Word to that... you are absolutely right.

This must of crossed alot of minds because last night my mom called me and as we were venting our frustrations she said something like "I hope Bush doesn't get assasinated in the next four years or else we'll have a real monster on our hands." Nervous

This would be much prefered to my situation: being around a bunch of cocky celebratory simpletons.

A few quotes from foriegners on the BBC message boards.

Bush wins, and it really tells something about people of the United States. More war and misery.
Annika, Helsinki, Finland

The comments here split into two groups: Those outside America who can see the damage Bush has done and those inside America who seem to believe the never ending propaganda they are bombarded with.
Tim Barraclough, Birmingham, UK

What does the likely outcome of this election mean to me over here in Australia? It means that the majority of U.S citizens prefer: war to the possibility of peace, unilateralism to the possibility of a worldwide effort in the face of terrorism, more reliance on oil and the Middle Eastern problems that come with it, to the possibility of more sustainable and viable energy sources. These amongst other issues were clear differences between the two candidates. Unfortunately I fear that they will get what they ask for and takes us down with them.
David Allen, Brisbane, Australia

I feel great pity on behalf of the American people, as it is a poor reflection of themselves to have re-elected this sham of a leader. For those who protest against European criticism of the USA and of the Bush administration, they are quite right in that their country is free to choose its own way. However it is when the US meddles needlessly in foreign affairs that the Europeans really get critical
Philip, Belfast, Northern Ireland

The voice of America indeed - but which America? How so many people voted for Bush is mind-boggling. An absolute disaster. This is a tragic day for our planet and for all of us, wherever we live.
Raymond Perrez, Toulouse, France

It is "almost" unbelievable that the American people have once again chosen to allow Bush control of power for another four years. I feel as though they have turned their back on the international community, that they have forgotten that the world is small place, where America's actions affect us all.
Jennifer, Canadian living in Munich, Germany

It's a sad day for the world if Bush wins. America will get the President it deserves, but unfortunately so will the rest of the world. In this campaign we have seen the corrupt and dishonest way so-called American democracy works. Yet they want to impose this on the rest of the world! It is high time for the rest of the world to stand up and be counted.
Rajinder Mathias, London

so on, and so on.

can someone tell me, how in the fuck, Clinton's sex life has affected this country SO DAMN MUCH over the last decade that Gore didnt fucking kill in 2000, and these buffoons were allowed to steamroll over the country four the last 4 years. so much with politics at the moment can be drawn back to that trivial stuff with Clinton...and I just..don't get why.

"draw them out of their farms and bunkers?"

to be so enlightened and compassionate, you Dems can say some of the darnedest things. give me a break.

hey, i did frame it with some conditions, so it's all relative.

first, just because i'm mildly bright and somewhat stable, doesn't change how completely devastated i am. emotionally, i invested a great deal in my belief that good would triumph over evil - and this is a clear-cut case if ever there were one in our democracy. growing up, learning about the follies of Nixon and Reagan's secret Iran-Contra/Salvador/Afghanistan wars, i figured, much like the sins of Europe during the 30 year war of the 20th Century, we would progress past the mistakes and power hungry ills of the past. INSTEAD, the prevailing message of the day is that FAITH IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN FACT. simply put, that terrifies me.

second, i could give a shit about the trolls. their logic and ability to argue reveals that their only intention is to antagonize and bully others. i've never had patience for a fight that has no purpose other than to fight. as such, i literally don't care about these people.

i do care about the moral values center of this country though - how in the hell this became the most reasonable way to do business is a concept i can't grasp.

KPH

All I want to do is cry. And move to another country. I can't take it.

i will concur that this is one of the the worst days of my lifetime. Unfortunately in the same year as possibly one of the best days of my life -- my wedding day. What crap.

We've discussed and nixed the idea of moving to another country. We've discussed and are looking into moving to a "blue" state, preferrably swingin to solidify it.

I say it's time you Americans send the Special Ops into your own country and start taking out the christian fundamentalists as if they were the Taliban. And I'm serious, because it's fucking ominous to see that the world's present superpower is controlled by the superstitious and the frightened.

On the plus side, at least Dalen is safer now.

Huh? You think the Christian fundamentalists won this election for Bush?

Is it just me, or does it always sound like John Edwards needs to blow his nose?

Morals.

Although I don't agree with Billy's view on killing fundamental christians, I do believe they won the election, which is scary.

i also agree that church-goers won the election. Organized religion is organized. Easy to spread a message of "values".

That's not what billy said. He said fundamentalist christians.

Yeh, I do. I think Bush got re-elected because too many dimbulbs think that "moral" means praying to a bullshit primitive idol like Jesus Christ rather than living with empathy for others and an appreciation for life. And I'm definitely worried about an allegedly progressive country like the US moving backwards into that medieval viewpoint.

*disclaimer: just for the record, in real life I wouldn't ever call for the execution of any religious sect (or anybody else, for that matter) - but on a message board it's more fun to make points with a certain amount of vitriol.

Very well put. I definitely understand where you're coming from, and apologize if my earlier post came across as trivializing your feelings regarding the election outcome. I am also disturbed that social/moral issues seem to be so much more important to the majority of voters than the really crucial issues. To me, the most important issue wasn't gay marriage, stem cell research, abortion, or even the war in Iraq. I think the absolutely disastrous state of the economy and continued flaccidness of the job market are the most pressing matters being faced today, but it is painfully obvious that the electorate doesn't agree in the slightest.

I really think the Democrats need to do a much, much, much better job of nominating a viable candidate next time. The endless parade of ineffectual twits like Kerry, Gore, Dukakis, Mondale, and the like has done nothing to strengthen the party's cause over the years. If Clinton hadn't come along, we'd be in the midst of a 28-year run of Republican Presidents. THAT'S what should scare anyone who isn't a dyed-in-the-wool member of the GOP.

My take is, and will continue to be, that the only hope for the future is for a legitimate independent candidate to emerge and eradicate the two-party system as we know it. That, or Barack Obama...he's definitely a ray of hope in the otherwise dismal political realm.

Shmoo

If you look at the states won by Bush, it implies how important 'morality' was in the race. The South generally puts more emphasis on religion and morality than the northern states. I saw several polls last night that put morality almost even with terrorism and Iraq as the most imporant issue for the election. Also, Ohio was won by rural counties and suburbs in the southern half of the state where morality was the #1 issue. In contrast, economy was the #1 issue in the northern, more industrial half of Ohio. When morality becomes that important and decisive an issue it points in the direction of fundamental christianity.

And keep in mind who Clinton fended off in the primaries: Paul Tsongas.

As for Obama, here's what I said on the other board, which also applies:

Quite possibly, but I think he can be a better player behind the scenes helping to make policy adaptations and providing vision. Unfortunately, from a pragmatic view, I seriously doubt the name Barack Obama will be on a national ticket, if only for the morally wrong influence of xenophobia. He's closer, but it's gonna take another generation or two.

While I agree that Bush had the Christian right in the bag, that's not what won him the election - the Republicans have had this vote locked for years... if they alone could sway the election, Clinton wouldn't have won, because you can be damn sure none of the Christian right voted for Clinton either time.

It was the moderate vote that swung the election for Bush, and not on moral issues - it was simply the national security issue. Bush had going for him that we haven't been attacked since 9/11, even if that has nothing to do with his policies. People are afraid of terrorism, and this fact made a lot of moderates opt for the status quo. Kerry, no matter how many times he said "I will hunt down and KILL the terrorists," didn't convince anybody that he could overcome his weak voting record. Not a single poll (of any part of the nation) showed that people thought Kerry would do a better job as a wartime president.

I don't think this was a great reason to vote for Bush, but I'm absolutely convinced that this, and not morality, was what provided the winning ingredient.

Lemme tell you I share in your despair. If you had children, you would be even more terrified of this outcome. LooGAR's positive turn on "letting them hang themselves" is an optimistic thought, but that Christian Right will do more damage than I can fathom.

Even my father, a well-to-do lifelong Republican, voted Kerry(1st Dem vote ever). In a very grave manner he uttered, "these are dark times." It shook me to the bone to hear someone I respect so much and has seen 75 years of politics in this country say that.

Hey Senator, what do you think the chances of McAuliffe leaving town are?

the common answer. which is why I wonder why Bush is not held accountable for his behavior.

i was just watching the news with kerry's concession speech (he seemed pretty genuine) and bush's speech. yeah he really looked humbled.