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November 03, 2004
La Fin Et Le Commencement
I guess it would be remiss of me if, as a slightly-recognized-if-not-prolific-nor-popular member of the blogging community, I didn't discuss the election.
First of all, as I said I would, I proudly cast my vote for Michael Badnarik and Allen Buckley for President and U.S. Senator, respectively. While I felt Badnarik was going to make a bigger dent in the nationwide popular vote, I was more pleased with Buckley getting about 2% in Georgia, especially running against such a strong Republican candidate (Johnny Isakson) and an African-American (lame duck, maybe, but still African-American, and that matters in Georgia, esp. in Atlanta) Democratic challenger. Good on ya, Allen.
The thing that sticks out about the election to me wasn't Bush's convincing popular vote margin of victory or Kerry's rather quick concession, but the overwhelming dominance of the GOP from coast to coast. When the bright spot in an otherwise catastrophic evening for the Democrats is Barack Obama defeating a guy who might not have the mental faculties to consistently wipe his ass properly, you know you've been privy to a beatdown.
Tom Daschle lost, fer God's sake! One of the biggest, most notable players for the Donkeys can't even defend his Senate seat?? That's what you get for going on TV and suggesting that those with good health coverage are somehow just luckier than those who don't.
I've stopped hating people like Michael Moore, George Soros, people who actually wore "Vote Or Die" t-shirts, Ann Coulter, Jesse Jackson, and the mass of Hollywood celebs who still haven't grasped that the 60's was a handbook for political failure and that rock n' roll won't save the world.
Now I just pity them.
The great (or horrible, depending on how you look at it) thing about the internet is it affords one a thick veil of anonymity, and with that anonymity comes a boldness to be able to sit down at a computer, angry at the apparent stupidity of the American people, and make a complete and total ass of yourself and the party you represent. There are talented, intelligent, witty folks who vociferously backed Kerry and made very good arguments why George must go, but after a few hours of getting my left-wing-blogs-post-election fix, those folks are undoubtedly in the minority.
Finally I just want to make something clear: this election wasn't "stolen", it wasn't fixed, it wasn't some unexplainable anomaly. This was a mandate, pure and simple.
So if your candidate won, take a moment to relish his or her victory. If your candidate lost, take a moment to mourn, bitch, complain whatever. I'll wait...
OK?
Now shut up about politics and get outside! Take pictures! Call someone you love! Just friggin' live fer God's sake!
This is still America and I still wouldn't want to be anywhere else.
Peace out.
DA
Posted by DAve at November 3, 2004 12:30 PM
