In 2004 I was already expecting Bush to win, and when Missouri was called for him (There’s some useless trivia about whichever way Missouri goes predicts the outcome of the general election.) I stopped watching the results come in.

I’m still debating what I’ll do tomorrow. If I were in a swing state I’d definitely vote Obama, but I’m not. In 2004 I was happy to vote for Badnarick – it was a combination of thinking Kerry was a tool and actually liking Badnarick.

I feel like a hypocrite if I don’t vote Libertarian, but I’m not sure I want my vote to go to Bob Barr, even symbolically.

I’m surprised that I’m so nervous about this. In 2004 I really, really did not care who won. Now I’m totally anxious and the thought of seeing McCain win makes me sick.

 I also had someone giving me the “Democrats hate America, Republicans love this country, etc etc and that’s why I’m a Republican” spiel. Grrr…I promised myself I wouldn’t let myself get angry over politics!

But in an American election, there are no losers, because whether or not our candidates are successful, the next morning we all wake up as Americans.

I was watching it in the Government Dept lounge with Favorite Professor and a few others. She was like “Rachel, you didn’t even vote for him!”

This is true, but watching Kerry made me realize that despite my cynicism, despite saying over and over that there was no way Bush would lose there was a teeny tiny part of me that was holding out hope. I dont’ know how I would have felt about a Kerry victory because I have so little political attraction to the man, but I guess there was a piece of me that didn’t want to give in to four more years of this nonsense.

And then there was this:  And of course I get all teary again. This woman is the only writer who wrote something about September 11th that made me cry. Hell, that STILL makes me cry when I re-read it. Anyawy, for posterity’s sake, Sarah Bunting’s response to “What do we do now?” in regards to the results of Election 2004 is behind the cut.

“This is Not Over” – Sarah Bunting, Tomato Nation

Yeah, I know. No…I know. Listen: This. Is. Not. Over.

The United States is about potential. No other country has a dream named after it, a dream about improvement and achievement. The results of this election fill me with dread, frankly, but also with determination, because the dream is not dead. This country is, to my mind, in some serious fucking trouble right now. It’s a big job to fix it, the guy in charge is wrong for the job, the legislature is wrong for the job — it’s depressing and shitty. But millions of people thought Bush sucked and tried to vote him out — millions! It didn’t work, which is a grave disappointment, but — millions! Think what millions could do if they applied themselves — in any direction! Writing letters, protesting, raising money, organizing, educating themselves and others. Stubbornly staying put and refusing to back down. Improving the country. Achieving something.

Yes, Bush won. Yes, I want to barf until my stomach lands in the bowl and I die. Yes, I hate that I live in a country where more than half the citizens think that dumb-ass is a good leader. But I also live in a country where I nicely asked people to give some money to public schools, and those people raised more than ten grand in a week. Yeah, it’s a contest, but y’all didn’t do that because you wanted a tote bag, for God’s sake. You did it because you give a shit. And my readership is not composed of Fortune 500 types, either. (As far as I know. Fortune 500 types welcome, of course. Hi, Mr. Soros! Call me!) It’s just folks. It’s just you guys, people trying to get by, who did something nice and tried to help and became a part of something. I can’t tell you what that’s worth.

So, no, it’s not a good day, but this country still has so many good people and good ideas in it, and I can’t imagine that the good in this country won’t prevail. And until that happens, I won’t leave. There’s work to do. There are faces to get up in, which I’m happy to take the lead on, because I already have an FBI file so what the hell, right?

Senator John Edwards just said that “this fight has just begun.” That’s goddamn right, cutie. So, readers, get drunk, kick something really hard, scream into a pillow, cut that photo of Karl Rove out of The New Yorker and stab it with a pen, but — stick around, because I’m telling you, this show is about to get good.

This is not over.

This post is password protected. To view it please enter your password below:

Password:

I’m spending today trolling around campus in my political gear, smiling sweetly at those who glare at my t-shirt.

Then Pi Sigma. Then Libertarian dinner.

Then, one eye on NaNo-ing, one eye on the election shenanigans.

How’s that for Zen-like?

Additionally, it did its job: it made me more optimistic about Kerry, made me actually want to vote for Kerry, and made me think he could actually do some good.

 The bad news is that it did it’s job: it made me more optimistic about Kerry, made me actually want to vote for Kerry, and made me think he could actually do some good. Even if Kerry wins, he’ll have a Republican Congress. I am far too cynical to honestly believe the dream of things actually changing. And even if things did change, what effect does it have on my life as an individual? What effect does it have on my decisions? Very little, if any. Society is made of individuals making decisions. It isn’t shaped by the politicians in Washington. Thank God for that.

 Never mind that though, as requested by Adam, some thoughts on the DNC, since the original purpose of this LJ was supposed to be politically focused anyway

Al Gore: Aw, counting and recounting sheep! “I’m not bitter or anything…” Poor, boring, Al Gore

 John Edwards: He is so cute! And optimistic! He is Clinton 2.0. I am thinking that if (when?) John Kerry loses, he is the next president.

Cate Edwards: Chelsea 2.0

Other Edwards kids: “The cutest thing since JFK was in the White House”-TM Josh

 Bill Clinton.

OhmyGod.
Now, I’m a rational woman, but there is something about this guy that just makes me swoon. Was Clinton a perfect president, or further, a perfect person? Hell no. Did he screw up? Yes

Would I vote for him for President if given the chance? HELL YES!

I was in fourth grade when Clinton ran for President, but I remember very, very vividly, watching him give a speech the night before election day, telling the voters in his way of talking that makes you feel he’s speaking directly to you how he wanted to be the President. I’ve been hooked ever since.

I don’t know how much of Bill C’s vibe is genuine or how much of it is just polish/PR, but it works, oh God it works. He inspires a sense of trust; he may not actually believe a thing that he says, but he will bite his lower lip and give you that look that says he feels your pain, and he gets results. Good or bad, it is really such a huge part of politics.

The problem with Bush is that doesn’t give a shit, or at least that is the impression that he gives off, and it reeks of arrogance. Seeing Clinton speak made me realize just how incredibly poor Dubya is as a speaker. He might have great speechwriters (he doesn’t) but it won’t matter because he doesn’t seem to understand simple concepts and words, and he mugs pathetically every time he gets a little applause,

Clinton literally left me speechless. All I could do was giggle like a school girl and IM my friends to tell them that Bill C is still a hero. I love this guy. Was our punishment for having this wonderful man in office the loser that currently resides in stolen office? He looked fantastic, he sounded fantastic, and he had me hanging on his every word. And to get me, my black, jaded, “I’m so sick of politics, I don’t even visit cnn.com anymore” heart to suddenly fill me with optimism, hope, and just general good feelings, I’m starting to wonder if he’s hypnotizing me. I had a huge grin on my face by the end of it.

Clinton ripped into Bush without going completely negative. I love it that he remarked how HE, Bush, and Cheney dodged going to Vietnam; that he can acknowledge he made a decision that many would view as wrong. I like that he acknowledged that the Bush tax cut benefited him, but knew it didn’t help a vast sector of the population.

Clinton, I think, when history fairly judges him, will be associated with the prosporous 90s. Now, many of this may be a case of “right place right time,” but the same could certainly be said of Reagan, the hero of the Republicans. Reagan is praised for reducing the size of the government, and ending the Cold War, except, he didn’t win the Cold War. He had the luck of being a contemporary of Gorbachev. Besides, it’s not like Russian communism was chugging along just fine all those years; it was a system that was bound to self-destruct, and while Reagan certainly had an inspiring rhetoric and his policies were certainly a catalyst, but he was no more responsible for the end of the Cold War then Kennedy, Johnson, Carter, or Ford. I do think that it is a sign of Reagan’s success that the world’s most popular Democrat (and believe me, Clinton is beloved throughout Europe. People love this man.) may try to build his legacy on tax cuts, deficit reduction, and law and order. Both Clinton and Reagan led the country out of a recession, and gave us a sense of hope and purpose with an optimistic (and clearly articulated) vision of America. I think in both cases, it was the man’s vision more so than concrete accomplishments that give people the warm fuzzies

Clinton’s job was to be president, and he did that well. And his line “Congress was kinda mean to me!” So cute, oh so cute.

Electrifying. Why, oh why, can’t this man be president again?

 Hillary, although she does not deserve to use “New York State of Mind” as her theme music evereverever, was quite good; I caught a glimpse of the ‘scary’ Hillary. That woman is tough, very, very tough, and her eyes were blazing, her voice was steely hard. I wouldn’t want to cross her.

 Kerry

One of the criticisms of Kerry that I just can’t buy is the “Flip flopping’ one. I think it was Coleman (Minnesota Senator) who commented something about wisdom being having a vision and being consistent, and Senator Kerry had several different positions on his vote on the 87 billion dollars for Iraq.

That’s bullshit. Wisdom is being able to adapt and change plans if things don’t work out. I’d much rather have a leader who was able to change, back out, or admit a mistake in light of new evidence then a ‘leader’ who stubbornly pushes on well after it’s clear he’s fucked up. I’m certainly not idealistic enough tot hink that, once in office, Kerry will be a great guy, whose always willing to take the fault for his screw-ups. But I don’t think it’s inconsistent with wisdom to change your position on an issue when presented with new facts. Hell, that’s just life.

Kerry impressed me, perhaps because my expectations were so low. He showed an energy I hadn’t seen, and once again, (here’s that word again) he made me feel hope that he might have a chance in November. My first reaction is please for the love of all that is sacred, let us have a chance. As Al Gore said, ‘Let’s make sure the Supreme Court does not choose this President, and let’s make sure this President does not choose the Supreme Court.” Granted, justices appointed by conservative presidents have offered very ‘liberal’ opinions to the court (Roe v Wade, for example). But the thought of adding a bunch of pro-life, anti-gay marriage, Bible-thumping conservatives to the Court nauseates me. If nothing else, the thought that Bush wouldn’t be making any of these appointments is enough to make me vote for Kerry.

But then again, I come back to this fact: Kerry being elected won’t change anything. In the end, all this political nonsense is pretty unimportant. My ‘strike’ from politics this semester really made me realize how inconsequential this all is. Call me jaded. Call me an evil right winger (cause that’s what I am, and I club baby seals, and I have ‘the conscience of a conservative’ Barry Goldwater style.

Kerry’s doing a better job on this campaign that I would have expected. So, points for him, or smtg.

But beyond all this;

If Bush wins the election (which I still think he will), the worst thing he can do it interpret that as validation for what’s happened this year. I wonder if his administration can sense the mandate for change that’s swelling among the voters, even if that feeling isn’t strong enough to unseat the incumbent (though I think the election will be closer than I would’ve predicted 4 years ago, or immediately post-September 11). I’m a cynic. I’m a jaded, former liberal government major. I still strongly agree with this statement:

“Here’s the thing about politics: IT’S NOT AN EXPRESSION OF YOUR MORAL PURITY AND YOUR ETHICS AND YOUR PROBITY AND YOUR FOND DREAMS OF SOME UTOPIAN FUTURE. Progressive people constantly fail to get this … The system isn’t about ideals. The country doesn’t elect great leaders. It elects fucked-up people who for reasons of ego want to run the world”

 But I still think there’s an undercurrent of a call for change. It’s there. And it’s real. And if Bush cares one bit about this country he needs to heed it.

 I don’t know. I don’t have much faith in politics. I don’t feel like I need too. But the next few months leading up to November will, hopefully be pretty informative and intriguing.

This means, that after the news stops covering Dean’s “BOLD” move, I will see less of him. And less of the woodchuck man is a good thing. I have real qualms with Dean, but it is more fun to be immature and judgemental about it

Marge: Homer it’s very easy to judge…
Homer: Hehe, fun too!
-yes, exactly.

Bill Clinton should come back and declare himself Caesar.

And I am only the SECOND biggest Clinton apologist. Kevin beats me, but then again, thats part of the reason he won Coolest Person of 03.

Oh it’s Valentine’s Day, isn’t it? I don’t celebrate Valentine’s Day; manufactured love is kind of a turn off. Instead Christina is going to get drunk and I’m going to make sure she doesn’t drunk dial anyone. And I’ll get some good champagne out of it.

Also, does anyone know if Sheryl Crow is “Lesbian Rock” and if she’s a lesbian? This was an object of debate for far longer than it needed to be on Wednesday night. I’m glad we’re all so fucking productive.

3) I really don’t think its a big deal that Kerry and Edwards voted for the war. Luckily, most Democratic voters don’t seem to think so either.”
-As to this…whatever…the way I see it at that point in time if you voted for the war, good for you, if you voted against the war, you were strung up in Senate. Newsflash Deany-boy…nearly EVERYONE voted FOR the war…old news. so old.

4) Dean did not invent the concept of civil unions. Dean was also not revolutionary in his support of civil unions. But he did not invent the concept. (Just like Al Gore didn’t invent the internet) ((yes but Al Gore did take the initiative to fund the project which started the internet in the 80s, if anyone cares))”
Furthermore contrary to many what many w ithin the GLBTQ community thinks, Dean really isn’t all that great for gay folks. If people actually took the time to go back and look at what Dean was debating back and forth about during the whole civil unions vs. gay marriage thing, I think they’d find that Dean is on par with Kerry. They’re both against gay marriage (and civil unions are NOT the same thing no matter how much the politicians, and some gay activists for that matter, try to dress it up with pretty rainbow ribbons) whereas Edwards actually stated that marriage is a state’s rights issue and while he didn’t come out in support of gay marriage, he also didn’t come out as condemning the recent MA decision either.

7) People who endorsed Dean really screwed up. First of all, it is really dumb to endorse a candidate that early (ie, the Al Gore endorsement…it made no sense to do a YEAR before the election). Now th ere are all these pledged delegates who are realizing “Uh, maybe this guy doesn’t have the support we thought he did”. A man supported by college liberals does not a presidential candidate make. (I wrote that sentence just so I could phrase it like that, because I am so cool)”

no duh AND I jus t want to state that I was attacked on several fronts by other people who fall into the same categories as I do as A) Democrats; B) liberal arts college grads; C) women and D) lesbians, when I said I didn’t support Dean because his policies were pretty shitty and I don’t trust a man who looks like a woodchuck when he’s trying to smile. And yeah, Sassy…you ARE cool

Gina is SO getting a place on the world leadership council. Look for the campaign around 2025

1) John Edwards is growing on me. He has charisma, he’s a decent politician. He has a southern accent and can charm southern voters.

2) Can someone articulate for me why Kerry ‘sucks’, as my liberal friends keep saying? (Besides the fact that he voted for the war and looks like a tree)

3) I really don’t think its a big deal that Kerry and Edwards voted for the war. Luckily, most Democratic voters don’t seem to think so either.

4) Dean did not invent the concept of civil unions. Dean was also not revolutionary in his support of civil unions. But he did not invent the concept. (Just like Al Gore didn’t invent the internet, hehe) ((yes but Al Gore did take the initiative to fund the project which started the internet in the 80s, if anyone cares))

5) I like Clark better than Kerry in terms of the military men in this race. However, I think a lot of votes that could have gone to Edwards went to Clark. And I like Edwards better than Clark, so I want Clark to drop out

6)Dean even lost to Al Sharpton!

7) People who endorsed Dean really screwed up. First of all, it is really dumb to endorse a candidate that early (ie, the Al Gore endorsement…it made no sense to do a YEAR before the election). Now there are all these pledged delegates who are realizing “Uh, maybe this guy doesn’t have the support we thought he did”. A man supported by college liberals does not a presidential candidate make. (I wrote that sentence just so I could phrase it like that, because I am so cool)

8. Al Sharpton should be given his own TV show. Maybe he can take over the daily show and Jon Stewart can run for president

9) The Daily Show last night rocked, and I want to marry Jon Stewart

10)There should be an industry devoted to gambling on politics

Had a relatively good conversation with someone about the primaries today regarding “Anybody but Bush, Any Democrat but Dean.” Oh sure, I’ll vote for Dean if he’s the nominee, but really people

What the liberals don’t seem to understand is that the centrist vote is desperately needed. The centrist/swing vote is one of the only sectors that matters in this election. Dems will vote for Dems, Republicans will vote for Republicans, especially in this election. The Dems desperatly, desperately need a candidate who can get the swing votes. These ‘swing votes’ aren’t people who are ‘afraid’ of liberals or Dean’s radicalism or whatever. They just aren’t that liberal.

It will be terrible if Bush wins. Those supreme court justices are getting old…It means a lot of things, but the thing I am personally most worried about (and yes, I know there are certainly more pressing issues, etc) is abortion. I am vehemently pro-choice and can’t stand the thought of that right taken away, blahblahblah pro-choice cakes. That’s another reason I support Kerry over Dean. He’s been far more outspoken regarding woman’s right to choose then Dean. Not that I think Dean would ever try to take away abortion rights, he just won’t do anything to a) protect them b) get rid of some of the ridiculous regulations.

.
I have a lot more to say, but I am too brain-numbed right now. GO 351 is going to kick my ass. I need to spend some quality time with my 10 lb Shakespeare tome. Looks like I’ve got a hot date for the weekend!

In other news, the third eye blind song is STILL in my head. I get songs in my head and they stay there forever.

New plan: Quit government major. Become evil doer and build weather machine to make Upstate NY less of a tundra. Whose with me?? If I’m an evil doer I need a following of conspirators who help me out and follow my orders!

I think I also need a life..

Kerry won, and although he has no personality, he might be the most qualified of any of the Dems to be president. Plus he’s a Vietnam vet, so they can’t go after him for a military record. A lot of libs don’t like that he voted for the war, but he’s certainly a much better option then Bush. Anyone but Bush…Edwards was second, and although he’s a little too into God for me (he’s Southern) at least he has charisma. A Kerry/Edwards ticket could be pretty powerful against the Bush Dynasty.

Dean was a distance third, and I’m pleasantly surprised. Dean is just unelectable. In addition, I don’t like him. I don’t know why I don’t like him, but I don’t. I mentioned to Brent that it was irrational for me to dislike him for being ‘phony’ because all politicians are phony, but Dean’s brand of phoniness really bugs me! He’s also kind of scary with his anger. He made this really crazy concession speech about how ‘I have only begun to fight’ and he just looked like he was rabid.

Dean’s not really running on anything besides contradicting Bush with the whole Iraq situation. Which someone needs to say, obviously, but he’s made himself into a sound byte candidate. So we went to war, and you didn’t like it. So what.

Most of the candidates have realized that in the minds of voters, that’s in the past. Foreign policy is still a key issue, and they need to have a viable platform. Dean just spouts rhetoric on the subject. That’s certainly not saying that any of the other candidates have any less rhetorical, but at least they’re saying something other than “the war is bad. Bush is bad. I wouldn’t have gone to Iraq.” Because yes Dr. Dean, we already know that, now how about telling us what you are planning on doing?

Dean’s supporters keep saying that people are ‘afraid’ of nominating someone so far left. The thing is, Dean isn’t as far left as he’s pretending to be, if you actually look at his past record. He’s not any more ‘liberal’ in American political terms than Kerry or Edwards. He’s just good at using the right catchphrases right now. And while that’s attracted a certain type of voter, its simply not realistic, and he hasn’t really done anything but complain. Someone like Kerry, Edwards, and Clark CAN get the centrist vote, which, whether lefties like it or not, is going to essential in this election. It has nothing to do with fear, or control, or any of those things Dean keeps spouting. It IS about electability, because its about getting rid of George Bush, and if the Dems could show a united front instead of bitching and nitpicking at each other, then maybe that would be possible.

I still like Clark, but I think the other military guy (Kerry) will beat him out in NH. If Edwards does decently in NH its also going to be a huge boost to the campaign because a lot of the Super Tuesday primaries are in the South. This is actually an exciting primary for once, unlike 2000. Stupid Al Gore. Stupid, stupid Al Gore and the wasted nomination.

In other news, the state of the union is tonight, which is the ultimate in rhetoric. I always get angry about it. Stupid Bush. I really, really, really hope he loses in November.

It’s great that he’s so passionate about being against our current foreign policy, but since foreign policy is going to be the main issue in this election (probably), I wish he’d say exactly what he plans to do. (Although that is probably too much to hope for from any candidate).

In addition, when (although maybe if, since the primaries have become closer than most people originally thought they were going to be) he wins the primaries, he’s going to have to shift his campaign away from the leftist Democrats and try to attract the centrists. I don’t think it will make him lose the supporters he already has, but its going to make his campaign look bi-polar, and will be an easy target for attacks. I don’t know. I want to be able to like Dean, since it seems like people are really enthusiastic about him, but I’m just not feeling it. Of course I’ll vote for him if it comes down to him vs Bush, but there’s no way he could beat him.

After Saddam was captured, someone told me, that before that, Bush had no chance to win, and with it, maybe he had a small chance. I have no idea what world they’d been living on…Bush’s poll numbers have been consistently good, and the economy is cycling so it should be pretty balanced come election time.

That’s not saying Bush will be responsible for ‘improvement’ or that the improvement in any area will even be permanent, but from the outside, to the average American voter, things are going to look pretty good. Growth is up now – unemployment is still a big issue, but that’s a lagging factors, so there’s time for it to improve by November. I just don’t think the Dems, who are saying they’ll repeal some of the tax cuts (like the ones that only helped the wealthiest 2%) are going to win any voters, because no one stops to think about what that actually means.

If anyone would have a chance against Bush it’d probably be Clark. Clark has foreign policy smarts, which I’m almost sure will be ‘the’ issue in November, plus he has military experience. (Although, no one seemed to care that Bush LIED about his military experience, etc). Clark isn’t the cowboy Bush is, but he’ll be good for calming fears about terrorism etc. But he won’t beat Dean. And Dean can’t beat Bush.

Ug, four more years…

Which he wasn’t, obviously. Why would Howard Dean come and speak here, in Davis auditorium tha tonly seats about 100 people?

Anyway, on the GWB front, it’s not so much him I hate, it’s the people who fall for his nonsense. This is six months from the fall of the regime in Iraq, and his bs declaration of “major combat over.”  What is of course infuriating is that the same people that jumped on Bill C for lying about a blow job have yet to jump on Bush of course)

If Bill C. had tried to go to war the was Bush did, he would have no domestic support, whereas people rally around Bush with “our president, right or wrong?”