Forget about Ohio. Even in the highly unlikely scenario that the provisional ballots swing heavily in Kerry's favour and he eeks out a win, there's a more telling statistic about this election:

The popular vote, which short of a miracle, will remain at around 3,000,000 in favour of Bush.

That is telling.

Was the case for change uncompelling, or was the case for continuance good enough? It might sound like the same question, but it's a different emphasis.

Maybe the answer, as usual, is a bit of both.

Personally, I think it is shameful that an Administration that has had as many gaffes both internationally and domestically can receive such a resounding endorsement. Sure the election is almost as close as 2000, but the Kerry campaign was run on the need for change. That clearly has not been made out in any compelling sense.

Even if he scrambles home in Ohio (which I don't see happening), this to me is a moral defeat for him, and in my opinion a moral defeat for Americans generally.

How could such a thoroughly incompetent and dangerous Administration even come close to winning?

Put your hand over your heart and go all jingoistic, I mean patriotic on me if you will, but:

shame on the American people. Really. Every bit as much shame on you, as on us here in Australia for re-electing the Howard Government. Maybe more.

Two cars in the garage, nice big mortgage and an oven full of freedom fries later, none of us can think and vote outside our own individual, rather than collective interests. Marx was probably wrong on several things, but when it came to observing how we behave in civil society, he was right on the money.

Kerry was just awful and nobody related to him. I wish Gore would have run again.

None of us are to happy about Bush, we saw the fucked up alternative though, and voted. And sorry to say, until our supporters choose differing view points for their own governments, they reallly have little room to talk. If anyone looks at Kerrys record, it is a very good thing that his political career ends here.

Maybe it's that the American people know better than to trust everything the media tells them.

Right, because the media speaks with a single, Democratic voice, and, the Church* is infinitely more wise?



* I realise the the "Church" hardly speaks with a uniform voice as well.

That is asking a hell of a lot of the Americna people. I mean come on, 30 milllion Americans came out of Michael Moores latest film completly brain washed, and it made no difference. Most of us are complete idiots just waiting for the next partisan dick to control us. It is a human thing by the way, not an American thing.

I don't recall making any reference to the Church in my post.

He was. I blame the party too.
The campaign was a complete waste. Nothing was done to polarize the voters at all. They just kind of threw something out there hoping people would find a reason to like him, they never gave us a reason to like him or to believe in him.

I hope y'all like war in the Middle East, we're gonna be there a while.

No, that's my insinuation of what a lot of the deep South vote hinged on.

You said: Americans are smarter than to believe the media (I assume, meaning that the media is anti-Bush)

My retort was: of course, because all the media is anti-Bush (sarcastically), and that the the American people instead trusted the Church. (insinuating that American people are stupid)

Hope that clears up the confusion.

Bingo.

That's the sad fuckin truth.......I thank God we as a country have AT MOST 4 more years of this shit.....

Is anyone else close to crying over this? Am I over-reacting?

Not at all. I feel sick to my stomach. I'm truly ashamed. I don't even want to go to school tomorrow because I'm sick of humanity right now.

Yeah, I don't think I'm going to sleep well tonight. John Kerry may not have been perfect, but at least he gave us something to hope for. Now all we've got is more of the same...

Yeah, I feel like I've lost hope and truly lost touch with the people in my country. I just feel so disassociated with Americans right now and feel so isolated and alone....I can't describe it but I've never felt this way after an election. I guess I just got too emotionally involved.

It just seems like a huge let down. This is the first time I've been truly convicted and involved, and somehow it all feels as if it were for nothing. My voice meant nothing.

Next?

Me too. I'm happy that the candidate i directly woked with (Obama) crushed the hell out of Keys though.

The problem with the Democrats is the fact that there is no "leader". Rebublicans have a slew of folks waitin to run in '08. Gulianni, McCain, Powell, and i wouldnt be suprised to see Cheney make a run at it as well. The Dems have no "franchise player" so to speek.

new freedoms of choice under another 4 years of Bush:

1. choose what church you will go to on sunday
2. choose what time you will go to church on sunday

I would say: "welcome to democracy!", but you're 4 years older than I am so I don't want to sound condescending. Thing is though, what's the alternative? Probably Stalinism.

I choose to live.



Cheney is a no go, as is Guilianni.

As Chris Rock said: "White people ain't votin' fo Colin Paal... they say they are, they are NOT!"

McCain I'd love to see as President. We would be so lucky to have a reasonable and intelligent leader of the West, but I'm afraid, like Gore, he probably thinks he's had his tilt and that's the end of that.

We're probably looking at a fresh face next time up, maybe even Jeb Bush.



Hillary.