The 2004 Election

November 5, 2004

I know it's time to let go and accept the inevitable. Bush won. Somewhat fair and square. At least that's what 59,054,087 Americans think. The "uniter" has now officially and totally divided this country.

Making it all the more difficult to accept are the facts that the purging of names from the lists of eligible voters went on — again -- as it did in 2000; the new touch-screen computer voting machines of Florida started out with a several-thousand vote lead for George W. Bush and thousands of absentee ballots were reportedly thrown away in Florida, Nevada and elsewhere. According to CNN today, 120,000,000 people used e-voting machines this year -- machines, by the way, that have been highly controversial and are supplied by Diebold -- the head of which had promised a victory for Bush. This is just what we know about.

But, unlike the outcry in 2000, no one seems to be fighting this time. Everyone seems to have accepted their fate. I suspect one of the reasons for this is:

Most of us are in shock. For me, I've now realized, it's a kind of psychic shock. My entire being is having trouble assimilating what's happened this week.

A president who stole his way into the white house and vacationed through the first eight months of his presidency, refusing to listen to the warnings of the previous administration about Al Qaeda or even take to a heart a presidential briefing entitled "Al Qaeda Determined to Strike Within The U.S.", is now praised by half of this country for his "war on terror" and the resulting 1,100 military deaths, 10,000 military "casualties" and 100,000 Iraqi civilian deaths. Despite all evidence, and even proof, to the contrary, he and his "regime" have continued to convince about 60% of this country that Saddam was somehow working with Al Qaeda to kill 3,000 of our people on 9/11. Polls have continued to show this stat. And why? Because Karl Rove and Karen Hughes, Bush's creators, have carefully written speeches and manipulated responses to say as much without actually saying that Saddam was responsible for 9/11. The message came through clearly in its vagueness. Each speech by a cabinet member echoed the same sentiments.

Anytime this administration wants to get a message out, they formulate one phrase, used by all, over and over and over again, whether it's to sell the war in Iraq or smear the good character of John Kerry, making him look more like Benedict Arnold than a war hero. Anyone who knows anything about "the power of positive thinking" knows how well this works. Repetition. Hammer it home. Iraq was "a gathering threat". "We can't afford to wait until the smoking gun becomes a nuclear cloud." And so on. Damn the truth, just get the message sold. And Fox Cable News anchors are more than happy to perpetuate the messages, misleading and even lying while they cry out against the unfairness of the "liberal media" (read: anyone who doesn’t agree with them).

Throughout the past four years, this president has made numerous promises that he's never kept and even withheld proper funding from his own highly-touted program "No Child Left Behind." (I've read that teachers planned to vote against him in this election for this reason.). The promises have been believed as if they were a done deal; the lack of follow-through (and in some cases even policy reversals) has not been perceived by most because it's a well kept secret unless one does one's own research. The media in general ("liberal" and otherwise) has allowed this president to skate through four years of lies, mistakes and misjudgments, largely unchecked. He and his cabinet — packed full of people who came from big corporations, still rife with corporate connections (not to mention conflicts of interest) — have stripped the power from each and every important program that took decades - if not centuries - to put into place on behalf of the welfare of Americans, and even the world at large -- as in the case of global warming. I have yet to do full research on this subject, but it seems to me that this is the first administration in American history comprised more of business executives than career politicians. A very frightening change. But how can it be a surprise that corporations now hold power over us?

We all know (some of us, anyway) about our vice president's connections with Halliburton (now under investigation), the corporation that was granted a no-bid contract in Iraq. And his relationship with Ken Lay of Enron fame. And, I might add, we might not even have known about Halliburton were it not for Michael Moore. Here are just a few lesser known examples, starting with my favorite and her spokeswoman.

Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman previously served on the board of directors for Calgene Inc., the first company to bring genetically-engineered food, the Flavr Savr tomato, to supermarket shelves. Calgene, bought out by Monsanto, the nation's leading biotech company, became part of the pharmaceutical company Pharmacia in 2000. Monsanto, which donated more than $12,000 to George Bush's presidential bid (this is an old figure - more now), wants two things this year: no mandatory labeling of biotech foods and better access to international markets.

Alisa Harrison, Spokeswoman for Ann Veneman was, in 2003, overseeing press releases, etc. re the Mad Cow disease scare post the discovery of a cow with the disease in the U.S in late 2003. Previous job: director of public relations for the National Cattlemen's Beef Association — "the beef industry's largest trade group, where she battled government food safety efforts, criticized Oprah Winfrey for raising health questions about American hamburgers, and sent out press releases with titles like ‘Mad Cow Disease Not A Problem in the U.S.'"

No conflict there, huh?

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld joined the private sector in 1977 as the CEO of G.D. Searle, a pharmaceutical company that's now a subsidiary of Pharmacia. He was also the CEO of General Instrument, a telecommunications parts supplier that was eventually bought out by Motorola. Lately, though, Rumsfeld has spent his time serving on the boards of several companies: Gilead Sciences, a fledgling biotech company; newspaper giant Tribune Company, which owns the Los Angeles Times and Chicago Tribune; Amylin Pharmaceuticals; Swiss firm Asea Borwn Boveri; and Fortune 500 behemoths, including Kellogg, Sears and Allstate. As a director for Gulfstream Aerospace, his stock in the company reportedly was valued at $11 million when the company was acquired by defense contractor General Dynamics in 1999. But Rumsfeld scrupulously avoided any direct dealings with defense companies, either serving on
boards or purchasing stock, apparently to avoid the appearance of impropriety in case he was asked to fill a defense department post again.

Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham was the No. 1 recipient of campaign contributions from the automotive industry, receiving more than $700,000 for his failed Senate run in 2000 from contributors like General Motors, Ford and Lear Corp. One of his top contributors, DaimlerChrysler, was introducing an extra large SUV to the U.S. market in 2003. Daimler's SUV, considered a "military spin-off," is a foot longer than the SUVs currently on the road and will only get about 10 miles per gallon. The debate over whether to raise or lower fuel economy standards is expected to surface again this year, especially as the country struggles with an energy crisis. Daimler is one of 139 companies that joined the Coalition for Vehicle Choice, a lobbying group that opposes setting fuel economy regulations. (The current standard for SUVs is 20.7 miles to the gallon.) The coalition gave Abraham $178,674 in 1999-2000. Health and Human Services Secretary, Tommy Thompson's corporate connections include Philip Morris; Amtrak; America Online; Time Warner; General Electric; Merck and Abbott Laboratories.

Again, this is just a sketch. For more information on the corporate connections within this administration, and their donors, go to The Center for Responsive Politics website: www.opensecrets.org, from which this information came.

Polls have shown that the 59,054,087 people who voted for this president did so not over their fear of terrorism, not over the war in Iraq, not over the 800,000 lost jobs in this country due to outsourcing and unemployment (if you can even believe this number), not over affordable health care -- but largely over "moral values". Or, as Jon Stewart said the next night whilst trying to grasp the facts, "so... the idea of two dudes kissing trumps everything else."... including, I guess, our international standing in the eyes of those allies who stood shoulder to shoulder with us post 9/11 and now look aghast at what's happening here.

Somehow this dry but not treated alcoholic spoiled brat of the privileged, who used to blow up small animals for fun as a child and literally brand freshmen as if they were cattle as a ritual at Yale, who reportedly suffers from A.D.D., who lies as a matter of course and otherwise twists and spins the truth, has sold over half of our people on the idea that he represents their core values. That fact alone is almost impossible to get one's mind wrapped around. What does that make us, the immoral, valueless left? I don't know about you, but I became a Democrat in the interest of helping people.

Also almost impossible to digest is the fact that over half of this country would vote for a man who is cutting taxes for the rich during war time, asking nothing of the populace, and increasing the deficit at the speed of light for their grandchildren. Is it just me?

One thing is for sure. Never underestimate the intelligence of this president, not to mention his mentor, Karl Rove — who spent four years masterminding this campaign and managed to get the gay marriage initiative on the ballot in 11 states, among other things — or his "wise, grand-fatherly" vice president. They are apparently very bright. The problem is that, not unlike Adolph Hitler, they are using their intelligence for evil rather than good. They have outwitted even some of the best and the brightest among us. Why should we be surprised that they successfully pulled the wool over the eyes of a substantial portion of the population? Rhetoric is all, we now find. Truth is unimportant. Apparently all anyone has to do is talk the talk. Don't bother to walk the walk. Heil Bush. A new day has dawned in America.

Our forefathers must be rolling in their graves to see the increasing interjection of church into state affairs. The Religious Right has been working on this for years and, in fact, Norman Lear's People For The American Way was founded to counter this trend. Bad enough, this manipulation through religious beliefs, but when we get taken over by the ideologies of Evangelical Christians, where does this leave the rest of us? And where, I have to wonder, does it leave human compassion and kindness? Our country hasn't been so divided since the Civil War. It least it was clear cut then. And as for the Religious Right -- when you and your pals in the corporate world start taking care of the citizens of this country, we'll talk.

As for the media and the "pundits", who spent four years kissing the asses of this administration in fear that they'd be cut off from information, I can only say I hope they can sleep at night. (Truth is, though, they probably sleep better than we who worry about this country. They seem more concerned about their hair and makeup.) As we all know, Murdoch's Fox news personnel appear to be bought and paid for. But what happened to CNN? I've read that they took a look at the margin by which they saw Fox news beating them in the ratings and decided to make changes in order to compete. Meanwhile, did you see that Fox News is now being broadcast in Walmart -- a company that cares nothing for its employees or those customers it “serves”? Perfect.

There are a few lone voices on television trying to get the truth out, but they are out-shouted by the cable news outlets. Republican Lou Dobbs on CNN is trying to get us to see how outsourcing (and other things) are undermining this country, Jon Stewart (ironically, being his is a comedy show) does everything he can to illuminate the situation and put some perspective on it, and Bill Moyers on PBS. They're trying, but only "the converted" are hearing them. One can only wonder how people would have voted if they'd known the truth.

If that's all there is, then let's keep dancing. And eat, drink and be merry. For tomorrow...

What's the worst that can happen? Shall I go there? Put it all out?

Let's see. We can experience a large scale terrorist attack and not have the world's support. Needless to say, Al Qaeda can continue to recruit troops, as they already have thanks to our war on Iraq, and grow into a force that will ultimately result in the end of this planet as we know it. Our citizens can and will become LESS educated. (One of the scarier thoughts, but don't forget the stats we've read on functional illiteracy in this country. Wrap your mind around THAT one!) We've already given carte blanche to this administration to curtail our liberties. Adding to that, a less educated populace who will continue to roll over (in the name of moral values???) and, there goes the most beautiful and idealistic country on the face of the earth. We can watch the demise of our Social Security program and the demise of the middle class as the rich get richer and the poor get poorer at the hands of the man they elected. The worst case scenario? This country falls into bankruptcy and is taken over by those with evil intent. If it hasn't already been. I walked into a store the other night and heard the most heart-rending version of "God Bless America". It brought me to tears.

Is it all about politics now? Is it just one big board (or computer) game to these people who will do anything for power? It shouldn't come as that big of a surprise that so many people can be so easily manipulated. And yet it has. The corporations have taken over. And we have somehow let them. It can't help that we as a society place so much value on materialism.

Is it time for a revolution? Or another civil war -- both coasts against the middle as indicated by the electoral map? Nothing's that simple. After all, a substantial number of people in the red states did vote against this man... hard as that may be to believe when you listen to the news shows, now promoting what was, in Bush's words, "a mandate". "The people have spoken", there but for a 3,000,000 vote difference in a country of roughly 295,000,000.

I think, as I said, that we're all in a kind if psychic shock. With all the facts we know and have known for some time BECAUSE WE READ AND STAY INFORMED staring us in the face, we've seen lies prevail. We've seen a negative become a positive. We've seen the laws of science... not to mention common sense... defied. Turned on their heads, so to speak. Lies have become truth, truth has become lies. The world has been turned upside down for us and we're trying to get our bearings.

As much as I'd like to, I know it's not time to give up. It's time to fight. And with this in mind, I'm starting a new To Do list. Abolish the electoral college. Get the lobbyists out of D.C. Work very hard to join the forces of the Democratic Party with the Independent Party, The Green Party, etc., for the common good. Give Ralph Nader a call. And an apology. Howard Dean too. Join with Moveon.org, People For The American Way, and every other group working for our common good. The news media is largely to blame for what has happened and there will be more to come. Fight them and force them to tell the truth. Force them to interject facts and corrections into partisan statements and into everything they deem to broadcast. Force them to provide the service to our citizens that they were supposed to provide in the first place. Get the news business out of the entertainment business. Break up corporate monopolies and replace greed with human compassion. Stem the flow of outsourced companies by increasing taxes if they choose to do that. Tax corporations their full share and, while we're at it, let's start taxing churches too, especially if they're going to have the kind of power over us that Bush seems to be promoting. Redefine moral values. Place value on all life and take care of those who are here already before worrying about adding millions more potentially illiterate to our population. (Sorry, couldn't help myself.) Find those functional illiterates and teach them to read. And hopefully to think. Reregulate the eneregy and telecommunications industries. Show the other 59,054,087 what being safe really is by electing someone who places the welfare of the people above the money in 2008. And by the way, from what I've put together from the consensus of opinion: it needs to be someone from a red state. A southerner who speaks the lingo. Take a lesson from the Republicans. Somehow.

It's a big job, but someone's got to do it. I think it's safe to say that there are those — like Michael Moore, Al Franken and Greg Palast, to name only a few — who will continue to work to get the truth out. We must join them. Our democracy is worth it.

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