Sam Parry: Election 2004 Myths& Mysteries

[robbedvoter]

http://www.consortiumnews.com/2004/121004.html
Election 2004 Myths & Mysteries
by Sam Parry
George W. Bush’s record-smashing vote totals in Election 2004 have two possible explanations that the mainstream press has kept off the table: the first is that somehow the vote tallies were manipulated; the second is that negative campaigning is far more effective than almost anyone wants to admit.
snip


--First, ascertain whether there was any rigging of the vote, either through systematic suppression of balloting in Democratic precincts or through Republican computer manipulation. Washington insiders might laugh at these possibilities, but millions of Americans believe that George W. Bush, again, cheated his way to victory. If those doubts aren’t addressed, many Americans won’t go to the polls in 2006 and 2008, thinking that the fix is in and why bother.

--Second, begin a genuine conversation with the American people; don’t just memorize more Bible passages. While the Republicans may be manipulative in their politics, they have used the pervasive conservative media – especially talk radio – to engage the public in a give-and-take on political issues. The feedback has proved invaluable when calibrating political themes.

--Third, address the conservative caricature of liberalism head-on. Again, the Republicans have a huge advantage with the conservative media reaching virtually every corner of America and especially dominant in Middle America where outlets of information are more limited than in the urban centers of the coasts. Liberals also can’t count on the mainstream press to give them a fair shake. If they ever hope to win, liberals have no choice but to build a media infrastructure of their own.Much more

[Karmadillo]

1. This makes so much sense. "Relying on stealth politics

to sneak back to power just won’t work...there are no shortcuts."

[Bread and Circus]

2. Pretty much perfect analysis. The dumb-asses of the DNC and DLC

better take notice. They are on notice.

I gave over $3,000.00 to Democratic causes this election
cycle and they pissed my money away with their stupidity
and ineffectualness. Fuck them.

[Malva Zebrina]

3. Depressing article

that probably contains truth.

Something has happened to American people that has turned them into mean, vengeful attack dogs.

Bush spent four years posing as the alpha male, take no prisoners, makes up his mind, brush clearing symbol of a "decisive" leader who kicks ass . It was supported constantly by right wing radio whose rhetoric was just as hateful, and although perhpas not as evident in the media, who simply refused to pose embarrassing questions to an unelected president and simply refused to print anything that could be construed as criticism of the great self appointed "war president"

We have ended up with what seems a majority of people in this nation, that fell for that, and assumed the cloak and mantle of the kick ass people. It overode anything they had been taught previously by their religion and spurred on the reptillian brain to crush, destroy by any means, a perceived enemy--such as a liberal.

I won't get into the failings of the Kerry campaign, or the failings of teh Democrats, but take pause to try to understand what caused that personality type to emerge with such hatred and vengeance that is truly shameful.

Of course, Bush enabled it, constantly, all the while hinting it came from a god, and that may have been the plan all along, since it has been said that the invasion of Iraq had been planned long before 9-11.

I don't think 9-11 is the cause of it all, although it certainly was the catalyst that threw vengeance into the mix.

Perhaps human beings are just naturally pre-=disposed to be mean kick ass people. But that is why we have societal laws, and societal boundaries, supposedly reinforced by a religion that boasts love as it's logo. That is why we have laws that punish crime.

It all appears to have deteriorated -- morphed into screaming, hateful rhetoric and actions.

When a man whose character had definate and obvious flaws, who was not even an elected president, goes before the UN to gather support for a pre-emptive invasion and presents a case to invade Iraq, citing a break in a contract 1441 resolution, as justifications because of the war on terror, and when the UN rebuts that claim, and when this same unelected presdient then changes the reasoning to one that cites Iraq was a "threat" to the US and puts that proposition before the UN because of a war on terror, and it similarly is shown to be trumped up lies and is rejected by the UN, then the same guy, bent upon a slaughter, and invasion for whatever his greedy, evil purposes, claims it is the right of George Bush to invade that country, slaughter, create mayhem and death to innocent people, because, the reason of last resort, it's leader was a cruel dictator who supported terrorism, and goes ahead without UN approval , to lead this country into a distasterous war, the utter barbarism of this leader becomes evident.

Iraq is completely FUBAR and it should be obvious that theself appointed "war president" is indeed, a miserable failure who will not admit that what he has done is shameful. He can be rightfully labeled a war criminal.

and the killings go on, the slaughter goes on, because now, the people who were going to be relieved from the dictatorship of an evil Saddam, saw their families, their homes, their children bombed unmercilessly, and out of anger and desperation, took up arms to defend their homes and their country.

We now suspect, according to Britain's Lancet, that some 100,000 of innocents have died because of George Bush's invasion to take down a dictator who was evil. The majority of whom are women and children.

It is ironic that the evil dictator is still alive. As is the leader of those who attacked the US on 9-11.

Not to mention the seizing of all the Iraqi assets and the takeover by American corporations of what rightfully belonged to Iraqis.

My point after all that is that, with all of the criminal activity, a majority of votes were given to Bush. That says something to me about some mind set that has gone over to the dark side.

How to lure them back or convince them to soften their Christian ways? I am not of the school that says we must reach out to the right and go further into their territory.

My theory is that something must happen in other facets of society--something profound, such as a deep, lasting economic depression, before they can humble themselves into accepting that barbaric, vengeful, kick ass hate is in the end, immoral and that it leads to self destruction.

[demgrrrll]

5. Great post. We seem to be at the end of the road. For some reason

I keep thinking of the film The Running Man. A part of society seems to be drawn to revenge and death. The state run television in the film fits too. Lies and more lies, people set up to look like villains if they do the right thing and tell the truth. I know it was an Ahhhhnold film but there do seem to be parallels to what is going on right now. I don't get it. I wish a collective bucket of cold water could be thrown on those sleeping souls.

[robbedvoter]

4. He also allows for the possibility that the numbers are Diebolded

which makes this one of the best articles to date - as it covers all bases.
Elections, media, message.