Bleeding Fiction

The most difficult realization to struggle with is that the world may not work the way you envisioned. Kerry supporters will be playing post-mortem on this for months, but what it comes down to is (barring any vote tampering crap we'll never know about) more people got into the booth and pressed the button for Bush than the other guy. And for anyone who values intellectual curiosity, pure science, or progressive government, that's a bitter pill to swallow.

There are some profoundly stupid voters out there, but there are also some who clearly know what they want. To paraphrase George Carlin, American voters usually get what they want and deserve what they get. So if they want a jingoistic opportunistic breath-freshener phony cowboy for a president, who are we to deny them?

The consolation prize is that 49% of the country voted AGAINST the incumbent. As Cheney claims his mandate I hope someone somewhere in the administration pays attention to that fact, since it looks like they're going to try to run the table on everything - abortion, ANWR, privatizing social programs, etc. God help us all (and pray that He isn't really working for the other side - an even tougher realization to contemplate).

Oh, and good job on the pity, Jason. Glad you are no longer doomed. In that way, at least.

The most frightening thing about this whole mess is that Bush lost with EVERY identifiable group except one: the Crazy Christians, also known as the Evangelicals. Their mandate is his only mandate now. How the hell are we supposed to make progress in world politics when our man in charge thinks that Jesus wants him to be president?!

Now I'm all upset and I need a chocolate chip muffin!

First off, one of the big reasons I'm living in Seattle is because I think it'll be a good place if things really auger in. The PNW has a fairly complete local economy.

Anyway, as near as figure the US really has two different realities. In one of them Saddam had WMD, the 9-11 terrorists came from Iraq, and tax cuts for millions help us all. Then there's the reality that you and I live it.

It's really bugging me. Half of the US has a pretty strong firewall against reality. I think there's a good chunk out there that doesn't even watch Fox but gets their news from urban legend and the pulpit.

I think the reason why the polls were so off, both the pre-election ad the exit polls, was that there's a group of about 5% of the populace that won't even talk to pollsters.

Ed, you make a valid point about polling, and that's something I've believed for a while. I mean, how many people with clip-boards are you willing to take five minutes to talk to when you're on your way into or out of somewhere? I know I don't do it often and if I'd been doing an at-poll vote, I likely wouldn't have this time. It's why I inherently mistrust polls.

I just watched the Daily Show. John Stewart suma up my feelings, as usual: "I never though I'd say this, but I miss voter fraud." That, to me, is one of the most disappointing parts. As much a fuck-up as Bush as, as badly as he's screwed us in the past four years and as badly as he can screw us in the next four, he won't be in office forever and things can get better with time.

I also saw a commercial for a special about Alexander the Great on the History Channel. Their tag-line? "He wasn't Alexander the Dumbass." That just made me smile.

(And, yes, I'm aware of the irony of one of my favorite historical figures being a man who believed firmly that it was his divine mandate to take over the rest of the world and impose his culture upon them at the same time as I rail against Bush. I'm also aware of the sheer lunacy of suggesting there are any similarities beyond that between the two men.)

"Zombies eat brains but this - Zombie has a hard time swallowing." (more or less quoted from The Simpsons) I have spoken to a few people who would be willing to flee to Canada. Someone in the Canadian gov't went so far to say that although the American public was understandably upset about the election they should really consider their options before crossing the border.

You know I'm not bailing out to Canada, Brian. If I go somewhere else, it'll be somewhere European.

Of course, due to that recent arrangement between the US and Canada, our Northern neighbor will deport those USians who flee here to there for draft-dodging purposes. I think it would be hilarious, though, if, say, Paul Martin, the Prime Minister of Canada, had held a spontaneous press conference on Wednesday to announce that it wouldn't be a great idea for those of us in the US to move North.

Fucking hilarious, it would be. "Yes, we know that many of you are just fed up with stuff over there, but hey, don't come crying to us, please." Priceless.

I am contemplating starting an initiative for WA to succeed from the US and join Canada. It should be good for humor value, anyway.

"You Confederates? You had the right idea. By!"