No Acceptance. No Concession.

[tmcg]

I looked at that big honkin' swath of red in the middle of the United States-shaped television graphic for hours and hours last night.

I thought, I don't live where I thought I lived.

I thought, Fine. You fuckers want him, you got him. You think a tanked economy is a good thing, you got it. You think what we've done to Iraq is a good thing, you got it. You think we're safer now? You go right ahead. You want it, you got it, and I wish you joy of it.

I thought, I live on a fringe. A literal fringe. There's my little blue chunk in the Northeast, and there's that little blue stretch of West Coast, and that's it. I really thought there were more of us. I had no idea.

I thought, No. There's more blue out there than that. A lot of those red states only went something like 51% for Bush. The red is a deceptive visual. Split some of those states half red and half blue and you've got a more accurate representation of how people voted. But what does that mean? Is this a civil war?

I thought, I should get out of this place. Go live in Ireland. Newfoundland. Cape Breton. Tasmania. So many of my friends joked bitterly that if Bush won on Tuesday they were out of here. N/o/n/e/ Few of them meant it. We're complacent. Our lives are good here. Maybe we should mean it. Maybe we should think about seriously meaning it. I don't know if I want to pledge my allegiance to what this country is anymore.

I thought, It's not over. I remember feeling this way when Reagan was reelected, and we survived that. It's historical rubato. It just means we have to fight harder. Protest harder, speak out more loudly, do more, wake up. We can't go back to sleep. No matter how disheartened we are, we can't crawl under the covers now, we can't roll over. What's good about this country is still worth fighting for.

I thought, What if it's not? What if this really is the way it's going, what if this really is what the majority want, what if we really are just going to be the bad guys and that's just the way it is?

As I write this, Edwards is on introducing Kerry for his concession speech, saying that at the bottom of our disheartenment today resides a hope that a better America is still worth fighting for. I'm so tired of election rhetoric. I'm so tired of wanting to believe in words like that. But as I finish writing this, Kerry is on, and he's talking about what will stay with us from this campaign. "The time will come, the election will come, when your work and your ballots will change the world, and it's worth fighting for." And I think, Maybe there's some momentum here that can continue, that won't fade away.

It's a very small thought. My disheartenment, my appalledness, is very large. I don't see healing ahead. I see grueling battle or defeated withdrawal. But he's saying "our fight goes on." And I guess that's what I'd like to think.

Don't Mourn, Organize

Comments

sleepless

[cussedness.livejournal.com]

I was so disheartened and troubled by the results that I couldn't sleep and am now going on 36 hours without sleep and no sign of it coming. I sincerely hope that the fight continues.

Re: sleepless

[terrymcgarry.livejournal.com]

So do I. The more I think about it, the more I think it has to.

I hope you get some rest soon!

[sleigh.livejournal.com]

51% to 49%. As I've said in a few places today, out of every hundred people in the United States, 49 did not vote for Bush. You and I are not alone. Not even close.

Chin up. Don't despair too much. I'm saddened too. I hate to think of the next two years, but I hope that in 2006 we can win back at least the Senate or the House so that there are some checks on this president...

We can still hope.

[terrymcgarry.livejournal.com]

Yes! Heartening words. And what's the alternative--to give up? No matter how it feels right now: No.

[daerlynn.livejournal.com]

I agree with your sentiments entirely, irongall. It's depressing and disheartening to see that this is the type of country people here want - and the total lack of understanding the issues that voters from both sides exhibit.

gfjames, you are right. However, although most voters are indeed god-fearing, the lie is that the Republican party is the party of God, or of Christianity, or as I like to put it, the party of the moral high ground.

The fact that this is believed despite all evidence to the contrary leads me to believe that people just have no clue what Christianity means; that they only believe what they are told irregardless of the truth of the matter; and that they have absolutely no clue what is going on.

[gfjames.livejournal.com]

You'll get no argument from me about the "belief" of being Christian and actually being christian. It's the same (well, virtually, at least) as saying you're "liberal" and actually being liberal.

And as far as the "people" go, we're a pretty easy lot to please, just spoon feed us the pablum and we're a happy bunch. Nobody ever wants to really swallow the truth of our politicians action, it be way too bitter a taste. Instead we prefer the seasoning that our so-called leaders provide and eat with gusto whatever they put on our plate.

Playing the game of democracy ain't easy, it's even harder when not everybody suits up.

[terrymcgarry.livejournal.com]

daerlynn, yes. I saw the post in your LJ about this and I wanted to respond, but I have trouble articulating my discomfort with this, so I held off. I don't understand how or why the Republican Party has become burdened (and, frighteningly, empowered) by this "moral" righteousness. I suppose the "empowered" part is key; it's an effective way to manipulate people and insure the support of people whose interests you aren't actually promoting or protecting, while making them fiercely certain that you are.

[gfjames.livejournal.com]

This is the thing people fail to understand: the United States is fundamentally a conservative country. We don't like a lot of governmental interference in our lives, we're pretty much a god-fearing and religious society, and liberals (especially liberals from the Northeast) rarely win the White House, and we especially like strong-military-like presidents who uses the military to defend "freedom".

No democratic presidential candidate since Kennedy has ever won the presidency if they weren't from a Sunbelt state. And even Kennedy was a sort of fluke (that whole Nixon debate thing sealed it for him).

I think that the democratic party ignored the very important fact that they have no presence in the South and until that's resolved (and Kerry would've won had he picked up one or two smaller electoral southern states, even absent winning Ohio and Florida), I don't think the democratic party ever stands a legitimate chance of occupying the White House again for quite some time...

That said, it's going to be a really interesting presidential race next time, especially considering the republican heir apparent (the current VP, Dickie C) won't be running. And that Kerry won't run again. And Edwards, unless he can find a national platform to keep his name out there won't be a viable option either--I fear Edwards hitched his political wagon to the wrong horse.

So, it'll be a dark time for the so-called left for quite some time.
(Reply to this)

[terrymcgarry.livejournal.com]

Yes, I agree, especially about the issue of the Southern states--although another Clinton or Carter could of course come along.

As the day goes by, it just makes me more determined to keep fighting. Dark Ages and Ice Ages happen.

[fionagh.livejournal.com]

So many of my friends joked bitterly that if Bush won on Tuesday they were out of here. None of them meant it.

I was serious! I woke this morning and saw Bush's acceptance speech and Ben turned to me and said, "Better get your tickets ready." I'm outta here! Just planning my exit strategy now...

P.S. I'd actually love to stay and fight, however, I'll need an effective representative that can match fire with fire -- fight dirty (or at least effectively) against dirty fighters -- or find a way to disable the enemy from fighting dirty and fight the good fight. Right now, there's no one in our entire country who can or will do that. If I had someone who could really put the hurt on greedy politicians then it'd be worth staying.

[terrymcgarry.livejournal.com]

I stand corrected! I think there may have been another one or two who really meant it, too.

I feel a post edit coming on. :)

[akaspeedo.livejournal.com]

Yeah, me *g*.

[terrymcgarry.livejournal.com]

Yes, you too! :) :) :)

[janni.livejournal.com]

A lot of us red states have blue areas, which have been fighting the good fight alongside the blue states.

Speaking as a resident of blue Arizona, which would love today especially to let Phoenix just go away and be its own messed-up state.

[terrymcgarry.livejournal.com]

I'd love to see (or make!) a version of that graphic that puts proportional amounts of blue in the red states, and vice versa.

[janni.livejournal.com]

Go for it!

It would do the country a lot of good to see the checkerboard we really are, rather than a swathe of red and a couple smaller swathes of blue.

[stevendj.livejournal.com]

Even if I move to Canada, I'll retain my citizenship, and continue to vote. I think New York or Boston is more likely, though. With a national government hostile to my interests, I think I may have to seek out a local government I can count on to protect me--one where I can get affordable health insurance, at least. I really like DC, and any city that goes 90-9 Kerry is not to be dismissed lightly, but I'm very disillusioned with our local politicians and they don't have the power to enact any liberal legislation anyway.

I'm too heartsick to make any quick decisions, and family is a strong force keeping me here. It's just so hard to see any way this can end well.

[larryhammer]

DC can be a disheartening place to live (or grow up) if you're politically engaged.

---L.

[terrymcgarry.livejournal.com]

Hugs.

With decisions about moving coming up for you anyway, you're in a unique position among the people I know right now.

Living elsewhere, but retaining citizenship in order to continue to have a voice here, is an interesting thought.

New York would be good. There is little doubt that I will still be here, no matter how good Tasmania and Newfoundland look. :)

[stevendj.livejournal.com]

Perhaps I will see you at Boskone, after all—going up over Presidents' Day weekend would give me a chance to check out the city, decide what neighborhoods I'm interested in, and get an idea for what it would be like to live there.

On the other hand, if I want to give it a fair chance, perhaps I shouldn't go up in February.

[terrymcgarry.livejournal.com]

Naw, you want to see it at its worst, so you know what you'd be getting into.

[fionagh.livejournal.com]

Yep, I will be going dual citizenship as well. Let's just hope it doesn't require me to come back for the new draft or something, eh?

Also, the fact that the very city / district where Bush was president and resided to run things (ok, he was on vacation most of the time but humor me) voted 90% against him tells me that of all places that would know exactly what we're getting this time around, DC was the place that knew him best and wanted him O.U.T. The whole country should have listened to DC.

[terrymcgarry.livejournal.com]

Yes, really, re the draft.

And yes re DC, too!

[pnh.livejournal.com]

sympathy. anger. resonance. you're so right,

[terrymcgarry.livejournal.com]

Thanks, Patrick.