Election Day Aftermath

[WenD08]

reading these posts makes me feel good. Soror Exquisite 5 and Virtuous Woman, yours are most appreciated. w/all this negative talk about Ohio, you'd swear we're a bunch of inbreeds (at least TonyB06, Ideal08, Crimson Tide4 and i aren't). i refuse to stay bitter for the next four years. what's done is done but there's still work to do. instead of being angry and disappointed, i'll focus that energy on the community service i do. this country needs us all whether we're Blue or Red.

[IvySpice]

There is one thought that has kept me going since Tuesday night.

This is a setback, a bad one. This isn't the end. This country has struggled through many more terrible setbacks as it progressed towards justice over the last 150 years, but viewed across the decades, the progress has always continued. The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 probably seemed like the end. Plessy v. Ferguson probably seemed like the end. The assassination of Martin Luther King and Bobby Kennedy probably seemed like the end. They were serious setbacks, but they weren't the end. We've kept going.

100 years ago, when women didn't have the vote, who could have imagined 14 female senators? 50 years ago, when lynching was ignored, who could have imagined Barack Obama? 25 years ago, who could have imagined openly gay celebrities, Congressmen, and federal judges, Gay Days at Disney World and gay adoption in 25 states?

50 years from now, this is going to be a bad memory, and we'll look back and say, it was a tough setback, but we made it through this one, too.

[madmax]

Originally posted by ladylike
LoveSpell--what attracted you to the Republican party? Please do not take this as me baiting you. I would really like to know because I've never had a conversation with a Black person who is also a member of the Republican party.

I am an Independent so I do not vote straight Democrat nor do I vote straight Republican. I vote based on the issues that will best benefit me and my community.

What attracts you to the Democratic party?
What have they actually done for you?

[MeezDiscreet]

Originally posted by madmax
What attracts you to the Democratic party?
What have they actually done for you?

you sure have been asking some interesting questions. you are bound and determined to get some mess going, aren't you?

[abaici]

Originally posted by abaici
I'm an independent thinker, but a registered Democrat. I'm in favor of big gov't, social programs, blah blah blah.

I know a couple of Black Republicans. Frankly, I don't get it. I think they are misguided. But, that's me. I have dedicated my life to public service, therefore, I'm coming from a different place. I just shake my head, and we start talking about shopping.

Let me clarify. Perhaps, I should not have singled out Black Republicans. I think ALL Republicans are misguided. But, that's my opinion. Do I think they are sell-outs or Uncle Tom's?? No. I just happen to disagree with them...that's my opinion. Just like I think Bush is an idiot. The man has an MBA, so I'm sure he has a certain degree of intelligence. He's just a little inarticulate to me. Again, my opinion.

[madmax]

Originally posted by madmax
What attracts you to the Democratic party?
What have they actually done for you?

Originally posted by MeezDiscreet
you sure have been asking some interesting questions. you are bound and determined to get some mess going, aren't you?

Why don't you answer the questions?
Probably because the Democratic party hasn't done anything for you.

[Steeltrap]

There are other places in GC where mess can be made, and this is not one of them.

[WenD08]

madmax, we've ALL benefited from the work of Democrats (better working conditions, civil rights legislation, etc.). Blacks have benefited from the work of Republicans (the end of slavery, affirmative action started under Richard Nixon, etc.).
it's all about who you feel works for you. i choose the Democratic Party w/an eye to the Republicans if they do something of interest.

[INS2U]

obviously u aren't...why dont u try it

smh in shame and disgust at the behaviour of my "soror"...

...but, I'm MOVING ON...

[CrimsonTide4]

~~~~~~~~> IF you are NOT contributing to the ELECTION CONVERSATION in a POSITIVE WAY, expect your posts to be deleted. If you do not like someone, put them on ignore or just don't read their posts. If your post gets deleted do not repost it.<~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[Conskeeted7]

Another way to become a Canadian citizen

By David Ljunggren
OTTAWA (Reuters) - The number of U.S. citizens visiting Canada's main immigration Web site has shot up six-fold as Americans flirt with the idea of abandoning their homeland after President Bush's election win this week.

"When we looked at the first day after the election, Nov. 3, our Web site hit a new high, almost double the previous record high," immigration ministry spokeswoman Maria Iadinardi said on Friday.

On an average day some 20,000 people in the United States log onto the Web site, www.cic.gc.ca -- a figure which rocketed to 115,016 on Wednesday. The number of U.S. visits settled down to 65,803 on Thursday, still well above the norm.

Bush's victory sparked speculation that disconsolate Democrats and others might decide to start a new life in Canada, a land that tilts more to the left than the United States.

Would-be immigrants to Canada can apply to become permanent resident, a process that often takes a year. The other main way to move north on a long-term basis is to find a job, which requires a work permit.

But please spare the sob stories.

Asked whether an applicant would be looked upon more sympathetically if they claimed to be a sad Democrat seeking to escape four more years of Bush, Iadinardi replied: "There would be no weight given to statements of feelings."

Canada is one of the few major nations with an large-scale immigration policy. Ottawa is seeking to attract between 220,000 and 240,000 newcomers next year.

"Let's face it, we have a population of a little over 32 million and we definitely need permanent residents to come to Canada," said Iadinardi. "If we could meet (the 2005) target and go above it, the more the merrier."

But right now it is too early to say whether the increased interest will result in more applications.

"There is no unusual activity occurring at our visa missions (in the United States). Having someone who intends to come to Canada is not the same as someone actually putting in an application," said Iadinardi.

[StrangeFruit]

Why do Republicans like to ask black american democrats, "What has the Democratic party done for you?"

I ask what has either party done for black americans? Every black american is not going to have a small business, every black american is not interested in visiting museums (said to have been built in DC under the Bush administration). However, every black american needs a good education and from what teachers have shared with me children are being left behind.

When broken down children that attend schools that aren't meeting the requirements loose out on funding, while the schools that are average or above average receive additional funds. That doesn't make sense to me. I'm sure teachers on the board know first-hand (and hopefully I was given correct info, if not, please accept my apologies).

I registered as an independent b/c I feel that both parties (Republican and Democrat) need to reevaluate.

I also find is very ironic and hilarious that the word "morals" keep coming up. The word morals needs to be defined b/c apparently Bush (and his supporters) have a different definition or a very narrow view of what morals entail.

[ladygreek]

I got this in an email today:

Dear Friends,

OK, it sucks. Really sucks. But before you go and cash it all in, let's, in the words of Monty Python, "always look on the bright side of life!" There is some good news from Tuesday's election.

Here are 17 reasons not to slit your wrists:

1. It is against the law for George W. Bush to run for president again.

2. Bush's victory was the narrowest win for a sitting president since Woodrow Wilson in 1916.

3. The only age group in which the majority voted for Kerry was young adults (Kerry: 54 percent; Bush: 44 percent), proving once again that your parents are always wrong and you should never listen to them.

4. In spite of Bush's win, the majority of Americans still think the country is headed in the wrong direction (56 percent), think the war wasn't worth fighting (51 percent), and don't approve of the job George W. Bush is doing (52 percent). (Note to foreigners: Don't try to figure this one out. It's an American thing, like Pop Tarts.)

5. The Republicans will not have a filibuster-proof 60-seat majority in the Senate. If the Democrats do their job, Bush won't be able to pack the Supreme Court with right-wing ideologues. Did I say "if the Democrats do their job?" Um, maybe better to scratch this one.

6. Michigan voted for Kerry! So did the entire Northeast, the birthplace of our democracy. So did six of the eight Great Lakes states. And the whole West Coast! Plus Hawaii. OK, that's a start. We've got most of the fresh water, all of Broadway, and Mt. St. Helens. We can dehydrate them or bury them in lava. And no more show tunes!

7. Once again we are reminded that the buckeye is a nut, and not just any old nut – a poisonous nut. A great nation was felled by a poisonous nut.

8. Eighty-eight percent of Bush's support came from white voters. In 50 years, America will no longer have a white majority. Hey, 50 years isn't such a long time! If you're ten years old and reading this, your golden years will be truly golden and you will be well cared for in your old age.

9. Gays, thanks to the ballot measures passed on Tuesday, cannot get married in 11 new states. Thank God. Just think of all those wedding gifts we won't have to buy now.

10. Five more African Americans were elected as members of Congress, including the return of Cynthia McKinney of Georgia. It's always good to have more blacks in there fighting for us and doing the job our candidates can't.

11. The CEO of Coors was defeated for Senate in Colorado. Drink up!

12. Admit it: We like the Bush twins and we don't want them to go away.

13. At the state legislative level, Democrats picked up a net of at least three chambers in Tuesday's elections. Of the 98 partisan-controlled state legislative chambers (house/assembly and senate), Democrats went into the 2004 elections in control of 44 chambers, Republicans controlled 53 chambers, and 1 chamber was tied. After Tuesday, Democrats now control 47 chambers, Republicans control 49 chambers, 1 chamber is tied and 1 chamber (Montana House) is still undecided.

14. Bush is now a lame duck president. He will have no greater moment than the one he's having this week. It's all downhill for him from here on out – and, more significantly, he's just not going to want to do all the hard work that will be expected of him. It'll be like everyone's last month in 12th grade – you've already made it, so it's party time! Perhaps he'll treat the next four years like a permanent Friday, spending even more time at the ranch or in Kennebunkport. And why shouldn't he? He's already proved his point, avenged his father and kicked our ass.

15. Should Bush decide to show up to work and take this country down a very dark road, it is also just as likely that either of the following two scenarios will happen: a) Now that he doesn't ever need to pander to the Christian conservatives again to get elected, someone may whisper in his ear that he should spend these last four years building "a legacy" so that history will render a kinder verdict on him and thus he will not push for too aggressive a right-wing agenda; or b) He will become so cocky and arrogant – and thus, reckless – that he will commit a blunder of such major proportions that even his own party will have to remove him from office.

16. There are nearly 300 million Americans – 200 million of them of voting age. We only lost by three and a half million! That's not a landslide – it means we're almost there. Imagine losing by 20 million. If you had 58 yards to go before you reached the goal line and then you barreled down 55 of those yards, would you stop on the three yard line, pick up the ball and go home crying – especially when you get to start the next down on the three yard line? Of course not! Buck up! Have hope! More sports analogies are coming!

17. Finally and most importantly, over 55 million Americans voted for the candidate dubbed "The #1 Liberal in the Senate." That's more than the total number of voters who voted for either Reagan, Bush I, Clinton or Gore. Again, more people voted for Kerry than Reagan. If the media are looking for a trend it should be this – that so many Americans were, for the first time since Kennedy, willing to vote for an out-and-out liberal. The country has always been filled with evangelicals – that is not news. What is news is that so many people have shifted toward a Massachusetts liberal. In fact, that's BIG news. Which means, don't expect the mainstream media, the ones who brought you the Iraq War, to ever report the real truth about Nov. 2, 2004. In fact, it's better that they don't. We'll need the element of surprise in 2008.

Feeling better? I hope so. As my friend Mort wrote me yesterday, "My Romanian grandfather used to say to me, 'Remember, Morton, this is such a wonderful country – it doesn't even need a president!'"

But it needs us.

Let me just say this.... If Edwards had of been running for President and Kerry VP... I would have voted democratic.
I really didn't care for EITHER candidate (it was like voting for dumb vs. dumb). But my decision was not going to vote for Kerry just because he was a Democrat and it was a change from Bush. Or to vote for Bush because nothing he did changed my situation yada yada. My choice was on facts purely (I might have voted Independent). I read over both candidates agendas and websites and truthfully nothing was all that different.
But as someone said before... its over. We have a president and now we need to move on.
After all how do we know Kerry would have been better than Bush??? The man more than 50% of the time voted YES to everything Bush wanted passed in Congress, including going to War.
We don't know if things with Bush will be better or worse. It could be worst, but before we make ourselves crazy we need to stop the negatve remarks and give him a chance. The negativity is not going to get us anywhere. After all he can't run again and Kerry can.
I think in all honesty (my opinion) its more important to really think about who you are chosing for congress. These are the people who need to president's approval to get anything passed (although yes he can Veto, but there is still that 2/3 vote). These are also the people who bargain with him. Therefore, a dem. might not like a bill, but as long as the pres is willing to give him a lil something something that the dem wants, the dem may still vote yes to what the pres wants. Takes two to tango and politics is nothing but a BIG business negoitiation.
I'm not trying to be on a high horse, but what I am saying is you just can't blame one side when truthfully they all work together (and then turn on each other). As someone said BOTH parties need to change. Question is what have ANY of them done for us lately??
Last, we especially in the black community need to become more involved in political process. Remember the Hip Hop (Ages 18 - 26)vote was suppose to be everything. Unfortunately no matter how Diddy tried to get it out, it didnt work. While more people registered than ever, those who actually did it stayed the same. A mere 17%. That could have been your difference right there.

[Rain Man]

I would like to say for the record, I voted for Bush.

Actually, I didn't plan to vote for either Bush or Kerry, most likely some independant candidate (Nader was taken off the Ohio ballot). But my decision was prompted at the 11th hour to vote for Bush, and I'm darn glad I did.

What it came down to between voting for Bush or for Kerry was whether one thought that jobs and the economy was of a higher priority (Kerry), or that moral values and terrorism was of such (Bush). For me, I felt that moral values was rapidly declining, and IMHO, Bush with his Christian values would maintain and/or bring back morality to the USA.

One thing I stopped doing in voting for an elected official is stop seeing where they stand on Black issues and rather see where they stand on Christian issues. And I can tell you as far as Ohio goes, that is what prompted Ohioans to give Bush the electoral votes for that state. While all the urban areas (Cinci, C-Town, and Columbus) was straight Kerry territory (save perhaps the suburban and outskirts areas), the rest of the state was predominately Bush country. Drive down I-70 or I-71 and look at the political banners adorning the countryside. Nothing but "Bush-Cheney '04" as far as the eye can see. Ohio is clearly a conservative Christian state.

In the November 4 issue of "The Other Paper", the story hit the key reason why Bush won Ohio dead center: Ohioans didn't vote for policies or promises; they voted for Bush, the man, not Bush, the politician. Ohioans saw something in Bush they could relate to, and they voted for him based on that.

Finally, for all those who plan on defecting to Canada, and prophesying the apocalypse, let me just say that IMHO Bush is going to turn this country around in such a radical way that folk won't believe that this is the same Bush who led the country in what is believed by many to be an dismal state of disarray.

The next four years is predicted to be the most critical four years in America's history. Bush needs your prayers, not your criticism. For those who want to leave for Canada, we'll miss you, but don't expect a warm welcome should you ever want to return to the USA when times "improve".