimore.

I feel the need to modify what was said earlier about Bush winning the majority of the vote. Let's clarify that to be he won the SIMPLE majority. At least if he keeps that kind of record, a SIMPLE majority, he won't be able to change the constitution.

A sad day for a once great country.

I feel your pain.

This is not some slam. This is not me trying to make fun of you. As a republican, I truly do know how you are feeling today. I remember how I felt in 96 when Clinton won re-election. I remember the feelings, the shock, and dumb founded awe that the guy was re-elected. And for that, I am feeling for you today. I should be jumping up and down with joy over Bush’s victory. But I am not, for the sympathy that I feel for you today.

But I want to tell you some thing that I have since learned from that experience. America is not the President, or the Congress. America is its people. “We the People” are what make America great. We are the ones that have built this country, and have made it the greatest country in the world. And it will continue to be the great bastion of freedom.

P.S. I am doing a little jig over Daschle losing. Man. That is a shocker!

I have always thought that it was less horrifying that Bush had four more years in office than the fact that the majority of the American people put him back in office. The president doens't scare me, America scares me.

sngrfxz asked what would have to change about Bush for his opponents to vote for him.

Well, he would have to fire Rumsfeld and replace him with someone competant, he would have to stop trying to write bigotry into the U.S. constitution, he would have to figure out that he is indeed picking Supreme Court justices based on a litmus test, he would have to...

No. It's just not possible. I would vote for a plate of fried okra before I voted for George W. Bush.

You ain't said nothin but a word. I totally and completely agree with you here.

Take care.

I didn't go to sleep last night until it was somewhat clear that Bush would win this election. Why did I even try to sleep? I awoke at 3 am this morning. Scared. In fear of the next four years.

As I wrote yesterday, and continue to believe today, the government needs balance and we have none. One party, no, one person, has managed to scare this country shitless. As such, he has somehow won the presidency. He has control of the country, the house and the senate. And, he will eventually elect his conservative right-winged judges to the supreme court.

Four more years of this crap! Elect a madman, you get madness.

You could always move to Canada if it's so terrible.

Melinda at November 3, 2004 10:07 AM
Are you down with the G-O-P?! :)

I swear the only thing I don't like about you is the fact that you're a democrat... your views are whacked. It's NOT about oil- there is no conspiracy... Bush did not lie.

You can't change leaders in the middle of a war,ass.

Who would you REALLY rather see as President? George Bush- or some alien looking fuck whose more stuck on himself than anything else?

Well, there you go. This pretty much sums up why Bush won, doesn't it?

Well said. I am disappointed that Americans have gone in a direction so skewed from the one we should be going. I am disappointed that people are so ignorant that they voted for such a vacuous anti-president. I am disappointed that several states voted yes to banning gay marriage. I'm truly at a loss of words to describe the level of immaturity Americans have exhibited on this sad day.

Bush is not trying to start a draft. Get over it, it is not there. Not time to fear-monger any more, the election has been won.

I am absolutely shocked by this election. I felt like I was punched in the gut when I heard that Kerry conceded. I live in Ohio and even volunteered to assist the Kerry campaign locally. I really was not expecting for it to be that close of an election. My college held a mock election and Kerry won by almost double. I think that many of the young voters did not take advantage of their right to vote. If they would have, I don't think the election would have ended the way it did. I agree with you that these will be 4 difficult years with Bush leading us.

I will be graduating in May with a license to teach in Ohio and am now terrified that I will not be able to secure a job. I was really hoping that Kerry would win and fix No Child Left Behind to help teachers assist all children to learn to the best of their abilities. Teachers need funds, support, and smaller class sizes in order for No Child Left Behind to work properly. Unfortunately, with Bush in office none of these types of support have been seen and with him staying in office teachers will not be able to truly guide and teach the next generation of leaders to the best of their abilities.

Dear Wil,

Unfortunately, Karl Rove's strategy worked. Now if we were dreaming, what would be ideal? How about no spin, no name calling and responsible behaviour. No "truth, as it is made" or at least marketed as the following UF strip captures so perfectly:

http://ars.userfriendly.org/cartoons/?id=20010217&mode=classic

But how could the disparate electoral bodies ever manage that? Sigh...

The majority has spoken and the majority has the right to be wrong. As a people we have voted that American aggression against foreign countries is okay, that we will sink more money into "liberating iraq" (Sorry for the civilians that were accidently killed by our bombs guys). And Bin Laden I'm sure is laughing knowing that his efforts to distract us is working perfectly and he will continue seeing a million dollars of our spending to his every single dollar. More terrorists activities will surely follow cause we have chosen to follow the evil infidel Bush.

Alan

Wil,

with all due respect - did yo ever think that maybe you and those on the coast (just like the NE) may simply believe in different things than those that the average American believes in?

Maybe it is not America holding the wrong values but folks like you? Maybe, the average American will look to someone who speaks simply but is willing to stand up for what is right and other countries be damned rather than vote for a couple of attorneys who speak well but in actuality say very little.

Maybe, just maybe, you need to spend time away from California and the showbiz crowd and see what it is like in the real world for the average person.

Bush won because a majority of Americans chose him to lead over Kerry.

Some of us believe that it is up to the individual to make something of himself, not the government. Some of us believe that sometimes you simply have to kick some ass - even as a cost - because it prevents a more serious problem farther down the road.

Bush has been in office nearly 4 years - we were attacked because Clinton dropped the ball on everything - yet the last 4 years have been scandel free.

Bush is the right man for our time. As for me, I would benefit from a Kerry presidency as I am lower income and he'd give me many things.

I'll go with Bush, let him run the country, kick some ass, give the taxpayers their money back - and i will be responsible for myself.

You come across as a good guy - but you are shielded and blind to the real America.

From now on, every voter must hold at least a Master's degree or pass an IQ test to vote, or not live in the South. I'm pretty tired of the plains states, the south, and a smattering of other states deciding the future of the world (and I live in Texas!)

Now we know that change won't occur in politics or from others. I urge all of you, and myself, to start changing from within first, and make our lives better for ourselves and other immediately around us. This election proves that we can't count on our leaders or those asked to make it for us. Simplistic, I know. But what else is there?

I find it amazing that we were bombarded by all kinds of "facts" for 3/6/too many months about both sides, to the point that you can pretty much be sure every voter at least heard all of the issues. Yet you will all sit here and say that only you are the smart ones. Only you know the truth. Everyone else is just blind and stupid. Which one is arrogant again? Which one is devisive?
I didn't vote for GWB. I don't like the right-wing extremist fundies. Tough for me.
Welcome to DEMOCRACY.
I really like this site, and the people that are here, and I had higher expectations for all of you than this.
Here's a clue people: *Everyone has their own opinion and the right to it*.
When we forget that, THEN the U.S. is in trouble.

Im not attacking anyone here im just saying maybe as Dems, the majority of you out there might want to look at your leadership.

that is where you are losing every time, your leaders have gone so left that they dont even try to pretend to be moderate.

America will never vote for the extreamists not on the right, not on the left because there are so many of us we are all looking for the best out there and if you cut yourself off from half the population thats going to end your carrier

just look at Daschle

he was is power for so long but in the last 8 years he begain to simply ignore the middle and support only the far left and boom, He was the first Senate leader to be defeated since 1952 when Democrat Ernest McFarland of Arizona was unseated by Republican Barry Goldwater

Bush won not because only the right wing voted for him, he won because he was liked by both sides

if the Dems want to win, they have to start promoting someone who everyone can get behind not just the radicals

I am truly sickened by the way these elections have gone. Not just the presidential election, but the bigotry shown by the voters in 11 states, who say that my son's god-father cannot mayybe who he loves. Can this still be the same country I knew, the country of Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King, Jr? I think not.

What scares me even more is that this President may have the opportunity to appoint up to 4 (count 'em - 4) justices to the Supreme Court. Good bye Roe v. Wade, good bye civil unions, good bye privacy, free speech, lawful use, and more .... THAT's what really scares me!

I forgot one thing -

Let's go with Supreme Court nominations! Let's rid ourselves of judges rewriting the costitution insead of understading it.

This is the best thing to happen to America since Ronald Reagan!

Cheney in '08!

You know I never ever comment online, but I have to say this as a conservative, young, biracial VOTER. I wish that this country wasn't so divided that each side spends an inordinate ammount of time, I wish that there was some way for it to vote for whom you feel represents you morally and at the same time vote for social programs. Social Justice. How is it possible that I am being asked to decide at age 24, whether I should follow what I believe morally to be true... pro-life, anti-stem cell, etc (sorry All, I knowthis is not a conservative board) or to fund programs that provide SOCIAL JUSTICE, (which I also beleive is what the bible calls me to do,) serve the poor, help the elderly and children. I wish there was room for dialog, because this country is now divided on a no-shots fired, culture war that I don't know that we can survive

I'm with you, Wil. Utterly speechless.

Dammit, I think I'm going to put "my country holds a fundamentally different set of values than I thought we did" on my list of phrases to punt people in the nuts for, right after "Lowering taxes will cut the deficit!"

Putting aside for the moment the fact that, culturally, this isn't one country, it's at least two, possibly up to four,[1] barely half the people who voted voted for Bush. Yeah, he won. That sucks. A lot, especially if you're living in a part of the country that will have retribution heaped on it (like, say, the northeast or the populated sections of the west coast). But there's a limit to the amount of damage that can be done in a four year period. The world won't come to an end.

If what happened bothers you, then do something about it! Run for office, get involved in local or state government, get activist in your party, go door to door and convert the fsckheads, do some real investigative journalism and dig out the dirt, get people pulled up on charges -- anything besides the knee jerk whiny hand-wringing. Fight the fight against the fantasy based whack-jobs when they try and pass off their collective delusion as reality.

JFDI, dammit.

[1] I live in Connecticut. Come visit for a few days, then take a trip down to, say, Mississippi. Then tell me we're the same.

Wil,

The worst part about this entire thing, is that the GOP has even MORE power in the Senate and House. This current administration now has NO ONE to answer to, and can do whatever they want. The GOP will be able to steamroll just about any inititive through Congress and the Senate without much, if any opposition.

The next 4 years scare the ever living crap out of me.

I slept great! Freedom spoke up and voted for Bush. It's just like liberals to trash our system and way of life. Life will go on, you can try again in 4 years. Just dump the fringe left, people like Michael Moore and the rest of the Hollywood types and you have a chance. We put up with Clinton for 8 years and lived I think we can handle Bush.

I am saddened beyond description. I have never thought, spoken or acted as if I were ashamed to be an American, but today I am immensly ashamed of my country. Bush is NOT my president, and this isn't what I believe America should stand for. That so many others willingly (blindly?) follow a man who has effectively said, "Fuck you, we're better and more important than you and we don't care what you think" to the rest of the world is terrifying and beyond disheartening.

This much I know. We are not safe. While our "leader" ignores and enrages the rest of the world by persuing his own agendas and we slowly lose our allies, we will never be safe. Lip service to "homeland security" and draconian, liberty-threatening legal measures won't protect America. Terrorist guns and bombs are hardly the only threat we face. For the majority of us who aren't rich, corporate suits I don't expect economic progress either.

Four more years of arrogance and self-serving empire building. And all the lemmings support it...

It's enough to make me go nukular.

Ignorance and fear have won over hope and reason. It is sickening to see what this country is becoming. People don't see that Bush is a fraud and a liar. I thought that America was better than this hate and intolerance. America will get what it deserves not only in the next four years and beyond as the consequences of this madness appear.

I haven't posted here in a long time, but I just wanted to say this one thing to those people who feel that Bush's election (note the non use of a prefix there) represents the majority of the nation:

Look at those numbers, and how close they are. This is a nation divided. This is the America that Bush has spearheaded. What good is a "secure" nation if we live in a time of unrest?

I'm considering filing for Political Asylum. I'm with ya on this one, Wil. It's a sad day for America...

I thought I'd share this -

http://mikesejournal.com/archives/003034.php.

I'm as frustrated as you are Wil. Someone on my friend's list over on livejournal posted this, and I'll share it here.

"When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love has always won. There have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time they can seem invincible, but in the end they always fall. Think of it - always."
- Mohandas K. Gandhi

May we not despair, but continue to stand up for what we believe. I'm with you, Wil, and everyone else who voted against him. His day will come.

You said it, Wil. That's exactly how everyone I've spoken to this morning feels. Stunned, disappointed, shocked horrified, dejected.

Even though I feel like someone stole the wind out of my sails, and it's another Christmas from my childhood when I woke up to socks instead of toys, we can't give up.

All the more reason to work for change in 2008. We are not alone, and while I am fearful for our country's future, I'm not going to stop being politically active, even in the face of defeat. Keep raising your voice, don't give up.

I'm with you Wil. This sucks. Canada is looking pretty nice these days...

I think we're all just being a little melodramatic.

"Long national nightmare?" Come on.
So you don't like the guy.
You don't agree with his policies.
Or the war.

But fact is, he's still the president and it's about time people start acting like he's the "enemy" and saying things like "they're going to leave the country!"

I'm not saying I support everything he does and I'm not saying I voted for him.
But I am saying I'm an American, and he's our president.

Let's move on

This just shows how the US is split. The heartland with conservative values won the day. The main theme for voters this year was common sense and values. I am happy with the results and look forward to the next 4 years.

I have had a dream since early last year that this would be a repeat of Bush I. It was looking good, too.

How is it possible that in such a high voter turnout, people voted for the incumbant? Usually isn't it the opposite?

I was just stunned yesterday watching on the news, hoping for a good break or something to be wrong with the returns or whatever. Then I remembered. America is the land of Britney Spears. McDonald's. Ben Affleck movies. We buy up millions of whatever corporation throws our way or convinces us that we need. Why would we also not buy into what the Republican Propaganda machine says we need?

Kerry didn't run a bad campaign but the Repubs hammered home key points like "flip flopper" and about his actions after the Vietnam conflict. Even tho Bush is much more of a flip flopper, and wasn't even bothered with going to war, the mainstream doesn't care.

So many polls said that moral values played a role. How is that possible? Moral? DUI, cocaine, killing innocent Iraqis? Going to war so your rich buddies can get richer?

Why are Americans such fucking prudes? I can't believe gay marriage is the hot item that it has become. Why do people care what others do in their own home? People need to look at their own lives and how fucked up they are before they should be trying to regulate others and their behaviors.

You guys want moving boxes? Because if you're so anti-american you should fucking leave- and we'd be better off without you.

I totally can't beleive that Kerry conceded. I think it's a conspiracy to the e-voting that took place, because they know that if Kerry wanted a recount, they wouldn't be able to do it, or they would find numerous errors which would crush the voting system and what took place. This would totally undermine the system.

I wouldnt be surprised if this was what happened, because if I were Kerry, I'd want a recount! No way did Bush win. No FREEGIN way!

Another 4 years of Bush's reign of terror.

The shock of this election: I begin to realize that I live in a country where slightly more than every other person is unintelligent, overly religious, full of hate, or simply blind. I begin to feel sickened, physically and emotionally. I was always against flag-burners, but today I cut up my American flag and threw it in the trash. If Rove's queer-bashing tactics can win elections, if America is really that stupid or apathetic, then the flag deserves to be burned, burned, burned. I have a dream. I hope Osama's next attack gets Karl Rove.

Did you all see the map of the U.S. with the red and blue colors? It appears as though Kerry is popular primarily on the fringes of the country in the more crowded states. The red portion of the country looked like 75% of the area, at least.

Just found that curious.

And I'm also interested in the fact that everywhere you looked over the past year, practically everyone on the radio, in the papers, on the internet, and in the media villified this administration. Yet when it came time to put it to the test, it turned out there were a lot more people (3 million!) who just weren't as vocal about their beliefs until they got to the polls.

I truly sympathize with the sense of betrayal Kerry's supporters must be feeling. The country is a little different than they thought it was.

All you haters out there...get over it. Not all Republicans are anti-gay. What are you doing that is so bad that you dont want the government watching over us? Are you a terrorist?? I have nothing to hide and I really dont care if they watch what we buy and what we do. If you are all so miserable, leave the country. I didnt vote for Kerry, but I have alot of respect for the fact that he didnt drag us through an expensive, futile process just to find out he didnt get Ohio. He's got more balls than Gore ever did.

Just think about these two terms occupying the same thought: Bush & most votes ever.

I'm sorry, if you can believe those two terms can co-exist without sending off serious warning bells and cognitive dissonance, then you should seek medical help.

In the coming weeks and months we're going to find out how this coup was pulled off(again). For now, though, we're going to have to live with losing a womans right to choose, a national draft, rising national debt, drilling in Alaska, and a continued "war on terra". May God have mercy on our souls.

Wil,

I am also deeply saddened today. The fact that the majority of America re-elected a lying and deceitful man to be our leader makes me re-evaluate my status as an American. This was the first election in which I was able to vote. In the last one I registered but the DMV failed to change my voter registration when I moved, big surprise! Anyways, I made damn sure this time that I voted for the right person. Another poster, Melinda, made some pretty strong and ignorant remarks directed toward you. Her words perfectly illustrate the mentality of the Republican party. Idiots. According to Bush, the war ended months ago, yet she says that you don't change leadership in the middle of a war. Interesting. What scares me the most is that now this man has carte blanche to run our country into further debt. With the GOP controlling the Senate, the House and quite possibly the Judiciary, we as liberty-loving, free-speaking Americans are going to have a fight on our hands to keep our rights intact. This election is the product of un-informed, uneducated and naive voters. I'll bet that not even 50% of the voters watched the debates. If they had, they would have come to the realization that I did that George Bush is nothing but a hothead and not fit to run a country let alone drive a pickup truck.

Thanks for listening and keep fighting the good fight.

Jeff

""then the flag deserves to be burned, burned, burned.""

My god man?!? how can you even say that dem/rep lib/con who fucking cares?!? its your flag man the flag of your country that is sick in any respect

its the radicals like you on the left, or the anti-gays on the right that are making this country crazed

not the middle ground that we should all be able to meet on

kerry got pwned!

"The fact is that USA is THE major power of the free world, and the rest of us are forced along for the ride."

Are you kidding me? Do you think the US enjoys being the only country in the world with the balls to do anything? Putting our men and women at risk all over the world: Ethiopia, Rwanda, etc. I've lived in Europe too: about 80 percent of the people there don't even work. Why don't all you Euros get together, organize, make some decisions and start taking the lead on some issues? Nobody's stopping you!

Ok everyone calm down. The worst thing you can do is loose it. First, yeah they Republicans do have control of Congress and the Presidency, but they don't have MASSIVE control. They can't break a filibuster. On the otherhand, Bush has won both the electoral and the popular vote. So you folks who seem to want to whine about Gore losing even though he had the popular vote can stop now. America has spoken. Now you can speak to him. If you don't want a certain thing passed or not, then make sure you let your congressman and your preisdent know. If he screws up like you guys say he will, well, then you can try to get Hilary voted in in 2008.

I felt the same way when I woke up this morning and say that it was still a tie with Ohio, Iowa, and New Mexico left to be counted. Then I caught the TV just an hour ago and saw "Bush Wins". I was so sickened.

I have about 8000 things to say in frustration to this as everyone else does. But I would be reiterating the same thing everyone else has said.

Just remember one thing .. I did not vote this guy in this time or the last time, so it is not my fault.

I'll echo the comments already posted here, I'm disappointed in our people, and shocked at the naivete shown. I am depressed at the outlook of a further four year downward spiral but am trying, intellectually anyway, to turn this around and use it. I agree that we still do matter in the system, and despite how corrupt and unbalanced things seem right now, it's not too late. I'm going to keep studying the issues and get involved with both the local and state party levels. I'm going to try and make sure that in 2008, or 2012, or whenever we will finally get a candidate we can respect, with 'gravitas' as Toby Z. put it. Maybe Obama will bloom in this hubris and we can put him up sooner rather than later. Either way, I'm not going quitely in this particular 'good night'.

-Gregory

"I don't care for Bush's views on religion, 'morals', abortion, etc, but I feel he HAS shown the ability to make some necessary, if unpopular, decisions that had to be made."

Posted by: Mike Miller on November 3, 2004 09:30 AM

But you need to care about his views. Take his view on stem cell research. He can take the "moral" ground and be against stem cell research, but the world isn't taking the same stance. So all the research is being done overseas. What do you think will happen if China comes up with a cure for Alzheimers through stem cell research? What do you think we will be willing to pay for the cure? That money will be leaving the country. He may be making needed unpopular decisions (but that is also debatable, going on the assumption that Bush supporters feel that they are needed decisions) in reagrds to the war on terriosm, but his other decisions will have long term impact on this country also and I think that is where the fear for four more years of Bush and a GOP controlled Congress come from. The war will not last forever. We may be so focused on the war that the rest of the world is going on without us.

It's unfathomable. I honestly didn't expect a Bush win. I'm Canadian, sitting up here watching it all unfold, and can't tell whether I'm glad I only have to watch it unfold, or whether I wish I could have been a part of the process and possibly averted this win.

The scariest part for me? Somewhere it was mentioned that Bush can't get a 3rd term, which means that this upcoming 4 years is pretty much carte blanche for him, as he'll never have to face being defeated in another election. Think about that - he can do whatever he can get away with, and never face the voters again. Shudder.

If anyone wants to come hide in Canada, lemme know. I have a spare couch.

Will, some of your readers (and fans) also hold a fundamentally different set of values than you do. Don't fear us. And please don't assume the majority that chose Bush is somehow more ignorant, less intelligent, and less aware than you. It's a temptation for both sides to fall into that mistaken type of thinking.

I am a military wife. My husband and I are extremely disappointed with the election results. Now the a ultraconservative Republican party wields power over all branches of the government.
This is a sign that we Democrats need to wake up, mobilize, and organize. We need to take a few lessons from the Republican Revolution of the 90's. Rather than spend the next four years in mourning, we need to put this election behind us and start today to take America back. The pendulum swings both ways people!

"about 80 percent of the people there don't even work. "

How do you eat when you don't work? dumb

What's with all the double posted comments?

As saddened as I am by the result of the election I am proud of the turn out. It's nice to see that we Americans aren't as apathetic as I thought we were. We can't let the poor deluded masses get us down, partipate in your local politics. It's what effects you most on a day to day basis.

James from S.D. has made an interesting discovery that should enlighten all those "betrayed" Kerry supports. Fact #1: Kerry won the following states: New York, California, and Washington, DC. (technically, not a state). Fact #2: As stated by Mr. James, "over the past year, practically everyone on the radio, in the papers, on the internet, and in the media villified this administration." Fact #3: MOST OF THE MEDIA IS BASED IN EITHER NY, CA, or DC. HELLO PEOPLE!?!? If this doesn't make clear to you how much influence the media has over the perception of how the election is going, then you probably shouldn't be allowed to vote. Stop drinking the Kool Aid! Get educated!

I chatted with my mom this morning and disagreed with everything she said - she, who taught me my morals in the first place - and it basically came down to this realization: radical Islamism is bringing out radical Puritanism. Reference Europe, 400 AD - 1800 AD.

Niall Ferguson has a great column in this morning's LA Times about the "split nation" falacy [here].

I think it's important to remember that we are not our government or our politics.

We may not be better for it but, hell, I can do 2 more years of Bush. I just hope we don't blow up in the process.

(Yes, I said 2 years. I don't think he'll make it through 4. Think Nixon..)

This is a tragedy and at this moment I truly fear for the future of our country.

However people seem to be missing the reason why this happened. The answer is really quite simple. There are far too many people in the US think it is perfectly acceptable to chose a candidate based on one issue. Of all the issues on which the candidates differed, only two affect ALL of us. Those two are the Terror/Iraq fiasco and the economy. Abortion, gay rights and the rest are all more personal ideas. The campaigns and the media forced the masses to focus on the lesser issues and this is the result.

My question to the anti-abortionist and anti-gay rights Bush supporters is this:

How are laws governing those issues going to feed your families when Bush signs the law which rewards your employer for moving your job overseas??

Maybe we should have paid more attention to the important issues.

I've said enough. Last night the American people made a grievous error and we