Do we DESERVE to have Bush as President???

[janekat]

I'm beginning to get worried that we’re going to screw up again and let Bush be re-elected.

I’m so dismayed and disgusted that I'm beginning to think that this country might deserve to have a man like Bush as their President. We should be able to beat this man handily – but it looks like we probably won’t. He should have NEVER even come close to winning in 2000 – but many allowed it to happen.

I used to believe that most of the people would catch on to Bush & Co's hijacking of this country. But apparently most of them are just plain stupid, lazy, apathetic, gullible, brainwashed. Scandal after scandal has erupted. Outrage after outrage has been perpetrated upon us. And most people are still oblivious… or too lazy to care.

The only people who can stop them are either scared rabbits (the media) or into infighting amongst ourselves. The left is "divided." There are MANY things that are MORE important to us than winning. Do we DESERVE not to win because we aren't as hungry to win as much as the Republicans do? Perhaps....

It's almost like we're this "nice guy" Yale chess team who comes out fight a brawl using "boxing gloves" against an Oklahoma football team that has switchblades and guns. Instead of adjusting and trying to compete against them perhaps using similar weapons or "better" weapons - we continue to be "noble" and polite. We say "please" and "thank you." And then we get rolled...... We lose 200 to nothing. But who cares? We still have our scruples.

Maybe we are not THAT interested in doing WHATEVER it takes to win and to get Bush & Co. out of office. Are we TOO smart or too nice for our own good? Most of us know all of the issues - feel very strongly about them and therefore we can't bring ourselves to compromise about a LONG list of things. In my mind we "can't see the forest for the trees."

Instead of strategizing and planning to do whatever it takes (like the Right does) we are sniping at each other. Instead of concentrating on beating Bush we "nitpick" about all of our candidates.

It's almost like we find excuses to NOT win. This is the usual diatribe: For 2004 it's: "I'm not going to support "Dean/Kerry/Gephardt/Hillary/Clark" because they supported the war/kissed up to Bush/voted on a bill/said something." So we get in a "snit" and "BINGO" Bush becomes President again. Next, we have Jebbie - then George the nephew.....

We are not even that motivated even after losing all branches of government to the right - and probably allowing a few more right wing Supreme Court Justices onto the Supreme Court. Two or three Justices may resign (or die) in the next few years. The other courts are being filled by more and more right wingers. Do we care? Apparently not that much. What do we have to show for voting for Nader in 2000? NOTHING! (Except egg on our faces, a dirtier enviroment, a major loss of jobs, loss of our civil rights). Being “right” is apparently more important to us than these issues that we claim are so important to us.

In 2000, Gore wasn't perfect - so many either didn't vote OR voted for Nader. We had values!!!

The right wing keeps winning because they unite together. They are ruthless and will do ANYTHING to win. They will lie, cheat, steal - perhaps even kill.

They will continue to whallop the rest of us because apparently we are not as motivated to win as they are.

We need to do whatever it takes to win. Otherwise, this country will continue to get more and more unsafe as Bush continues to get us into more and more messes overseas AND destroys everything here that we care about.

[MissouriTeacher]

1. It's certainly depressing to dwell on...

our current state, and to think of what a fluke it is that we are in this position.

It bears repeating that if 9/11 had not happened, Bush would be a lame duck already. But people are putting their security fears ahead of logic.

I am not so pessimistic about the upcoming election. It's still to early to say what's going to happen, but things are looking up for the Democrats (which unfortunately also means that the condition of the nation is worsening).

I am one of those who believes the Clark candidacy is really going to shake things up.

[diplomats]

2. I'm more optimistic, too

because Bush has screwed up everything so badly. But I know it won't be easy to be him because he'll have all kinds of money, and the Rove machine will stop at nothing to destroy our nominee.

[Abe Linkman]

3. Are you familiar with Clark's record in Kosovo (1999)?

"It bears repeating that if 9/11 had not happened,"

I don't believe it just "happened."

btw- read up on Clark's record in Kosovo and I believe you'll change your mind about him.

[RobinA]

4. To The Extent

that Bush got close enough in votes to fight Gore and win for the White House in 2000, and if he wins again in '04, which I think he will, yeah we deserve Bush.

The one thing you have to say about this guy is he's not a phoney. He doesn't disquise how dumb he is. He wasn't so well prepped for the debates in '00 that he looked like a smart guy. Despite his claims of being a compassionate conservative, his true views have never been hidden. Anybody who paid even a little bit of attention to him should not have been the least bit surprised by how he's been as president. He never promised to save the ANWR. He never said he'd diligently pursue renewable energy sources. He said he'd cut taxes. And on and on.

Yet people vote for and support him anyway. That's the very definition of "we deserve him."

[Davis_X_Machina]

5. I'd say I deserve Bush as President...

...as a punishment, but only if I could remember actually raping the nuns in the first place.

[gristy]

6. I will NOT compromise my ethics and morals solely to defeat *

The only people who can stop them are either scared rabbits (the media) or into infighting amongst ourselves. The left is "divided." There are MANY things that are MORE important to us than winning. Do we DESERVE not to win because we aren't as hungry to win as much as the Republicans do? Perhaps....

It's almost like we're this "nice guy" Yale chess team who comes out fight a brawl using "boxing gloves" against an Oklahoma football team that has switchblades and guns. Instead of adjusting and trying to compete against them perhaps using similar weapons or "better" weapons - we continue to be "noble" and polite. We say "please" and "thank you." And then we get rolled...... We lose 200 to nothing. But who cares? We still have our scruples.

Maybe we are not THAT interested in doing WHATEVER it takes to win and to get Bush & Co. out of office. Are we TOO smart or too nice for our own good? Most of us know all of the issues - feel very strongly about them and therefore we can't bring ourselves to compromise about a LONG list of things. In my mind we "can't see the forest for the trees."

because if I (and we) do, then even if we win we will have lost.

[janekat]

7. Maybe I'm cynical....

but with the exception of maybe one or two politicians - when they get to the level of running for President - they're all a bunch of competitive b.s. artists who make outrageous promises that they end up breaking. No candidate (or person, for that matter) is perfect either.

They don't make it up to this level without being willing to b.s., compromise, lie, beg for money, etc. If they aren't that way to begin with - they will end up that way because power and/or money will do that to 99.7% of the population. Look at what Nader did (colluded with and took money from scumbag right wingers).

I vote for the S.O.B. who's going to come closest to represent my beliefs.

So I guess you only vote in order to "make a statement" and not to see your issues enacted.