I understand. But for many of us elderly folks, Ronald Reagan's reelection was equally hard to comprehend.
Posted by Meteor Blades at November 3, 2008 11:18 AM"The country is at war", no, the country is not. We have soldiers shooting and getting shot, true. But we are not at war. Certainly not in Iraq...where the elected government are considered our "allies" and certainly not to "protect" us from anything. Not in Afghanistan, where the elected government are considered our "allies". True it is partial home to a group of religious fanatics, some of whom did attack us, but do not represent the government. Certainly not because Congress enacted the War Powers (they only voted a limited action, now known to be based on lies). We have no draft, we have no national programs to contribute to the war effort. And no public approval for it.
Posted by T2 at November 3, 2008 11:29 AMFrom one of our city reporters from our Toronto Star - very appropriate -
"An open letter from Joe the Columnist -
Nov 03, 2008 04:30 AM
Comments on this story (4)
Joe Fiorito
My American fellows, much sport has been had with my first name in recent weeks. I am not a plumber. I have never plumbed. I have, however, had six-packs.
I am Joe the Columnist.
An open letter, then:
I know a woman who lives in Mississauga. She is an American. In order to vote she said she had to go to her embassy where, after supplying her ID, she had to state whether she wanted a Democratic or a Republican ballot.
Huh?
Yes, I know you can do whatever you want in the privacy of the polling booth – or in your envelope – but that's ridiculous.
As for all the rest of it, I think you Americans should do as we do and make your voting system uniform, from California to the New York Island. The various state rules, regulations and voting machines you use now are error-prone and open to being gamed. Are you not one nation under somebody?
Your elections also take too long. No wonder there is so much venom and weirdness; you people have way too much time on your hands. I say put a cap on the primaries – a month, tops – and hold the race for president to six weeks.
Some of you really can see us from your backyards, but I bet you didn't notice that we had an election recently. It took us five weeks; no muss, no fuss, and a perfectly valid result.
Best of all, when our right-wingers tried to work in a little campaign sleaze, they dropped sharply in the polls; their bad behaviour cost them a majority.
That's how politics ought to be.
Here's something I will never understand: Yours is the only modern nation in the world in which people who get sick go broke. Let me write this slowly so it will be easier to understand: Universal health care is not socialism, it's just us taking care of each other. Our doctors are good, we have surrendered no freedoms, we live longer than you do, and our infant-mortality rate is better than yours.
And please do shut up about religion. An atheist or agnostic can get elected here – and thus become prime minister – because we do not require our politicians to declare their faith.
Faith is not a proof of character. We separate church and state. And if you want to believe that dinosaurs roamed the earth with man, you go right ahead.
Just shut up about it.
While I'm at it, love of country ought not to require a lapel pin. Any fool or fascist can wave a flag. Patriotism: see scoundrels, last refuge of.
Will you also smarten up about taxes? Oliver Wendell Holmes – he's one of yours – said that taxes are the price we pay for civilization. Roads and schools, wars and weapons – even veterans' hospitals –all these are purchased from the public purse. Unless they are not purchased at all.
How long has it been since Katrina hit New Orleans, and yet you still have not rebuilt a city that is one of the glories of your republic?
Good luck to all you plumbers.
Finally, I know you folks haven't been travelling abroad of late, but you should be aware that skin colour no longer matters in the global village.
The American dream – it remains the envy of the world – suggests that anyone, with hard work and a little luck, can grow up to be president. Got that?
Now do what my friend in Mississauga did. Put your ballot where your mouth is.
Yrs. etc.
Joe the Columnist
Joe Fiorito usually appears Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
Email: jfiorito@thestar.ca
Posted by ggb at November 3, 2008 11:37 AMI agree with everything in Froomkins column.....however, the ones who really failed the test here are the American people. Bush is a fool but he didnt do it alone....the American people were complicit with everything he did because they didnt stand up when they needed to.
Posted by Parallax at November 3, 2008 11:46 AMMB is so right. Reagan was clearly senile in 1984, and yet the press conspired to cover up for him.
I think that with youtube and the like, events like the reelection of Bush and Reagan could not occur again---the stupidity and senility could not be hidden.
Godbots + swiftboaters + shenanigans = Bush 04.
In our red state of Az I haven't seen a Bush-Cheney bumper sticker since 2005.
I cant wait for the investigations to begin!
Posted by TIKI AL at November 3, 2008 12:02 PMBush did NOT win in 2004. Ohio was electronically flipped for him in the wee hours of the morning.
MarkL, I don't agree that it couldn't happen again. Once the "votes" disappear into servers, routers and various electronic toys, all bets are off!
Posted by CanadianDawn at November 3, 2008 12:09 PMIf you really want something to worry about go to TruthDig and read this article:
Posted by CanadianDawn at November 3, 2008 12:17 PMThanks for the very good column, ggb, but next time, link it, would'ya? Americans tend to go batshit over some of the weirdest things, and copyright is one of 'em.
And paradox? My ass that Bush was ever elected. 2000 and 2004 were gamed. 2008 may also be, but I think those of us aware of the malfeasance are fervently hoping that the Democratic majorities are large enough to absorb the results tampering.
And MetorBlades is teasing us. He damn well knows as well as we do that Walter Mondale ran a horrid campaign that was the equal of Dukakis and McGovern.
A good piece by Greg Palast on how the republicans might still win by not counting the votes: http://www.truthout.org/110308A
Posted by Greup at November 3, 2008 01:13 PMJust listening to some of McCain's campaign event. Not sure where it was but it was all negative attacks on Obama with Holy Joe standing behind him egging the crowd on in their booooos. And Cindy, with her shades on looking utterly bored like she can't wait for tomorrow to be over.
The man has nothing to offer the American people but negativity.
Posted by snark at November 3, 2008 01:16 PM"The man has nothing to offer...but negativity"
He's bitter! So he clings to warmongering and gambling!
Or it may be that all the Repub base WANTS is negativity, anger and fear. And the super-"maverick" is happy to comply.
What a party of shit. A direct road to nowhere.
Posted by euzoius at November 3, 2008 01:33 PMI think all of the issues you mention played into that election. But another that is difficult for many of us to comprehend is authoritarianism. If you haven't read John Dean's "Conservatives Without Conscience," you should. It explains an awful lot about what's happened to the Republican party and the country over the last 30 years- from the perspective of a conservative who says the first thing Americans can do to help their country is to never vote for a Republican for national-level office.
Posted by Lockwood at November 3, 2008 01:34 PMIt saddens me to report that CNN is reporting that Senator Obama's grandmother has passed away. Tragic news for him and his family on the cusp of such a momentus day.
Posted by snark at November 3, 2008 01:40 PMWhile the country is to blame for the Great Failure of 2004, I doubt that many Kerry voters have switched to McDoof. So 49% of the voters are still where they were in 2004---sane.
So that basically means that around 5% of Bush (2004) voters may switch to Obama based on the polls. Or else it's all new voters.
That's the margin of error between a functioning electorate and a massively failed one, circa 2008--assuming we prevail tomorrow. Not that reassuring.
And we now are certain that no matter how great their party's failure, most Repubs keep right on voting for more shit. They just can't get enough.
Posted by euzoius at November 3, 2008 01:42 PMso sad that his grandmom could'nt have held on a couple more days. Believe me, he'll think about that many times over the years. And too bad that perhaps the saddest day of his life comes right before what should be the happiest....it will be tempered now, and that's a shame. Life really is not fair sometimes.
Posted by T2 at November 3, 2008 01:49 PMAw, how sad for the whole family.
Posted by iamcoyote at November 3, 2008 02:13 PMTragic news for him and his family on the cusp of such a momentus day.
And with her life ending, the hard work she put into one, possibly will help millions of others bear fruit.
It has bothered me for four years also, I thought .... surely people wake up .... well that did not happen but maybe tomorrow it will and those that have destroyed what was once a decent opposition party (=DDE) will be exposed for the destructive forces they embraced. I hope the corporate media has the guts to discuss how rove and limbaugh (and his bff will) have sacrificed 30 years of any future for 8 years of drunken / disorderly
Posted by wjbill49 at November 3, 2008 02:41 PMI'm so sad Obama's grandmother did not see her beloved grandson elected president of the United States:-( What a proud moment that would have been for her. We'll all just have to help make up for it by being proud of him ourselves.
Posted by fmg at November 3, 2008 03:29 PMI don't think it was Americans in general being frightened, but rather one specifically. Kerry didn't have the spine that we see in Obama. Kerry could have fought, but chose not to. That was one of the most disheartening aspects of the 2004 election.
Posted by drivelocity at November 3, 2008 03:33 PMBunnypants was never elected, not in '00, not in '04, those elections were stolen. The evidence is plentiful for those with the ability to read and comprehend English. Kerry was a coward not to challenge the Ohio count (and a few others too). Even if Obama "wins" this election, or maybe ESPECIALLY if Obama wins, please, let the investigations begin. And I aint just talkin' 'bout vote riggin' here--let's lock some people up dammit! If a citizen can be incarcerated for years smokin' an herb, then traitors, Wall Street con men and election thieves should do some time too, doncha think? Let's start with Rove and Cheney, k?
Posted by Felonious Monk at November 4, 2008 08:19 AM