Reply #11: W 2: Democracy O - ver ? [View All]

I am seeking as many comments as you care to offer by 4pm EST today.

"W 2: Democracy O-ver" -- Two questions:

-- 1. Are we prepared to let that happen?

-- 2. Who is the only person who can lead an effort to change the score to W out: Democracy, the Winner?

I can answer the first question only for myself, obviously. The answer is No.

In my opinion the only person who can lead all of us to the only victory that matters is Senator Kerry and it is better to make a valiant attempt now rather than deluding ourselves that we are going to get another chance. Because, foul ball, strike 1 was 2000; foul ball, strike 2 was 2002; foul-tip was 2 Nov 2004.

The opponent truly controls the scoreboard, owns the field, and has been showing our Democracy the exit since 9 Dec 2000. We must refuse to leave; we must insist that the third pitch was no different than 1 and 2 -- spitballs.

Thus, Senator Kerry and all of us need to focus on:

The only 'winners' in a franchise of democracy are supposed to be the stakeholders, the citizens, who irrespective of what happened to their candidate, got to swing at legal pitches and didn't have the score changed from 3 to 0, and reported as a mandate.

Senator Kerry cannot truly 'win' no matter what the numbers in OH, or FL, or..., happen to be.

Let's reflect on what would it mean for Senator Kerry to "win" the current "election"?

What exactly would he and our Democracy be winning?

An HR and Senate controlled by Republicans; an intractable Iraq; a close to collapsing debt structure; a fanatical bunch of neocons who'd never let up; a voting system that he'd not be able to reform because of the intransigence he'd face from a Republican controlled Congress; a media that has shown zero interest in finding the truth, in defending the disenfranchised, and on and on.

He'd get to 2006 and face a disaster that would make Newt's ravage of the Democrats in 1994 look like child's play.

In my opinion, he and Senator Edwards have only one realistic option - declare the current election process invalid, demand a comprehensive audit and commit to one of two outcomes:

-- 1.Audit shows Bush 'won,' so be it;

-- 2. Audit shows Senator Kerry and Edwards 'won,' they demand a re-vote using a fair and legitimate system and they abide by the outcome.

I am suggesting that Senator Kerry and Edwards take the type of courageous and selfless action that might just rescue our democracy franchise.

They need to call the spitball for what it was in 2000, and in 2002 and on 2 Nov 2004 -- a systematic attack on our Constitutional rights and our value proposition to all of humanity.

They, and all of us who are dedicated to our Democracy, should not waste another second trying to 'win' something that simply cannot legitimately be 'won'; the other team not only breaks the rules, they control the scoring process, the umpires and the media.

Senator Kerry and Edwards should lead from a position of selfless service to the franchise.

From that vantage, with that sudden jolt to everyone's attention, they might just convince millions of Americans to shout -- "Halt, prove to us our vote was counted as we intended. And, for all those whom you prevented from voting, let them vote, now."

Rev Jackson got a bit of attention yesterday by saying 'fine with win and lose, but let's count first.'

Just imagine what would happen if Senator Kerry and Edwards said 'we have nothing to win, we have everything to lose if we first do not determine exactly what happened in this election and if we do not insist that those who were disenfranchised are permitted to express their vote before anyone claims to be the Next President of the United States of America.'

And, just imagine the power and credibility they would have if they first said - 'Even if the numbers swing in our favor, the current system is so bankrupt that we will insist on a re-vote, using a fair, legitimate process to ensure that whomever then 'wins' will truly have done so knowing that every eligible voter is confident that they had equivalent access to vote and confidence that their vote was counted exactly as they intended.'

I may be very much off the mark here, and for the sake of our Democracy I hope my assessment of the situation is incorrect - on nothing before in my life would I more want to be wrong. But, based on what little I know, if I were Senator Kerry I would see nothing worth 'winning' in the current situation: instead I would seize perhaps the remaining opportunity to save our Democracy.

Thank you.

"Hault, Audit, & Prove My Vote Counts, Now"