still affected by 2000, 2002, and/or 2004? if so, how?

[greeneyedboy]

still capable of hope? or did they suck all the hope and vitality out of you?

do you still dare to admit that you want to win?

[InvisibleTouch]

1. Yes.

Life has been generally shitty since the stolen election of 2000. It's like we were supposed to move forward into the promising future of a new millennium, but instead we took a wrong turn into a sick alternate reality. Living with that sense of oppression has negatively affected everything in my life, to one degree or another. Every time it looked like there was an opportunity to jump back "on track" and leave the New Dark Ages behind, it blew up in our faces. Which is why I'm not holding out any great hopes for the 2006 election. I'd prefer to be pleasantly surprised rather than horrendously disillusioned yet again.

On edit: That doesn't mean I'm not still fighting and not still determined to survive, mind you.

[Liberal Jesus Freak]

2. I'm so trusting....

that it took a long time for me to believe such nonsense was going on. Finding DU a couple of years ago was a lifesaver! I'm a lifelong democrat (my first election was 1976-go Carter) and this has been worse than the Reagan years. As I stormed through the house today, spewing fairly mild curse words regarding Rummy's press conference, it occurred to me that I must be fed up. I usually save those tirades for the pharisees at my church :shrug:

[greeneyedboy]

3. after being burned so badly, it's natural...

...that some people are afraid to take a risk on actually *wanting* to win and *hoping* for a victory this time.

i started this poll because. i found myself wanting to ask people here on DU, "are you sure you *want* to win? because with your fatalistic attitude, you aren't helping the cause AT ALL."

then it occurred to me that i am still FURIOUS about 2000, let alone 2004, and no doubt it is emotionally safer to stay distant from this year's struggle and play the jaded doomsayer rather than put your heart into an unfair and unpredictable fight.

even though the facts say that our margin of victory in many, many races is too large to be flipped by any kind of dirty trick, i can sympathize with those who are nervous.

i have no patience for those who are nervous and PASSIVE, when now more than ever we need to be ACTIVEly building up our margins all over the country so that more and more seats are safely out of range of dirty tricks.