Damn. Now I know how the Yankees’ fans felt. This is some serious suckage. I feel cheated. I feel like the democratic process doesn’t work. I feel blind-sided. I was so sure Kerry would win. But if you follow this blog, I’ve been sure about other things that have ended up severe disappointments, as you well know!
In 15 minutes, John Kerry is going to concede the election to George Bush and I think it’s the right thing to do. It’s apparent that George Bush has been re-elected and to insist on recounts or similar would only delay the inevitable and instill a sense of false hope among the faithful.
The fact of the matter is John Kerry lost this election. If he were as strong a candidate as I believe he was, it wouldn’t have come down to just Ohio. Same goes for Al Gore in 2000. Yes, Bush “won” Florida by .01% of the vote there, but Al Gore was unable to carry his own state!
There are so many factors leading up to a vote. I can say with some certainty that when the Kerry campaign went adrift at the end of the summer, I knew it was done. It was like a ship lost at sea and even bad news for Bush couldn’t get them back on course or any significant lead in the polls. After the debates, I had some hope. Kerry did very well and it was clear the ball was in his court. But somehow the Kerry campaign failed to run with that ball.
Despite an enormous grass-roots campaign to register voters, despite the glory of Iowa, despite celebrity endorsements, rock concerts, a charismatic running-mate, flashbacks to 2000, 9/11 widows, Bush Relatives for Kerry, Fahrenheit 9/11, the non-existence of WMD, the elusiveness of Osama bin Laden, over 1,000 American soldiers dead in Iraq, the economy, etc…Kerry couldn’t pull the rabbit out of the hat. Something went wrong. Nothing went left this time. Nothing.
Don’t get me wrong; I’m grieving for lost hope. I know that George Bush will likely continue to threaten my civil liberties; that he’ll most likely appoint at least TWO Supreme Court Justices that could overturn Roe v. Wade; that the environment is at risk; that he’s unfit to run this country; that he lies and cheats and steals and that there was probably an underhanded element to this election as there seemed to be in 2000. But I can’t expend any more energy hating the man. I need that energy elsewhere.
Gandhi once said to be the change you want to see in the world. If you have something to say, say it. Just because George Bush was re-elected doesn’t mean you’ve lost your voice. Stay passionate. Stay informed. Stay on top of issues that mean something to you. Write letters to your congress people and let them know how you feel. Kiss and make up with your friends who voted Bush/Cheney and be a good sport. We all want what’s best for this country.
You can hate the playa. You can hate the game. But love your freedom and continue to believe as strongly in it as you believed in John Kerry. Our time is coming, my little friends. So, be ready for next time and assume nothing.
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