Another four years of George?

[Cal Weldon]

I hear the American people struggling to understand why the rest of the world has trouble with your ideals and then you re-elect one of the more dangerous leaders in recent history.

Absolutely astounding.

My prayers are with you.

Cal

[moving_electron]

I don't think anyone has ever claimed that the American electorate is not gullible or that they are knowledgeable. The extent to which they think they are though would be amusing if it was not so tragic.

Few are aware for example that the Bush policies in Iraq have have been the killer of 15,000 people. And americans cannot understand why the Iraqi people would be striking back.

Some are of course, just not very many. America will reap what it sows.

[roibm]

The point is that the majority has voted bush, even more so, the college graduates voted fifty-fifty so you can't come here pledging that only the less bright ones have voted for a - so called - less bright guy. Of course we all know what that means, but that may turn against you in the end.
Since we were talking about the end, he doesn't really have a brightness problem as many of you are implying, so skip it. I can only hope for better, but it's kinda harder now...

[moving_electron]

I did not say they were less bright. I indicated they are not well informed and fairly gullible. Does not make them any less dangerous though.

Of course there are many uninformed and gullible voters that voted against Bush for their particular reasons also.

Other examples:
A large percentage of new home buyers expect the value of there house will increase 50% each year. The number of people taking variable rates on long term loans is quite high. Both of these fly in the face of the available information.

I would agree that the vote indicates more of the same. Likely worse.

[Geek]

Originally posted by moving_electron
Few are aware for example that the Bush policies in Iraq have have been the killer of 15,000 people.

Actually, that's a false figure given by the media.

Amnesty International and the Red Cross both put the figure at 100,000.

As for how Dubya got back in, that's easy:

"No one has ever gone broke, underestimating the stupidity of the American public" - P.T. Barnum

[moving_electron]

Slate's 5 step cure for election rage is pretty helpful and can be found at:

http://www.slate.com/id/2108859/

Pretty good at giving perspective and reducing rage from thought threads about evil doers in the Whitehouse.

[Hellbentfemme]

It's a difficult day.

[roibm]

The fact is(as of yet): the entire power in us is red.
Real democracy over there

[cunningham]

Originally posted by moving_electron
I don't think anyone has ever claimed that the American electorate is not gullible or that they are knowledgeable. The extent to which they think they are though would be amusing if it was not so tragic.

Few are aware for example that the Bush policies in Iraq have have been the killer of 15,000 people. And americans cannot understand why the Iraqi people would be striking back.

Some are of course, just not very many. America will reap what it sows.

And how long do you think it would have taken Saddam to kill 15,000 people? Difference is that these people would have been raped, tourtued and then thier sons and daughters would be raped and tourtured in front of them, then just shot like a lame dog and thrown into one of the many mass unmarked graves in Iraq, as has apparently been the case for the last 2-3 decades. To compare Bush to the enemy we have now( and have had for quite a while now) is just nothing but ignorance. Islamic fascist want nothing more than to destroy this country any way they can and will stop at nothing to do so. Why would we wait even longer to strike out at these terrorists(not insurgents) and let them get ground and strike us on our soil? From my perspective, better over there than here. War on our soil would make it even more difficult for America and Osama knows this. How long would it take the rest of the world to roll over and just "accept terrorism as a part of life" if not for America? Oh wait...they already have(well most of them) True that over the next few years, expect more terrorism and death in the world, but the ends do justify the means. Do you think that the terrorist want to see an election in Iraq? Of course not and they will conduct brutal attacks on the Iraqi people to prevent them from choosing leaders that will not torture and kill them and thier children. Just think what the world would be like now if America never entered WWII? Or if we only fought the Japanese and not against Hitler? It is probably true that Hitler would have taken over all of Eroupe and in the end it would in fact have been more peaceful and lots of lives (compared to the Iraq war, unimaginable amount of blood spilled) would have been saved. What a great nation Hitler would have built. The reality is freedom is not free by any means, and unfourtunatly, the price to be payed is blood, no matter who pays it. Always has been and probably always will be.
If Osama had the power to strike this country with a major terrorist attack before yesterday do you think that he would not have? Instead we got a video tape of him threatening us once again. I thumb my nose at him. As far as I am concerned, he can just suck on my And this stuggle will continue for many years to come. It's about time to get it out, because the more time we wast, the more the cost will be(in blood).

[moving_electron]

Originally posted by roibm
The fact is(as of yet): the entire power in us is red.
Real democracy over there

There is certainly a case to be made that the bush campaign did not go after the middle but focused on satisfying the evangelical right in order to win.

This is counter to the normal path of getting going far enought to the center that you can make sure you get over 50% but not disallusion your base.

So Carl Rove will be out touting that he has done this and that this is the way to go.

Probably special issues at work "wartime" presidentcy and all.

Does not bode well for the center and left of center.

The US democracy is fairly flawed is structure. 50% of the senate votes come from 16% of the population. Electoral college accents the major regional differences in thinking and puts great emphasis on a few with votes by many being worthless.

Not really a very good structural model for democracy.