How can I live in a country where 40% solidly support Bush?

[skjpm]

On the one hand, there's the country of our Fathers, Jefferson, Franklin, Adams, and all the great documents of Democracy, the Declaration, the Constitution, Common Sense, and all the valiant heroes who died for our freedoms.

And then there's this 40% who solidly support Bush.

I would love to be a part of the first America, but I'm afraid it's gone. I don't see the great ideals anywhere. I see a bunch of stupid, frightened fundies who will destroy anything they don't like. This election is making it clear to me that there is this large, substantial part of America which is really hard to live with, and even if Kerry wins, they will still be there, and will destroy any good he tries to do. Can you imagine our country if Clinton hadn't been stopped at every turn?

I think that Kerry might be defeated by a huge, unrelenting negative campaign run by this 40%, and even if he's not, he'll be rendered powerless. The fact that people could watch his speech, compare a man of his stature to Bush, and still want Bush, makes me question how much longer I can live with these people.

[Ezlivin]

1. Crouched in the corner in fear (N/T)

[proud patriot]

2. Fuck Fear ..please read my sigline

:hi:

[hang a left]

3. How do you know for sure it is that high? n/t

[skjpm]

9. Because that's how many still support Bush after the DNC

In other words, after looking at Kerry, they still want Bush. Given the choice between Kerry and Bush, they would choose Bush. I don't get it, and I don't want to. I just don't know how to live with them. They will undermine every positive program that we work to see enacted. It's not Bush's fault we don't have health care, it's this 40% who support him and do his bidding. I don't want to live in a country where every positive step has to be undermined.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

12. Actually, that's number the media tells you.

Do you believe them? I don't.

[yardwork]

14. I don't trust these polls either

BushCo freeped the polls early in the game. There will be a big story about this one day, years from now. All the talking heads of the time will say how surprised and shocked they are that a political party actually interfered with polls, and the news, and libraries, and issued false terror alerts, and subverted the Constitution, and defied the Geneva Convention, and launched a preemptive war against a non-threatening country....

The point is - they lie about everything else!!!!

Why in the world should we believe the polls? Especially since they don't match what common sense and our own eyes and ears tell us.

[democratreformed]

21. When the war first started,

all I ever heard was how so many ppl. supported it. In reality, I never spoke to one single person face to face who said they supported it. NOT ONE. I started thinking the polls spouted by the media were pure bullshit at that time.

[Ganja Ninja]

18. I hear ya! I'm all for giving them Texas ...

force the entire 40% at gun point in and then put up a fence like the Israeli's are building.

[On the Road]

4. As Garrison Keillor Says

"A country in which George Bush has 40% solid approval ratings is a country with a very loose grasp of reality."

[LittleApple81]

5. If my plans work, I won't live here much longer. But still, the USA

is too important in the world to not worry about the horrible situation brought about by JINGOISM, IGNORANCE, DESIRE TO NOT PAY TAXES, AND FUNDAMENTALISM (which reinforces ignorance).

So I will continue working to help elect Kerry. We cannot stop, even if we think we will be leaving the USA.

[RodneyCK2]

6. The sad thing is, regarding the numbers, ...

is that we only have two candidates, oh and Nader, I guess. If we had 4 or 5 more candidates, that brought differing views and ideals to the table, we would have more choices. Not to mention, the numbers you have shown, would be spread out, showing perhaps a less conservative base.

You have to remember, that not every Repug supports Bush. They just do not have any other choice, and that is sad.

[RodneyCK2]

BTW, the number is around 33% repugs/42%dems/25% other

The numbers above are registered voters, not polling numbers, sorry.

[Tweed]

7. Don't know if it helps, but only 20% of the country strongly supports Bush

50% of the population that can vote doesn't bother. Then put on top of that people under the age of 18 and it's even less then 20%. I agree with you though. At most 5% of this country's population should support Bush and in the perfect world not even Bush would support Bush.

[rkc3]

13. There is a fault to your reasoning.

Only half of the 50% who would vote for Kerry actually do vote. A very large percentage of Bush supporters will vote on 11/2.

This is what separates Bush from other candidates.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

15. There isn't a flaw in your reasoning - there's no reasoning.

All you've done is make an unsupported assertion, based on no facts.


A few of the people you claim won't vote:

[Tweed]

16. Do you have ANY information to actually back that up?

Only 50% of those who say they support Kerry will vote on Nov. 2nd? Do you have some unkown survey to link me to? This is a little confusing. The only thing that separates Bush from other candidates is the fact that he is an idiot with a terrible record.

[CO Liberal]

8. If That's The Case....

...Kerry will get between 55 and 60 percent of the vote!!!!

:kick:

[democrat_patriot]

10. By helping the 60%

By not giving up.

Until that number is 38%.

Until its 20%.

Help put Kerry in the Whitehouse.

[rkc3]

11. It's unfortunate we have to live with these people...

but that's what's supposed to make America great. It's also unfortunate we can't put aside our differences to make the country better for all Americans.

I think either election outcome will continue to divide Americans away from the middle. Bush will continue to push his agenda or Kerry will come under fire from the same people who tried to run Clinton out of office. In either event, it is likely to be a long while before America is at peace with itself.

At least we can own assault weapons if Bush gets re-elected. Think of the possibilities then.

[carolinayellowdog]

17. That's not solid support; it's manufactured consent n/t

[DinahMoeHum]

19. Something tells me that in the end this election is not going to be

close.

It would be pretty damn tough for * to make chicken salad out of chicken shit twice in a row and still market it as chicken salad.

As Larry Flynt (Hustler) has said that since September 2003: "Americans were waking up and smelling something other than the coffee."


:kick:

[hlthe2b]

20. Read history.... I'm actually able to put things into perspective...

having seen very similar patterns as we have now in almost every period dating back to our founding fathers. Reactionary, manipulative, lying and overtly deceptive practices/philosophy have been a component of one party against the other, since our founding. That includes the bastardization of religion as a hammer, which has been a cyclical aspect.

[carpetbagger]

25. This is what I was going to post.

The Adams administration (if you like the Patriot Act, you'd love the Alien and Sedition Acts), Aaron Burr, Jacksonian Democrats (Trail of Tears), slavery, did I mention slavery, did I mention slavery, Know-nothings, Anti-Masons, industrial Republicans, Jim Crow Democrats, Nixon, more Nixon, and Reagan.

We've been there before, we'll be there again.

Remember the Maine. The Mexican-American War. Vietnam. Bullshit justification for war is how we've fought probably half the major and mid-sized wars we've been in.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

30. I thought the world came into existence the day I was born?

Wow. </sarcasm>

[Doctor_J]

22. the $64K question

it's just pathetic that the people are so brainwashed that they would think * can lead this nation. And, the truth be told, this is now the only western democracy where this could happen. Bush supporters/enablers around the world are being tossed from office, and every facet of american life has gotten worse over the last 3.5 years, yet he is still neck-and-neck with one of the most qualified men ever to run for the white house.

We've decided to try and emigrate regardless of what happens in November. The next 20 years, the US will be paradise for Hannity, Norquist, and the BFEE. this hardworking, law-abiding family man will be spending his golden years somewhere else.

[Djinn]

24. wish that were true

"And, the truth be told, this is now the only western democracy where this could happen."

but there's more than a good chance our own head case Howard will get another term at the end of this year and even IF Blair and UK Labor get turfed you'd end up with the Tories who would have happilly joined in on the Iraq adventure.

true we don't do religious fruitcakes quite as well as you do but there's plenty of morans down here too.

[eridani]

23. Think of Shirin Ebadi

A feminist human rights lawyer in Iran. She wins some, she loses some, but she stays on to fight in her native country when it would be far easier to leave.

[jeff30997]

26. How can I live on a planet where 40% of Americans solidly support Bush?

I'm a Canadian and let me tell you that whatever happens in the US is having a huge impact in the rest of the world.

[Laura_B_manslaughter]

27. Repugs are stupid but they're loyal

Most will vote for bush no matter unless they lose their job or gas hits $3. They don't give a damn how many GIs or iraqis are killed.

[geek tragedy]

28. Where would you go?

Spain, which just got rid of Aznar? Italy--home of Berlusconi? France--home of Chirac (and LePen)?

A true test of a nation is not its leaders, but how its institutions survive the bad leaders.

[TaleWgnDg]

29. hey, skjpm . . . try this . . .

while holding your nose jumping up and down on one foot, GET ANGRY, GET ACTIVE, GET INVOLVED !!

In all seriousness, volunteer at the local level in your own community for Kerry, period. Get others involved . . . get the ball rolling. Don't let anger roll YOU over!

:kick: :kick: :kick:

=============================================
"(There is) the sovereignty of the United States,
which takes precedence over international treaties
and obligations, and the sovereignty of all other states,
which is subject to the Bush doctrine. This is reminiscent
of George Orwell's 'Animal Farm': All animals are equal,
but some are more equal than others." - George Soros

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A24179-2003Nov10?language=printer
http://www.theatlantic.com/issues/2003/12/soros.htm
http://www.capitalresearch.org/pubs/pdf/02_04_FW.pdf
http://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2004/03/04_soros.shtml
=============================================

[Feanorcurufinwe]

31. And almost 50% of Americans are below average in intelligence

shocking, isn't it?

[mcerise]

32. That's an interesting percentage because

I believe around 40% of Americans believe every word of the Bible as the absolute truth in the face of incredible amount of evidence on the contrary. The existence of God can be debated but the story of Adam and Eve? I feel that this really isn't about whether or not bush is believable but how a large portion of American society fosters the complete inability to confront real evidence. I feel that no matter who wins this November, what we really need to do is spread the spirit of inquiry and healthy skepticism through education and positive role models.

[0rganism]

33. Come back to reality, skjpm, that it's only 40% is PROGRESS

We don't have to look back all that far to a time where damn near 60% of the electorate supported Reagan, or Strom Thurmon was a "respected" segregationist senator.

Our founding fathers weren't exactly the bee's knees, ya know. Half of 'em owned slaves, the other half made sure they'd have the option for the long term. It took a hundred years to end slavery. It took another 50 to get women voting and labor organized. It took 50 more to challenge "separate but equal" racism in the South.

79 years ago a man named John Scopes was PUT ON TRIAL for teaching the theory of evolution in a classroom.

35 years ago the NYPD raided the Stonewall, a gay bar in Grenwich village.

34 years ago the Ohio National Guard opened fire on student demonstrators on the Kent State campus, killing four.

Do not long overmuch for the past. Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King and so many others gave their lives to progress so we could have even the imperfect future we enjoy today. Everything they fought for, you would discard in a vague longing for some imagined "greatness"?

Would you give up so easily on the visions of the Hubble telescope? the Internet? Electricity? Microbiology?

All because less than half the people among whom you live are brainwashed into supporting a singularly poor leader?

Courage. Our forefathers endured even worse than we face now, and managed to struggle onward. I can almost hear them calling out, "Don't turn back, don't give up, don't despair, don't let the idiots destroy what it took us centuries to build."

We too will go forward a tiny bit, and make our incremental contributions, and this country will eventually be a better place for it. Progress is not swift, and nothing precious is gained without a fight. This is a marathon, not a sprint. Patience.