Post-election down-ness (i don't wanna call it depression)

*USA OUT OF NYC*

So, how is Iceland this time of year? I'm thinking of packin' up the homestead and "pulling a Jaz".

what th?

Ha! It wasn't B0b Po11ard, was it?

Four more years of fascism which will probably see all of us finished off.

John Peel dead.

Theo van Gogh dead.

People getting murdered for sitting on the South Bank and minding their own business.

Cancer.

I am not looking forward to 2005.

Classic.

I've always believed that the vast majority of Americans were intellectually lazy and easily fooled. And I've been proven right... We Blue Staters need to protect our interests. The first thing we need to do is force our elected officials to work across party lines and keep our tax money in our states, and not let it be used to prop up the rotting infrastructure of middle America.

Your elitism interests me and I wish to subscribe to your newsletter.

The First Avenue nightclub in Minneapolis closed it's doors at 1:30 pm and let go all of it's employees. It's not certain that it will reopen. It's very possible it will either be bought by Clear Channel or the House of Blues. This was my favorite place in the world, especially the 7th Street Entry.

Definition of marriage initiatives passed all over.

My band played the stupidest, most poorly organized and poorly attended show I have ever been involved in in 8+ years of playing music locally. It was a "get out the vote" show.

Yesterday was probably one of the worst days I can ever remember, excepting days when family memebers of mine died.

I am very depressed right now.

Yeah, I was about to say. Then again, it goes both ways here -- on the one hand, like 2000, Bush can hardly claim thorough mandate. But on the other hand, he acted like he had for these four years and still looks to have won anyway.

yes. but i would think scalia more likely. and of the two, i guess i would prefer the one who is not on record having discussed pubic hair.

Senator 1: "If only he'd knock over a bank."

Senator 2: "By God, we'd have him then!"

i weep.

they're listening to robbie williams in the office. how fucked is it that americans have resisted his relative benignity for over a decade, yet roll over for the great satan bush?

1) Christian moral values are obsolete, and should have no place in our society
2) Terrorism is not a big problem, and it’s only retaliation for our own sins
3) The European social democratic model is superior to American-style capitalism

See, morons on the right really believe this bullshit already. How are we going to convince them otherwise? We're not. So let's play along and say shit we don't believe. If we can drown them out, the way Reagan choked discourse, we can force them to appeal to reality as a ground for compromise, rather than ideology.

About Ohio - part of it is the midwest, part of it is the South, part of it is Appalachia, and part of it is the great lakes. Most of the swing states are such border areas, in which regions cancel one another out.

I'm American and I live in Britain very near to places that have been bombed silly by the IRA, but other than the basic urban common sense of making sure that bag on that seat is attended, terrorism is not a pressing forefront-of-mind concern to most people who live here, at least not compared to the way this emotive topic is framed by Americans who are statistically less likely to be affected, though raw from exposure to 911/War on Terror. Then again, the first WTC incident, Waco, OK City were all committed by a range of terrorists and nobody said the sky was falling then!

Our (intermittent) terror here is historic fallout from colonialism, when government and corporate interests became one in the same and were wielded over disenfranchised or otherwise neutered subjects (often religious, political or racial groups who feel viscerally oprressed). America, as embodied by this administration and its corporate ties, is echoing this familiar model reworked for a global age, and cannot read a history book because of the same myopia which prevents it from putting its place in the world in honest perspective.

of course, if you replace "The European social democratic model" with "Chinese-style crony capitalism," this is a pretty good description of the second Bush administration

I still can't figure out why the fuck the midwest and the south are more worthy of ire than these g roups of people. ESPECIALLY FEMALES AND MINORITIES WHO SHOULD ALL KNOW BETTER AND ARE ACTIVELY VOTING AGAINST PEOPLE WHO ARE AGAINST THEM. I have far, far more ire for my roommate and my mother, both hispanic females, than I do any faceless sod in Ohio. Sorry Alex et al!

Look, I don't actually wish death on anyone in Ohio (well, maybe one or two), and in fact, in my original statement I just said fuck you to a bunch of states, not GO DIE! (though on another thread, I did tell some fascist flag-waver to go eat hot death). That all said, I don't place blame on the entirety of States (`cept for maybe Louisiana -- fuck those people), but like Ally -- on INDIVIDUALS. If you voted for Bush -- FUCK YOU, YOU'RE A DUMB SHIT!!!!

That better?

heh.

Anyway, Alex I wasn't yelling at you with my statement! Just do a find all on Ohio on this thread!

60.1 Indiana
61.2 Texas
61.9 Alaska
62.2 Kansas
62.5 Alabama
62.9 North Dakota
65.6 Oklahoama
66.7 Nebraksa
68.5 Idaho
69.0 Wyoming
70.9 Utah

State where Kerry got more than 60% of the vote:

62.1 Massachusetts
89.5 DC

-- Andrew Farrell (afarrel...), November 3rd, 2004 4:21 PM. (afarrell) (later) (link)

3) The European social democratic model is superior to American-style capitalism

Well, yes. The thing this election has taught me is that at the end of the day, I am actually English, and although I have many problems with England and its political system, its beliefs are closer to my own than the ruthless Consumerism of America.

This is the day that has taught me that I am not American, and despite 15 years of living in America, I will never be American. Although most of my English friends may consider me two steps from a Tory for some of my political and economic beliefs, I am still a radical when compared with the majority of America.

My accent is not representative of who I am. I feel like America is just not my responsibility, but I no longer want to be held responsible for it.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A13192-2004Jun28.html?nav=rss_politics

Democrats ought not to forget that they didn't do 'badly' here by any measure; they got 3-4 million more votes than Gore managed. They fought vigorously and well, if not perhaps as wisely/mathematically as Rove did. The debates alone showed Kerry to be a thoroughly adequate candidate, and rather better versed for the job, certainly by any sensible (heck, aye, 'European') yardstick.

There is validity in railing against the status quo of "USA PLC"; people look for key signifiers in a candidate, not for any depth of ability, or even for *whose policies will help them most or are more workable*...

But, I'm afraid there must be an element of UK Labour Party rethink, circa 1992 here... there is absolutely no need to go veering off away from the party's principles like Blair did; but the Democrats must think hard about campaigning strategies, and how to be able to target the key edging-Republican states. I see no problem with a Democrat Presidential candidate adopting an everyman, middle-America tone, as long as they will still pay heed to key party principles. Note that Bush got in in 2000 on a moderate conservative platform, yet has still been able since then to play to the gallery of his party and move the country in a conservative direction. The Democrats must basically try and establish the validity of their political project, and put it in the terms of ordinary people; they must talk to the un-converted, all the way. They may have help if the Republicans/Bush mess up badly in the next 2/4 years, which seems entirely feasible, given the form.

Here's a few things that may be unlikely, but ya never know:

Maybe my optimisim is too pollyannish. Maybe my pessimism is too dark. Realistically, the next four years may not be as bad as we think it will be.

Cuz Lord knows, it can't get that much worse, can it?

Now all the truth is out,
Be secret and take defeat
From any brazen throat,
For how can you compete,
Being honour bred, with one
Who, were it proved he lies,
Were neither shamed in his own
Nor in his neighbours' eyes?
Bred to a harder thing
Than Triumph, turn away
And like a laughing string
Whereon mad fingers play
Amid a place of stone,
Be secret and exult,
Because of all things known
That is most difficult.

William Butler Yeats

But thinking about young people in GB today; they don't have particularly strong beliefs/values, whether in politics or religion. This works in both ways; while one is dispirited by the political side of it (many are indeed tacit Thatcherites), at least we can say they are not taken in by hardline religious dogma.

Awesome thread.

Ed ftw:

One thing I really don't want to hear about right now is speculation about which Democrat is viable as a candidate in 2008! No Democrat is viable as a candidate!

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Wednesday, November 3, 2004 9:25 AM (3 years ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

Obama?

― Ed (dali), Wednesday, November 3, 2004 9:25 AM (3 years ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

ha, I was just about to c+p that. Had it all italicized and everything.

This thread brings back the bad memories. I remember going to bed late that election night/morning in a state of denial. Our election night party turned sour, everyone began to drunkenly bicker with each other, and my friend passed out on a chair facing the loud tv with a beer in his hand. Miserable.

i was CRAZY emo in 04

day after '04 election = only time i was ever hungover enough to puke at work. my physical state mirrored how everyone seemed to be feeling that day.

Hillary is unelectable. I sure as hell hope someone else emerges as a credible candidate in '08.

― Jonathan Z. (Joanthan Z.), Wednesday, November 3, 2004 10:03 AM (thirteen years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink