Hello all,
I'd just like to forewarn you that I'm off to South Carolina tomorrow for about 10 days for a bit of a break, and I'll likely be pretty sparse with the posting during that time. I hope nothing too untoward happens while I'm back that will force me into blogging action, but I'm sure discussions here will continue unabated.
Before I leave, I want to ask something: As of now, end of May 2004, what do you see happening in the November election? Will Bush's ratings continue to slide? Will Kerry ever capitalize on the tide turning in his favor? Will the election bear out the 1% theory (i.e. extreme polarization)?
Despite our disagreements Luke I do wish you a
safe trip and a most enjoyable holiday.
Posted by: Chrish | May 27, 2004 at 11:50 PM
Exactly what Chrish said. Travel safe.
Posted by: Jim | May 28, 2004 at 12:10 AM
Kerry is about to win, then Bush suddenyly announces that he has personally arrested Osama in the mountains of Pakistan 4 weeks before the election. Then there will be dodgy video footage of Bush parachuting out of the back of C130 and roping a fleeing Osama with one hand. Bush´s popluarity ratings rise just enough to give him the edge in November. He´ll win and blame France for the insurgency in Iraq.
Posted by: j.j. | May 28, 2004 at 10:18 AM
So as I was saying, I hope everyone has a fun and safe Memorial Day weekend.
Posted by: Jim | May 28, 2004 at 12:16 PM
Back at ya Jim.... J.J. kick back awhile, smoke a joint, get your head bad, let go of the politics
and hope you had a great Memorial weekend. :o)
Posted by: Chrish | June 01, 2004 at 04:10 PM
Unfortunately, I see Bush winning again, and further cementing a vision of empire. The choice is between citizen-centered democracy (Nader), corporation-centered democracy (Kerry), and the military/corporate/energy/imperial complex (Bush).
Whether or not I will vote for Nader comes down to whether or not I see real movement from Kerry towards the people, and away from the false result that sprang from Santa Clara County v. Southern Pacific Railroad Company, all those years ago in 1886.
Kerry, even if you go to his website, simply does not stand up for non-corporate citizens. He obfuscates.
Now, as a vote for ABB, as a vote for the lesser of two evils...well...
The vote for the lesser of two evils is still a vote FOR evil. Not sure if I can do that, not sure if I can vote for a demon over the Devil.
Alot of people seem to think that Kerry is actually better for the nation than Bush; I do too, but the difference, other than Kerry assumedly not having radical statists in his Cabinet, will be as clear as the difference was between Gore and Bush.
The radical neocons aside, we have one party in this nation, not even two, which is a number that, given the diversity of opinion on this website alone, should be considered disgraceful. But we don't even have that anymore...we have one party, the F.U.s...the Financial Unicrats, and at all levels, across all branches of government, they have NO credibility.
I don't want to keep Bush in the WH, I don't, but Kerry's got to show me something other than "Hey, I'm not Bush." If he doesn't, he'll lose, and not b/c of Nader, or anyone else, but b/c when people are afraid, which Bush will make them, they want, like Hobbes wrote, Leviathan to come in and save the day...Bush is that for them. What is Kerry?
We still don't know. Let's hope we find out, that America finds out...soon.
Bush must go, but we also must move forward, and try to become that nation we've always had the possibility of being, but never EVER have been...
Posted by: Melvin Brennan | June 05, 2004 at 02:23 AM
Melvin, well said. Hey I agree with most of what you say.
Unfortunately, to me, Bush is the greatest threat I have ever seen to our peace and that of the world. It is not only that I think he is dumb and I patently disagree with most of his policies.
Last time around, I wasn´t particularly excited about either candidate and thought to myself, hey what is the difference between the Dems and Reps anyways. I didn't vote. Boy, do I regret that. The Reps have shown me the difference between them and I fear another 4 years of these people in power. To me, they must leave.
Thing is, if this were any other election, I would probably vote for Nader myself. I am not THAT excited about Kerry, but I can't not vote for him this year. There is a saying: "You don't remodel your home during a housefire."
Well, thanks for posting your opinion. Hope Kerry finds a way to reach out to those who feel disillusioned by the big parties.
(Personally, I'd love to see Nader run for Senator in Connecticut, his homestate against Lieberman. We'd be rid of that man and we'd have Nader in a position to make an impact.)
Posted by: j.j. | June 05, 2004 at 09:22 AM
I would also add that neither party really represents the People anymore. Rather both Parties represent the Special Interest Groups that own them lock, stock, and barrel. Corporate
or Big Business Interest Groups, Trial Lawyer Interest Groups, Union Interest Groups, Immigrant Rights or really could be called Illegal Immigrant Rights Interest Groups.
Our, so called, Representatives are bought and paid for by the Special Interest Groups that funnel money into their "War Chests"; funding for re-election. Isn't it interesting they call them
"War Chests"?
Posted by: Chrish | June 05, 2004 at 04:52 PM
"You don't remodel your home during a housefire."
That is a great saying, j.j., and its the one sensibility that keeps me considering Kerry at all. Let's hope that he continues to meet with Nader, and begins to make my choice, one that, given the current Imperial Presidency, should be easy, and makes it so.
Kerry should be concerned that, even given all that BushCorp. has done, its still not easy to choose him...
Posted by: Melvin Brennan | June 06, 2004 at 12:20 AM
I meant to say:
"...Let's hope that he continues to meet with Nader, and begins to make my choice (one that, given the current Imperial Presidency, should be easy) in fact easy..."
Oh well; its 12:22 in the AM here, and I'm less than coherent, but you get my drift, lol.
Posted by: Melvin Brennan | June 06, 2004 at 12:22 AM
Thanks for all, Ronald.
(hey, just cause I despise Bush doesn´t mean I don´t like Reagan)
j.j.
Posted by: | June 06, 2004 at 09:36 AM
Luke/all,
you managed to get your website mentioned in this article about expats voting in the International Herald Tribune. Congrats. For those of you still doubting that expats are more motivated to vote against Bush than ever before, look out.
Posted by: j.j. | June 06, 2004 at 04:58 PM
http://www.iht.com/articles/523232.html
guess posting the link would help.
jj
Posted by: | June 06, 2004 at 05:02 PM
Did you see the great double act on TV? If not,look at http://omf.blogspot.com/2004/06/george-ii-meets-john-paul-ii.html for a detailed analysis.
I support your campaign. Will you support mine, to ensure that the bloody Olympics go to Paris, or anywhere but London?
Posted by: Tony | June 07, 2004 at 11:04 AM
Tony:
Living just a couple of miles from the proposed Olympics site in London, I shudder to think of the nightmare of hosting the games. Then my greed kicks in, and I wonder if I could sublet my matchbox of a flat at a silly price and leave this infrastructure-forsaken country for the duration. So I'm torn.
Back to Luke's question:
As of now, I think the election is Kerry's to win.
If there is a terrorist attack in the States between now and November, I'm not sure how Americans would react - I've always thought they'd do the opposite of the Spanish, and vote for Bush. But now I wonder.
It also depends on how the Iraqi handover goes and whether Osama Bin Laden is caught.
Or perhaps a lot of people have already made up their minds and will base their vote on domestic issues on which Bush does not fare so well - although his record is often spun by Roveian magick.
I've no plans to go back to the States for the next few months, so Luke, I look forward to hearing from you what the word on the street is.
Posted by: miriamg | June 07, 2004 at 03:40 PM
In case anyone had any doubts that the Bush team considers themselves above the law, please see today's New York times -- memo prepared to justify torture, cause, "hey folks! the laws that apply to most folks don't hold when you're huntin turrists and other bad people."
we have to win this election, we have to, we have to. please do not let anyone you know not vote.
ask em nicely
Judith
Posted by: Judith | June 08, 2004 at 02:00 PM
In case anyone had any doubts that the Bush team considers themselves above the law, please see today's New York times -- memo prepared to justify torture, cause, "hey folks! the laws that apply to most folks don't hold when you're huntin turrists and other bad people."
we have to win this election, we have to, we have to. please do not let anyone you know not vote.
ask em nicely
Judith
Posted by: Judith | June 08, 2004 at 02:01 PM
I'm no use to you personally because I'm not an American. But I am working hard on my relatives (by marriage) in the States; some of them will always stay well to the right of Genghis Khan but there are others who might be brought to see the light.
What can I say to a niece in San Diego who has just sent me a link to pictures of American soldiers being nice to people and seems to think that this proves that Bush is a much maligned man?
I doubt if our Tony Blair's loving support has been of much help to George Dubya but anyway I apologise for it to you all.
Good luck.
Posted by: Tony | June 08, 2004 at 06:13 PM
don´t worry, Bush won´t win California with or without your niece, Tony. It´s the swing states that count.
As for that liar Blair, he sure as hell hasn´t done us any favors. Bush uses him shamelessly to promote his agenda.
Posted by: | June 08, 2004 at 08:05 PM
I hate to pop your bubble but, Arnie,
being a popular governor, could possibly swing,
however little, California to the right just
enough for Bush to win this state. Unlikely but,
not beyond the realm of possibility.
Quite honestly I would love to see the state of
California be rid of the Liberal dictatorship we
now suffer at the hands of those Left Wing politicians in Sacramento. Now that doesn't necessarily mean that I am committed to voting for Bush, at least not at this time, but it would still be nice to see some balance in Sacramento
other than the destructiveness of the Liberal majority now exercising their tyranny over California.
It was they who drove us into a $35+ Billion dollar deficit and drove us to the brink of a bankrupty in this state with their Out Of Control
spending. And it was the Republicans who refused to submit to their demands to dump that deficit on our backs, the taxpayers, with more taxes.
Posted by: Chrish | June 08, 2004 at 10:59 PM
How dare you, anonymous American person, write such unkind things about my Prime Minister? It's so unnecessary; I mean, you might just as well throw mud at a sewage farm.
Posted by: Tony | June 09, 2004 at 10:25 AM
Unnecessary Capitalization:
Out Of Control
Posted by: spellchecker | June 09, 2004 at 12:51 PM
Moreover, that example is actually of *incorrect* capitalization.
Posted by: spellchecker | June 09, 2004 at 12:54 PM
Quite Honestly Spellchecker I Really Don't Care If It Is An Example Of *Incorrect*
capitalization! LOL!
I Beg Your Pardon That Should Be "spellchecker" No Capitalization..... ;o)
Posted by: Chrish | June 09, 2004 at 06:15 PM
that anonymous american was I, J.J. who forgot to put his name to the post.
as for Bliar... Man, talk about someone I used to like and respect.
Posted by: j.j. | June 09, 2004 at 08:16 PM