The Danger of Post-Election Amnesia

[SoCalDem]

Within minutes of a Kerry win, there will be pleas from "the other side" for a return to civility and bi-partisanship..

MSGOP, CNN, FOX, and all the others will be doing their best to convince America, that in order to defeat the terrorists, we MUST present a united front....(never mind the hateful tricks of the previous TWELVE YEARS)..

The ONLY thing that will "save us", is for the victorious Democrats to once again "let bygones be bygones", and reach that hand across the aisle..

That hand of friendship and rapprochement has been extended MANY times, and unfortunately, each time it was bitten off, leaving a bloody stump.

Billions of dollars and uncountable hours have been spent to win the white house and the opportunity to bring sanity back to the country. It seems absolutely FOOLISH, to even attempt to cater to the very people who stooped to every tactic this side of murder, to prevent our victory.

The only way for Kerry to govern successfully, is to be BOLD, RUTHLESS, and FORCEFUL with the republicans. They have not earned the right to be treated in any other manner.

There will be a small window of opportunity, immediately after his inauguration, and he must seize that opportunity.

Clinton's administration showed us a glimpse into their playbook, and there should be NO DOUBT, that the book has been dusted off, edited, and is ready to go.

The most important issue on the agenda is re-regulation of the media, and reinstatement of the Fairness Doctrine. Without that, nothing Kerry does will receive fair treatment by the press, and we will just end up losing more years in the propaganda war.

Crafting legislation to ensure voting rights, and fair elections must be near the top of the list too. We had FOUR YEARS, and hardly made any progress. It may actually have gotten worse. 2006 will be a critical election if the house and senate are still close. Developing a STANDARDIZED ballot for national offices, seems to be a necessity. If different voting systems are used around the country, then a standardized paper ballot for those national offices could be used in addition to whatever local/state devices are used.

Without knowing "who really won", all of our legislation is suspect.

The "Move Forward"..."Let Bygones be bygones"..."Get Over it" canards must be buried, once and for all.

A country does not "Get OVER" stolen elections, illegal wars, reputations smeared, international standing lost, and having brother turned against brother. Have we ever "gotten over" the Civil War??

[villager]

1. The South, especially, has not "gotten over" the Civil War...

...and those rancid feelings have morphed into today's GOP...

You're absolutely right -- no "being nice" to the bastards, this time. When they're on the ropes, we have to get them down -- and out -- this time.

[SoCalDem]

3. That's the point.. A civil war NEVER ends..

It's human nature to "tell and re-tell the old stories"..An injustice lives forever..

[villager]

18. Eastern Europe another sad example...

...and so, of course, is the Middle East...

[SoCalDem]

20. I can remember people HERE getting upset at the Serbia/Kosovo

conflict.. They seemed disgusted that they would still be fighting over something that happened 900 years ago..

We are such a "new" country, we don't realize that history is more than a dozen generations and some creative writing in a textbook..

The "storytelling" in families is what determines REAL history..

[ElectroPrincess]

6. Yes, My In-Laws from New Orleans are a good example ...

My husbands parents came up to visit us in Northern Virginia last year. My ancestors fought for the North, even have traced the specific individuals, but I NEVER had the inclination to visit the numerous battlefields in the area. Not out of disrespect but that it brings to me an overwhelming sadness at all the horrid killing of brother against brother.

My In-Laws (and surprisingly Hubby) knew every detail and read every sign. It was an amazing experience for me. Especially daunting what when my sweet Mother-In-Law (really she is beautiful) commented about something and finished with "that might have won the war for US."

Yikes, with the south, perhaps because it was so devastated, the bitter feelings remain.

BTW don't ever even think about mentioning Sherman to a descendant of civil war Southerner ... well, unless you don't mind figuratively losing a chunk of your butt. LOL

[Eloriel]

17. Yes, the devastation, and also I think

Reconstruction, which while I don't know a lot about it, my sense is that it further impoverished and suppressed the South for decades after the war ended. (I really should study up on that period in history.)

[SoCalDem]

21. Basically, our government did what it has always done.. Made a bunch of

promises, and then never followed through.. People get pissed when they are told they will get something, and then they don't..

It's better to never promise anything, than to promise and then not deliver..

[Laelth]

2. I've said it before ...

and I'll say it again. No mercy. Shrub said he wanted to be a uniter and not a divider. He lied, and he ran the most right-wing regime I've ever seen if my lifetime. We get nowhere being nice and accommodating. Time to fight fire with fire.

I am not forgetting the last four years.

-Laelth

[AnnInLa]

4. Spread this post all over the country!

This is the best, most important post that I have read on DU in a month of Sundays. I just copied it and posted in my Louisiana for Kerry Yahoo group, and asked them to spread it around America as an email to everyone they know. Let's spread it....it's that important.

[libbygurl]

5. Just saw Greenwald's "Unprecedented"-I'm still outraged by the blatant...

...theft of the election in 2000, and watching the excellent documentary film brought back those bitter memories.

Like Moore's "Fahrenheit 9/11", this should be shown across the USA before Nov 2! (I'm not aware that it's in theaters anywhere now.)

I'm all for a firm hand by the Kerry administration. No more Mr Nice Guy for these crooks, cheats and liars!

[Kanary]

7. That's what I'd like to see Kerry do. I doubt it will happen.

We, as simply citizens, don't have Kerry's ear, and there isn't much we can do about what he will or won't do.

But, if he doesn't present a stronger and more adamant face to the opposition, it'll just be more of the same.

Yet, if he does dig in his heels, we'll hear cries from the DLC that he has to "compromise", or he'll go nowhere.

Did I say I'm not optomistic either way?

Kanary

[SoCalDem]

8. Hopefully the DLC will have finally seen the light

If kerry manages to get inaugurated in January, there willl be some sighs of relief, but I am hoping that there are some people in that organization who will realize that they got there with a lot of LUCK.. and cannot keep trusting luck..

Sometimes you gotta make your own luck..

repubes have known this trick for ages..

[Kanary]

11. You have more hope than I have, especially here in Colorado

I'm afraid the DLC won't leave without a lot of "convincing". Same as some other groups we've known. :)

I imagine we're in for a big fight to get rid of them, also.

What I'd like to see is the disaffected Republicans join together with the DLC to regain the traditional Republican party. Then, the DEMs can get down to business being DEMS!

Failing that, the disaffected Republicans who are voting for Kerry this year can join with the DLC and become the Democratic Party, DINO style, and the Dems can do the hard work of forming a REAL party from the ground up. For a name, I'm thinking..... "New Patriots". Patriots ala Byrd, with the social policies of FDR.

Works for me. :)

Kanary

[SoCalDem]

13. You're right, Kanary.. they DO belong together

We actually have several "parties" now..

Religious fundamentalists
Fiscal conservatives
Environmenal/social progressives
Get-outta-my-life (until I need help) Libertarians

We would all be better off if we had a parliamentary system, where all groups could get some representation, without having to pretend to be something they are not:)

[Kanary]

14. I guess instant runof voting would help.

But, you don't like my "New Patriots" Party? :cry:

:hi:

Kanary

[SoCalDem]

16. Yes.. I think they might be part of the enviro-progressive party

:P

[mikehiggins]

9. Appoint Elliot Spitzer Attny Gen and put the Plame leakers in Jail

TO START WITH.

Then we can start talking about Halliburton, perjury in official testimony, etc., etc. and so forth.

[SoCalDem]

10. I would like to see the 9-11 commission re-staffed and re-opened

Bush and Cheney subpoaened to testify under oath...in PUBLIC.. and I would like to see at least 1/3 of the panel be 9-11 family members..

They started the ball rolling, did most of the research, and then were relegated to roles a frustrated spectators, as the "panel" lobbed softballs to their "esteemed colleagues"..

[TahitiNut]

12. Imprison tha bastards ... treason, fraud, war crimes

I don't care if 50% of the Federal budget is what it takes. :grr: :grr: :grr: :grr: Increase taxes on corporate profits, dividends, capital gains, and the $200K+ crowd up to 80% to pay for four years of prosecutions. Jail 'em!

[Zorra]

15. Never, ever trust a republican. If you do, then you will get burnt.

They will piss on you and try to convince you that it is raining.

[Eloriel]

19. Who's got the link to the Krugman interview in the TX Observer?

He said much the same thing.

Super post, SoCalDem. And I hope someone will post the Krugman link too.