Election Notes

Alright, I suppose I need to write about what happened Tuesday….
To preface this, I did vote for Bush, but anyone who’s been reading for a few months would have figured that out by now. To me, both parties are too committed to big government — doing things for people that they should be responsible for themselves. On this count I will castigate President Bush. I think the Medicare drug benefit was a step in the wrong direction. No, it’s not as bad as a full-blown socialized health care system, but it’s a step in the wrong direction, nonetheless. When it gets to the point where the main goal of voters is to take money from other people to pay for services to benefit themselves, this Republic will collapse. If you need health care, pay for it. If you want to minimize your financial risk, buy into a group plan. Any legislation regarding health care reform should be aimed solely at making it easier for the private health care industry to function profitably.
Sorry, that was a bit of a tangent….
– Since sometime this summer, I’d thought Bush would win the popular vote. I was very concerned, however, that he’d lose the electoral vote. As it turned out, that was very close. I’d told people that Bush needed to have 296 electoral votes wrapped up to avoid legal challenges. I was *almost* right. I do credit Senator Kerry for doing the right thing, and stepping aside when it’s virtually impossible for him to win. I think, that he lost the popular vote by such a margin plays into that. The Democrats were very vocal that Bush didn’t have a “mandate” in 2000, because he lost by 500k votes. Kerry lost by seven times that.
– On Kerry himself…… The Democrats need to take a hard look at why they weren’t able to win, despite Bush’s widespread unpopularity. The answer, hard as it might be to swallow, is that they were too angry and spiteful. They could have won if it weren’t for the venom. I think they realized that, partially, during the primaries, which is why Howard Dean lost. But their choice of Kerry is very telling. Really and truly, there were only five candidates worth considering (Sharpton, Moseley-Braun, and Kuchinich are fruit-loops who can never be elected nationally….Graham is too old.). I’ll run them down individually, in order from worst chance of winning to best.
John Edwards: He’s so purdy. Unforunately, his class-warfare venom is reminiscent of Huey Long. His asshole lawyer side can come out from time to time. He showed that during the Democrat debates. He showed that during his debate with Cheney. And he certainly showed that election night with his curt statement.
Wes Clark: Military pedigree that makes him intriguing, and probably was the one backed most by the Clintons. Clark, however, had zero political experience, and it showed when he was campaigning. Not the most dynamic speaker in the world. He spoke very highly of Bush before he decided he wanted to run for president. Got into the race very late. And then there’s that little problem with his military record, where the Secretary of Defense relieved him from command, and forced him to retire early. Oops.
Dick Gephardt: National recognition from his years as majority whip and minority leader. Would turn out the union votes. Strong midwest support. Boring as hell, and quite possibly made out of plastic.
Joe Lieberman: By far, the best-qualified candidate in the field. But he sounds like Droopy-Dog when he speaks. And the biggest problem with him is something the Democrats need to address and fix within the party. Lieberman could never head the Democratic ticket because of his religion. I think the Republicans probably have the same problem with minorities. But the virulent anti-semitism that exists within the liberal elite ranks, as well as in minority communities needs to be addressed. Being anti-Catholic was acceptable in the late 19th century, and it took until 1960 for one to get elected.
So, that brings us to Kerry. Long political career? Check. Liberal pedigree? Check. War Hero? Check. He’s our guy!
But they didn’t vet him very well. As the President pretty well pointed out, Kerry has been a model of inconsistency during his stay in the Senate. His views are “nuanced,” his supporters argue. But that’s bullshit, and they know it. How is support of capital punishment only in cases of terrorism nuanced? In the debate on capital punishment, you either think that the government should have the ability to deprive someone of life (whether you think the government shouldn’t have the power to fight off tyranny, or whether it’s religiously-based…there aren’t a lot of in betweens) or not. So many of his “nuanced” views turned out to be like this….working both sides of the issue, so he can never get pinned down.
Then there’s the war thing. I think the questioning of his actual actions in Vietnam were inappropriate for the most part. That said, he provoked those people by making a scene of it at the convention. His post-war activities, however, are fair game. I’m still curious as to whether he received a dishonorable discharge initially. Animosity over Vietnam remains high, and his testimony before Congress didn’t win him many friends among his fellow veterans. In other words, they should have expected this. It wasn’t off-limits to begin with, and they ratcheted up the scrutiny by having the Vietnam love-fest in Boston.
Then there’s his record in the Senate. Some of his past positions are just indefensible. The Republicans really hammered his opposition to Desert Storm. He’s supposed to have credibility when it comes to fighting terrorism and despotism when his record shows he won’t stand against it, even when the rest of the world is? The rest of his wrong positions were just icing on the cake. For any position he took, people were able to find an instance where he was on the other side. This is a problem for any candidate who has a long record in the Senate. I think it’s part of the reason why governors have an easier time winning the White House. Thinking back on it, I guess JFK was the last senator to win the presidency?
So, you have a candidate with a spotty past, chosen in desperation. Is there any wonder why he lost? Without Iraq, and the discord surrounding it, Kerry probably would have been lucky to win five states.
Now, special venom to a few different people/groups….
Moveon.org. Weren’t y’all formed to get people to move on from the impeachment controversy with Clinton? You’ve outlived your usefulness, and you aren’t helping people get over things, rather you’re just incendiary. Putting up *multiple* commercials comparing Bush to Hitler is just insane. And remember, any time you pull the Hitler card, you’ve lost the debate. So, Moveon.org, I implore you to Goaway.org.
Various Celebs who tried to affect this election with star-power. Shut up and sing. Just because you have a platform, doesn’t mean you have anything insightful to say. I am willing to give you one pass on this. Second time, I’m withdrawing my support. Keep this in mind, y’all. If you do it again, mark my words, you will not get another dime of my money.
John McCain, Russ Feingold, George Bush, and the US Supreme Court. I fault all of you for the situation with the 527 groups. The only answer to campaign finance reform is unlimited private contributions, with full disclosure. Any group who wishes to buy ads may do so, but they have to disclose all of their funding. McCain-Feingold needs to be repealed as soon as possible.
George Soros. I don’t know much about you, but all of it seems shady. I hope you feel good about blowing that much money on a failed cause. Is that legitimately earned money? Or did you make it on an insider tip? (For those of you who are unaware, Soros pled guilty to insider trading in Europe) If you truly are a man without a country, I hope you’ll go bother someone else’s.
Michael Moore. God, if I knew where to begin. There are a few things to remember about you. First and foremost, you fundamentally hate America. I don’t know what kind of country you’re seeking, but it doesn’t resemble an America envisioned by either major political party. You have a wonderful mastery of the art of lying by omission. You did it with Bowling for Columbine, but Hollywood rewarded that with an Oscar. You also did it with F9/11, before it was even released. You played the victim card when Disney wouldn’t distribute the movie….except you failed to mention the part about Disney having told you this beforehand. You misconstrued the 2000 Florida election controversy. Gore did not win under every recount circumstance — that’s just a lie. If there is a hell, a special place is reserved for you.
Soon, I will write about what Bush should now do. He has an historic opportunity to really make changes that’ll pay off in the future. He squandered that opportunity after his first election, instead focusing on things where the federal government has no business.
To all my liberal friends, I give you until midnight Sunday night. Bitch, whine, moan, scream, whatever until that time. You’re entitled until that point. I’ll put up with it. After then, imma ride your asses. 🙂

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