Attention Lurkers! Here's How It's Gonna Go Down ...

It would seem obvious by now that a Democratic president being sworn-in in January 2009 is an inevitability. It would be naïve to think that this outcome will not be directly attributable to the fact that your party has totally f*cked up everything from the economy, education, the environment, the judicial process, the – but really, need I go on? As you all know, the internetz has only so many tubes to hold information.

I just wanted to give you all a head’s-up as to what changes you can expect with the swearing-in of our next President in January 2009.

Amazingly, the next President will have been duly elected to office. For those of you with younger children, you may have to explain that concept to the kids, being as they’ve never seen a duly-elected president before. ("But mama, what about the Supreme Court? What about Diebold? What about the math?")

The Constitution of the United States will be brought back to its former position of reverence and relevance. I realize that for many of you, kon-sti-tu-shun is a brand new word – but simply put, it’s that thing your president has been ignoring and/or dismantling for the past seven-plus years. Don’t hesitate to ask mom or dad to help you google it – you’ll be amazed at what it actually says!

Rights and freedoms curtailed and/or dispensed with under BushCo will be reinstated. Oh, please, you’re not going to launch into that what rights and freedoms diatribe again, are you? Put some thought and effort into it – I’m sure you’ll be able to figure it out. Good place to start: habeas corpus. (Hint: That is not the name of a hip-hop band.)

The newly-elected Democratic president, once sworn-in, will immediately start acting like the last president; i.e. will start wiretapping without a warrant, spying on American citizens, fabricating evidence to start a war in the Middle East, wrecking the economy, lying about – nah, they won’t really. But I bet that thought scared the crap out of you, didn’t it?

The next President will be able to communicate intelligently, and will have more than a passing familiarity with the English language. The immediate impact of this situation will be on late-night show monologues, as putting food on your family jokes will no longer simply write themselves. (Makes you appreciate those striking writers now, doesn’t it?)

The new President will not be appointing incompetent idiots to positions like the head of FEMA, nor criminals to head up Homeland Security. The truth is that most criminals tend to be Republicans, which leaves a smaller pool to choose from. And as big as the Democrat tent tends to be, we honestly don’t even know anyone as dumb as Michael Brown.

As is their wont, Republicans will no doubt start looking for a ‘sex scandal’ to attach to the new President. This is always a problem for Democrats, as they are usually sexually attractive people. We, as a party, have often decried the fact that this particular tactic can never be used on a Republican president for obvious reasons. Let’s face it, if a Democrat had tried to suggest that Ronald Reagan was getting BJs from a willing young lady, even you would have laughed your asses off!

Investigations into corruption and wrongdoing by the previous administration will continue. Unfortunately for many Republican office-holders, the US government is not a board game where, once a winner is declared, the board is cleared and the game starts all over again. Players can still draw the Go directly to Jail! card – and the Get out of Jail FREE! card from the previous administration’s game is no longer in play.

On April 1, 2009, the President will announce that all Republicans are to be immediately deported to a desert island – and you will swallow it, hook, line and sinker. Let’s face it, if you believed Bush was telling the truth all these years, you’re obviously not savvy enough to know when someone is pullin’ your leg.

The separation of Church and State will again be recognized, as per the Constitution. This means that self-proclaimed Christian preachers will be forced to stop being political tools and go back to sermonizing about the words and teachings of one Jesus Christ. In order to expedite the transitional period, classes such as "Jesus Christ – The Forgotten Christian" will be held in major cities and larger rural areas for pastors who will be learning about their Savior for the first time.

Now, here’s some good news. We know how much you people hate those Welfare Queens who suckle at the public teat. Chances are the new Democratic regime will tell Exxon-Mobile that their tax subsidies are a thing of the past, and it’s time to pull themselves up by their bootstraps and learn how to get by on their billions in profits without a handout from the taxpayers.

Alas, here’s some bad news. If you are currently invested in companies like Halliburton, whose profits depend on endless war being waged, you might want to talk to your broker about diversifying your portfolio.

The new President and his/her administration will undoubtedly fall into the What about HIM? precedent of blaming all of America’s ills on the previous administration. (You will, of course, recall how popular this was during the Bush years). The difference here will be that when they discuss the quagmire in Iraq, the failing economy, the broken military, etc., and say, “It’s all Bush’s fault” – they’ll actually be RIGHT!

So here’s a pre-emptive Shock ‘n Awe moment for all of you 24%-ers out there: Come January 2009, the country may well be on its way back to being a respected world leader.

Sorry.

:thumbsup:

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Being left of the GOP is always extreme. I am I very proud to be listed as an extreme leftist by GOP.

Being hammered by 'The People' is part of life. Advocating doing what is right for the people is the best for all.

Again, welcome.
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Huzzah to the hell raisers!!! As a like minded female type woman I stand and applaud your sass and laughed so hard my big boobies hit me in the eyes. Yur funny Nance and with the writers strike, it's good to have some comedy to relieve some of the pain and angst that is a constant nag from our national and world situations. Keep em coming!!

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DU is not a lock step board. Liberals seldom agree totally on any subject, nuance does affect the positions offered. Many opinions are welcomed and discussions are often varied.

May I make a suggestions though, when one chooses to make sweeping statements about others, keep in mind their (there) is a big difference between 'your' and 'You're.' - @:-/
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rich kid who is in way over his head and is too dumb to claw his way out.

I don't want to see our country brought down a notch...I want to see it brought UP about 20 notches.

I don't think American troops are baby killers and rapists...I *was* a troop.

Misconceptions can go both ways, huh?

with the previous sentence's adjective clause and is also definitively not a statement worthy of an exclamation mark. For YOUR information, we democrats are going to try to repair the damage of "bringing the country down" what is by now a whole chasm of notches by the republics in the White House. We all (I'm not a guy) do not think pResident Bush is the source of all evil; he is just a cog in the Axis. Cheney, after all, cannot be discounted in the evil department; so please note that we will never blame everything on W. In addition, in response to your charge about progressives and troops, we democrats think that the troops should be held in esteem and not shunned when they need medical treatment and not discounted and charged for their meals when in the hospital and not charged with owing back the government bonus money when they can no longer serve because of war wounds. Also just to set the record straight, we liberal democrats do not think that these fine young men and women should have been sent to war in the first place in order kill innocent Iraqis so that the Bushistas could further aggrandize themselves and their corporate donors. No more war for lies! Now there is a statement worthy of an exclamation mark.

You included a number of words longer than four letters.

All that stuff about ideology and litmus tests comes from Faux Noise, not from reading DU for any reasonable length of time.

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A good discussion is always a joy. I will say first, I speak for myself. Please try to avoid sweeping general statements on my behalf. When did I say, "President Bush is the source of all evil. That don't want to see their country "brought down a notch" and don't think that American troops are baby killers and rapists!"?

I do not know of which "...litmus test is driving your party out of the main stream. ..." you are talking. I do have at least one position on which I will judge a candidate before voting for him/her.

The issue is "torture." Parse away all you want. USA does not torture. I believe a majority of USA citizens do not tolerate torture. If this issue qualifies as extreme, qualify me up. This issue is as main stream USA as one can get!
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source of all evil. In fact, DU is really split on the issue. Half think it is Rove. The other half think it is Cheney. :)

Seriously. You have some decent points ( although I disagree), but there is one that I have to call you on. We don't think American troops ( you are using the collective) are rapists and baby killers. I have a very close and dear relative presently over there (2nd tour West Pointer). Kids I taught are over there. A good friend's daughter came back in painful shape from over there. Have there been some pretty bad things over there? Damn straight, and to not admit it is the worst disservice. But Dems are the ones pushing for benefits and health care for veterans. Dems are the ones asking about body armor. Dems are the ones condemnng mercs. Just look at what party returning vets join and run for office as. Everything else you say is fine with me. As much as I disagree.

Oh, and aside from that, welcome to DU. I mean that.

well, you seem to imply that "pubes" is in some way derogatory or insulting.

pubes are nice. i enjoy ocassionally being able to pick pubes from my teeth. (too bad i can't do that MORE often... :-) )

but there is NOTHING in the least positive about puke.

and that correlation is PERFECT for our dear brothers and sisters of the republican "preference".

face it, you weren't born that way. you made the "choice". you can change. all it takes is a little education, a little actual, not faux, compassion for your fellow human.

you should know that "conservative" and "compassion" are almost oxymoronic.

conservative means as little change as possible, even shunning change for the status quo.

compassion implies sympathy, even empathy for those of a different circumstance than you, and a willingness to try alternatives to solve problems and salve pains.

and this delusion of yours that the republican party embraces differing opinions is nothing but a charade. when you step into the voting booth it is nothing BUT lockstep. and you know it. :spank:

you CAN better yourselves.

and once you do, if you are sincere, we will welcome you with open arms, doors (and ocassionally legs!).

now doesn't that give you something positive to hope for and work towards? (are you getting a "woody" as you read this?)

then we all, as rodney king (one of your favorite minority spokespersons) hopes, can "just get along".

again, welcome, and please enlighten us more with your unique philosophy. fun will be had by all.

:hi:

you are completely f***ing delusional if you think "your side" tolerates "varying viewpoints". Repukes are like a bunch of fascist goose-steppers who ALWAYS put the interests of the Greedy Old Pig party over the interests of America. Please take your crap elsewhere - we come here to get away from people like you.

:rofl:

:rofl:

Can you list some of these radical views?

:shrug:

You think what BushCo did to this country was "in our best interest?"

I so wish ignorance were painful. :crazy:

If ignorance were indeed painful, I would be out buying shares in drug companies that manufacture pain-killers.

comment for you, go look hard in the mirror. And did you use Jesus Christ's name in vain? Shame on you. I am part of the left that wants peace, food for the starving children, health care for everyone, freedom from big government spying, and I don't want any part of your fascist state. Climb back under whatever you came out from. I know that's more than one comment so sue me.

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§;-)
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I am feeling so much better. Actually I love freepers in here. They are so easy to make a fool of, all bluster and no substance. Like Elizabeth Hasselbeck, i love having her on the view. When she talks it is so easy to see how brainless (but cute) she is. Actually I don't watch that stupid show but hear her quotes on Stephanie Miller. Speaking of which: "Goldwater and Miller in '08".

I have enough trouble with the right wing of OUR party and if you read the rules it specifically says this is a board for Democrats.

You don't have to post to be a lurker, and given the quality of that post, we would all be better served if you spent your energies someplace where the views ARE lockstep.

Face it, right wing cretins like you are a tiny minority and the brain damage from your lead filled childhood keeps you from getting this: no one else thinks like you do except in certain parts of the country portrayed in Horror Films and Canoe Trips gone horribly wrong.

Take care, now.

if we keep kicking them out. Actually I get a kick out of their idiotic posts.

Oh, well... Sounds like there was a little fun. I guess Nancy struck a nerve... :shrug:

Of course, my post wasn't addressing lurkers, but DUers.

Not particularly well received, unfortunately.

:shrug: Ah, well.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=2323030&mesg_id=2323030

:rofl::rofl::rofl:

... was no Bob Dole, but ...

:)

keep the faith

Not a single infringement will be withdrawn,
no politician is going to give up that level of control, and lets be blunt - by 09 even more Americans will consider it the norm.

"The trouble with normal, is it always gets worse."


Bruce Cockburn.



I hope the rethugs and their warmongering gung ho - but chickenhawk - freeper cheerleaders enjoy the prospect of the powers they have put into the hands of Bush, and argued the rights of those powers to "protect" us, being in the hands of a Democrat and Democratically elected President.

Sorry guys and gals but I think the shrinking of liberty, pivacy and freedoms is here to stay and will not improve, the only difference is the mindest behind the one in power. Bush really did go too far down that road and be allowed to get away with it.

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To assure the Constitution is reaffirmed and followed. It will not be easy but 'The People' must protect the rule of law.
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We however have a lot to lose, big screen tv's, SUV's, ipods, etc. Things will have to get a lot worse before the public decides it is time to r e v o l t. And I am afraid that's what it will take. Not that I would ever condone such actions.

The best our generation, and perhaps our children (my oldest is an 18-year old college freshman) can do is try and slow it down a bit.

Recommended.

This is my most favorite since the "Jesus wept" piece.

... red-handed, fingers poised over the keyboard ...

cuz I was a "lurker" here at DU for years before becoming more participatory, and posting and such..
so I thought it was addressed to ME .. yikes .., I've never been one of THOSE kind of lurkers.

but well done.

My apologies!

I wasn't thinking in terms of 'lurkers' like yourself - obviously meant 'lurkers' of a different sort; i.e. those who post on a home website that only exists to comment on what's being said HERE!

:loveya:

Stop calling hatred and rage against women a sex-neutral form of politics, people. I treat dozens of beaten and battered and abused women everyday and none of them have ever run for office. Think about that, all the aligned and unaligned lurkers on this board.

just to make sure it will be a while before the American people let themselves get hoodwinked again.

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...with Dorothy and Toto's grand adventure! But, alas, this time the wizard is hiding behind steel-reinforced doors, rather than a flimsy curtain.

And with electronic voting machines still firmly in place all over the country, I think it's a bit premature to assume the next president will be "duly" elected.

"Investigations into corruption and wrongdoing by the previous administration will continue" ... to be used as a distraction, a "sound and a fury, signifying nothing," as the new regime, whether Republican or Democrat, takes over the reins of power grabbed through deceit and corruption, prior to 2009, and finds it much to their taste.

But 'tis the season for turkeys and trees and bright shiny fables. Yes, Virginia, there still are fairy tales, for yet a little while.

I keep forgetting to get into that "all is lost so why bother" thingy.

..."God's in his Heaven and all's right with the world, eyes-glazed-over, it's all good" thingy.

Even some of the physicists tell us that thought impacts our reality. But they also tell us we have to sweep our front porches, rather than hoping it all shiny and clean.

... not by a longshot. But I don't apologize for being hopeful, for believing that things can and will change - or for posting something a little light-hearted and humorous when I feel like it.

It's not all rosy, but it's not all doom 'n gloom either.

...in healing, a la Dr. Bernie Sanders and others. I have never in my life felt that *anything* is all doom 'n gloom. But in deference to those who have lost loved ones because of the ascendency of the Bush regime, and because we've seen very little to create any sense of hope that the Dems are going to step up to the plate and defend our democracy, it feels a little disrespectful to talk in such cheerful terms of things to come in America.

But then...John Lennon wrote "Imagine" during the worst of times -- *that* worst of times.

You are gifted with a wild sense of humor. Not that it may matter to you, but I enjoy a lot of your writing. It's just that every now and then, when you get onto this kind of rose-colored projection of a future that doesn't seem too likely, I feel slightly offended because what we face is dead serious, has historical precedent for things *not* shaping up delightfully (thus sayeth Naomi Klein and Naomi Wolf), and -- in agreement with someone else posting here -- I think it's dangerous to take our eyes off of what is actually happening.

Hope and reality are not mutually exclusive. Hope exists, really, in spite of every damned piece of fear that we can possibly imagine. So to the extent that you are trying to be a hope-monger, I salute you.

This post was addressed to "lurkers" (meaning persons from a few RW sites who lurk here, and then 'report' back to headquarters) whose vision (nightmare) of a Democratic president in '08 includes drive-through abortion clinics, forcing heterosexuals to become gay, etc.

The point I was trying (hoping) to make is that what the Democratic Party stands for is going back to the things this country was founded upon, such as the Constitution, traditional rights and freedoms (which existed for over 200 years before BushCo stepped in), fair elections, etc.

I am well aware (often painfully so) that many of our elected Democrats currently in office are woefully unreflective of the ideals and truths that this party holds to be self-evident.

I am often called on the carpet for expressing my opinion about "Democrats" at large - simply because I do not always equate what Pelosi or Reid have said or done with what the PARTY, as a whole, stands for. I tend to think of my party as the people (especially those here on DU) who believe in our long-standing ideals, as opposed to the PARTY being whoever happens to be in office at the current time, or whoever happens to be wearing the (D) behind their names on the cable-news crawl.

Unfortunately, We the Democrats and They the Mouthpieces for the party are too often not one and the same thing.

I do wholeheartedly believe in the ideals and goals of my party and its members - I do not, however, believe in the ideals and goals of those who arbitrarily take impeachment off the table, or compromise our party's principles completely and couch it in the term "compromise".

I guess I am guilty of often having a "rose-coloured" vision of what can be, because I read the posts by true Democrats, here and elsewhere, and am reminded that there are those who will spare no effort in getting the party back to where it was meant to be.

And when it comes to THOSE people, my faith has no bounds.



(A quick PS: Your avatar - beautiful, but too small for me to discern what it is. It looks like a stained-glass window. What is it?)

...is the Peace Palace Gate in The Hague. (I'll see if I can find a more defined photo of it.)

When I was 14, my soldier father took the family to The Hague for a summer vacation and we visited the Peace Palace. I've never forgotten it, and its relevance haunts me now, in this our hour of need in this country, this world.

Sometimes my impatience for change overcomes my own sense of hope and humor. I've been reading "The People Decide: Oaxaca's Popular Assembly." I'd like to see that kind of spirit arise in America, north of the border, and the ideals you speak of here take charge.

This forum serves as a round table where love and humor and spit and vinegar can be exchanged. It's not perfect, and I often think that if I could sit across a real table, instead of a virtual one, with a lot of people I encounter here, a greater degree of understanding would ensue. For now, thanks for your response. I think that very often those who are feeling hopeful hold up those who, temporarily are not feeling that way. And sometimes those who post less hopeful messages which hark back to historical events much like what we are living through now, act to correct the course of our thinking -- and our Ship of State.

Peace!

When I am in an oh-Jesus-what's-the-use frame of mind, and I see a post here that is meant to be satirical or humorous, my first thought is: "Hey, don't YOU GET IT, PAL?"

So, of course, the days I'm in a let's-lighten-up-for-a-minute mood, I shouldn't be surprised that I may be really irritating to someone who is presently in the opposite frame of mind.

As someone here recently said (and forgive me for not remember who), in the end "we're all rowing the same boat".

Sometimes our oars may be out-of-sync, but let's remember that the REAL goal is to get where we all want to be.

but I'm still keeping my eye on the border....just in case Cheney has another evil plan.

under estimating the stupidity of the American people and the power of the RW MSM controlled by the corporatists.

this one is my absolute favorite for so many different reasons.

1)Like others, I thought you were referring to me when I used to lurk - I got scared (because of your wise ways) and then relieved when realizing you weren't directing this towards me.

2)You are so CLEAR. I come to DU sometimes and get saddened about how petty the threads have become. Your writings always cut right through to the important points. (In this case, separation of church and state, the Constitution, duly elected for a few examples.)

3) You stay above the fray. I never see you in the "ha, ha, my candidate made a smaller screw-up than yours", "mine polls 2 points higher than yours", and other such threads. I know when I come to read your stuff that you are directing your anger, hurt, pain, frustration, dreams, and so forth, right where they should all be directed: at this President and the Republicans who back him.

4)The way you make Dems out to be sexually more attractive. Without naming my choices, I have to wholeheartedly agree with you.

For these reasons and more, I thank you and recommend your writing once again.

Thanks!

DemEx

And not only the outcome-of-the-election part.

"Investigations into corruption and wrongdoing by the previous administration will continue."

First of all, they would have to start in order to continue. Sorry, Nance, but I expect another disastrous "forgive and forget" moment. It's in the Dem playbook to be "above partisan politics", especially during a "honeymoon" period. Hope I'm wrong.
Otherwise and as always, lovin' me some snarky riffin' from the Nance. :hi:

NoFederales

Thank you!!! :hi:

K&R

:kick:

be entitled to drink the flowing French champagne when the criminal cartel known a Bushco gets hauled off in hand cuffs and leg irons? And yes, the champagne will be purchased with the seized assets of the Bush crime family.

:applause:

But it would be a great one!!!

:rofl::hi::rofl:

:kick:

:rofl:

great post

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"considering that President Bush just said that she is the only dem that could run the country"

Well, if Mr. 24% approval rating said it, it must be true! Everyone listen up! Who would know BETTER what it takes to run a country than the guy who has fucked up everything from the quagmire in Iraq to the nose-diving economy!

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The Democratic Party has many good candidates, the issues (not necessarily the personality) will be what helps win the election. Edwards has a good message and can take it all.

You bother with this because you know that GOP candidates are making themselves unelectable. So welcome and hang around. Maybe you will learn a thing or two about open and honest political discussions.
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you do whatever it takes to keep from crying.

because that WILL be what you do when the american people finally realize the mess george fuckwad bush has made of this country.

and it WILL happen. i agree with nance that there are many democrats who DO want to undo everything fuckwad has done.

if the american people don't wake up from their slumber voluntarily, then it may be necessary to jolt them awake.

but it WILL happen, and they WILL be pissed. and everyone who helped create this mess, from top to bottom, will be held accountable, including the voters who eagerly believed lies that they knew were lies, who knowingly sold our freedoms and liberties for those lies, and after it was obvious to everyone what a pathetic excuse of a human he was, STILL kissed fuckwad's ass.

i hope fervently for the day when you are ashamed, even afraid, to even mention bush's name, or the fact that you are a republican.

at that point you will cry.

crazed, hysterical, hyena type laughing will not be enough.

Let's keep working to make it happen.

For the record, when they were in Office, my wife and I were at a little thing
with both Bill Clinton and Al Gore, and while my wife agreed that Bill Clinton
had real charisma, she was blown away by Al Gore.

So far, the only people I think have made such noises about Bush were Harriet Meyers
and Karen Hughes. Now I don't mean to sound like a male chauvinist pig, but if that
is the best W can do, he is one frog that will have to wait a long time before some
princess gets up the nerve to help him out...........

Note from the grammar police--since when does the plural of "Dem" get an apostrophe
on the end? Even if you are a Bush-supporting Republican, it is not mandatory to use
poor grammar to post here, and coherency is even welcomed.

I think you're making some large assumptions to assume a President will voluntarily reduce his/her own powers handed to them by their predecessor. This why I feel it's so important to impeach now and not wait until the next President. Take away the powers NOW, restore the Constitution NOW, so that we don't have to HOPE the next President will do so for us.

Nance, I'm a big supporter of yours. I think you are the goods.

But I think you've way overshot on this one. I'm on your side, but I think you got most of this wrong. Your faith in "the Democratic Party", and in whatever candidate MAY OR MAY NOT win next fall and MAY OR MAY NOT take power the following January, strikes me as almost blind, which is the worst kind of faith. Almost none of what you say will probably come true. I don't find that cynical; I find it almost liberating. I'm not about to be duped by any bunch of suits comin' my way and I'm surprised you're so gung ho about it. The Jesus you so often write about with such style, wit, charm & substance, believe me, is no blind faith believer in the Democratic Party.

In addition, the hubris that Democrats are somehow better looking, more sexy, less likely to "play politics" and somehow are some kind of utopian democrats going to come in an save democracy, the constitution & what?, the world too?...that's a snow job you're selling. There are plenty of "bad" democrats, and just as many who don't have the first clue what they're doing. Total morons & idiots when it gets right down to it. None of these so-called great Democrats have performed civil disobedience on the floor of the Congress to "save" the Constitution. They've continued to take their paychecks from the fascists just like everyone else.

And just as an aside, while Repubs are always looking for any kind of dirty trick to bring down a Democrat, to somehow imply that Bill Clinton didn't bring on his own pathetic fate with his relentless sexual piccadillos is simply disengenuous. I went to a fine liberal arts institution and had plenty of feminism thrown at me, and any good feminist is going to tell you that sex in such an unequal power relationship borders on rape. You don't need to be a conservative Christian or a Karl Rove Republican politico to know that. Heck, all you have to be is a feminist....or for that matter, a believer in the love of Christ.

Anyway Nance, not trying to come down on you but I think this piece is mostly BS...and even borders on the dangerous. There is a long battle & fight ahead. Nothing is even remotely set in the kind of stone you paint it.

Lastly, and completely separate from some of my oft-described ridiculous positions on things, I hope you and your family and all your peeps have an incredible Thanksgiving. Thanks as always for all your work.

... I post something meant to be humorous and a bit of fun, and get taken to task for not taking things seriously.

But a Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours as well.

2004 elections why wouldn't one expect the same in 2008?

Possibly the repukes are no better than Democrats re. sexual difficulties but are just better at covering them up, e.g. what about Jeff Gannon. I am guessing he and Cheney were good friends. Just sayin'.

I'm a Libertarian. Does that qualify me as a "lurker"? (Sigh - I'm always odd girl out.)

At any rate, I think you're underestimating the Republicans. I'm not taking about the corporately owned, globalist higher-ups, but the run of the mill registered Republican voter, of whom we have LOTS here in Indiana.

They talk to me, since I don't identify myself as a Democrat, and you would not believe how many of them are as fed up with this administration as you are. The general consensus goes as follows:

1. GWB is a toadying idiot that makes them ashamed of their own party. Most think he's not really a Republican, either, since in their minds he's gone against most of the things that they personally stand for (i.e., limited government, balanced budgets, going to war for legitimate reasons, etc.) He's really a Globalist - which they despise - and if he dropped dead tomorrow most wouldn't care except for . . . .

2. Dick Cheney, who makes Spiro Agnew look honest as the day is long, would then be POTUS.

3. There's plenty of room for negotiation on a myriad of subjects from abortion to gay marriage. One of the staunchest Republicans I know once told me, in private, that he couldn't imagine anything sadder than having no say in end-of-life decisions for the person you love just because he or she happens to be the same sex that you are. (I realize such an admission doesn't seem like much to radicals, but it's quite a stretch from "All gays should burn in Hell".)

Anyway, the point of all this is that by name-calling and vilifying someone just because they're a registered Republican isn't going to help put a Democrat in the White House. Just because you can't agree on EVERYTHING doesn't mean you can't agree on a lot of things.

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many new posters to DU.
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I'll have to look up her previous posts. I've only read this one so far.

I am about as far left as you can get, but you really described the other half of my family. Decent, old-school, upstate New York Republicans ( who, of course are dead wrong :-) ). Reaching out is always a tough thing, but it can and should be done. While there are, for me, always going to be some non-negotiables: equal rights for the GLBT community, single-payer universal health care, withdrawal from Irag,( a few more - without which I am not politically who I am), generally I couldn't agree more with your general point. But it has to be mutual. In your post, you said "They talk to me, since I don't identify myself as a Democrat." All of us have to realize not that we have to start talking, but that we have to have a level of discourse that acknowledges the basic sincerity of the other side. Frankly, my model for how we, as progressives, have to do it is found in Bill Moyers who continually enters into dialogue with all sides.

about the need for assuming the basic sincerity and, yes, decency, of those with opposing views. Holidays could be tough for my family because we run the entire continuum of political thought, but we know and respect each other so it never quite comes to blows ;) .

My greatest fear is that this political bickering between people on the Left and people on the Right plays right into the hands of the likes of GWB and his corporate masters. The phrase "divide and conquer" exists for a reason.

The original Constitutional Convention was a real donny-brook by all accounts, but it was composed of real people talking to real people, not sleaze-ball politicians as we know them today. (And even then they had to leave slavery for another generation or so, because the issue was so contentious.)

One thing I think we can all agree on is that our country has been stolen from us, in that the government no longer has any interest at all in doing the will of the people, or even cares what that is. At least it's a place to start.

to see more like-minded republicans/right-wingers speak out, in spite of the (controlled) media that we have.

but this is HILLARY we are talking about. GO DENNIS!!!!! GO ANYONE NOT HLLLARY!!!!!!

And I want to believe it all.
But that little pessimistic bastard whispering in my left ear keeps telling me not to get my hopes too high.
But what a rush if it does come true.

in my old age, but I found this post pretty hateful and angry. I guess it was intended to sound hateful to a Republican.

* I agree the Democrats have a huge advantage going into this. The worst case scenario for the Democrats would be Rudy v. Bill Clinton's wife. I still consider that a draw.

* While I find mud-slinging reprehensible, you can hardly blame the Republicans for Bill Clinton's "sex scandal", nor do I blame Democrats for Craig's very non-gay incident with another man in a airport bathroom (rolls eyes...)

* Perhaps you don't need to start throwing Bush & the Bush administration into jail, but there needs to be some accountability for the war. I distinctly remember supporting the war after watching Colin Powell show satellite images of "mobile weapon labs" in front of the UN. What was that all about? Whoops? The true crime of the Iraq debacle might not be Iraq, though, it might be Iran. Should action in Iran actually be necessary, who will support that now? No one.

* The US's world image is a huge problem. I hope whoever is elected can repair some of the damaged relations with the UN, and other allies.

And oh yeah, this Republican is voting Barack Obama in '08!

Oh, undoubtedly, some sanity will return to the White House and by influence, the Congress.

But given the crop of Dem incumbents, I'm not sure where their loyalties lie. And I'm not talking about the GOP/Dem debate.

I'm referring to the corporate/civic split within the country.

Of that, I have very little optimism myself.

Lets hope the turkey tomorrow sucks....

I love your writing. Never back down!

Dear Ms. Greggs:

Thanks for your wonderful post (yet again!)

Normally I would agree with you, but (in this case only) you are completely neglecting and/or "misunderestimating" the power of the GOP cheats. Come Sheol or high water, they insist on pressing ahead with their voter caging lists (read, Poll Tax 2008), their "let's split California's Electoral Votes" campaign and LORD knows what else KKKarl and Co. have up their sleeves for next year.

I understand the open doors of the vote tabulators STILL aren't being fixed (at least not fast enough for next year's elections), so they may add that to their mix.

I hope I am wrong... trust me!

But, if the GOP miraculously keeps the White House next year, I'd be digging around! (The devil is ALWAYS in the details!)

Just a warning/suggestion...

MrBlueSky
Snohomish, WA

the Democrats have to choose the right candidate, market them, etc.

the Democratic candidate has to beat the Republican candidate fair and square, ideally bringing a supermajority into Congress along.

the Democratic Party has to come up with coherent messaging and a flexible and just brilliant platform.

but WE need to be on the watch for a repeat of the kind of corruption we saw in 2000 and 2004, because WE are that THIRD FORCE that will keep a watchful eye over democracy. That's what I believe.

i am ready to call the UN in to supervise these elections.

-s

beats any of the Republican candidates in the general election. The only worrisome part would be the "Southern vote". He would have to carry a state like Florida and Ohio and that's entirely possible. He's reaching old-time Iowa Democrats, that's really good news for his campaign.

Bill Clinton's wife goes nowhere.

you said:

"Amazingly, the next President will have been duly elected to office. For those of you with younger children, you may have to explain that concept to the kids, being as they’ve never seen a duly-elected president before. ("But mama, what about the Supreme Court? What about Diebold? What about the math?")"


I don't know where you got that from. Not much has changed. the votes are still counted in secret by Diebold and the other private companies.


don't count your chickens before they're hatched. they will cheat every way possible.

I am a newbie here, but I have been reading your articles for quite a while... Each one just as brilliant as the last. I have one issue with this particular article, this could only happen assuming that the next election is not canceled due to national security reasons, if you know what I mean? The Decider may need to extend the elections once he unleases the School of Americas and Blackwater from their Gates of hell. :shrug:

:)

right out of the ballpark! :toast: