Votergate '06 (Updated Nov 2)

Can't say it much better than this well, first few paragraphs anyway.

I'm furious at Kerry for apologizing, and for letting his fellow Democrats push him under the bus (can we retire that phrase after Tuesday? please?). When I first saw what he had said the next day about the Republicans who hadn't served could go fuck themselves (I'm paraphrasing) I was like where was THIS fire in 2004? Where was THIS guy when those Swift Boat idiots had everyone believing Bush was a war hero and Kerry a coward??!?!!?

But now he's gotta apologize cause we Democrats are COMPLETE PUSSIES. This is exactly the slight crack in the window the GOP was looking for (I'm sure we've all gotten that email from Ken Mehlman already, no?) But as mad as I am at Kerry and the Republicans who will turn this into KerrySpeechGate, I'm even more pissed at the people that will let this nothing moment affect their vote on Tuesday. "That's silly Xmastime!" you say. But lets not forget these are the same voters that a few weeks ago, after Foley got busted being a gay kiddy-monger had FINALLY HAD ENOUGH!!!! Really? A false war with thousands of lives ruined, billions in misappropriated funds, etc etc etc I'm too tired to list the atrocities here anymore, and NOW they've had enough!!! This tells you what the voters let affect them – war? Nah. Lies? Nah. Desperately hurtling the Earth towards complete destruction on our dime? Nah. But whoa whoa...some dudes hitting on 18 year olds? No sir! Not on MY watch!

How many times have you been watching tv, some debate, and the GOP dude will say something absolutely ridiculous, something asinine, and as we’re screaming at the tv and what do our heroes, the Dems do? Nothing. Somewhere, somehow along the way the game plan for the Democrats became “oh, let’s take the high road!” What? We invented the mantra “oh, the American people are smart, they’ll figure it out.” Well guess what, asshole THEY’RE NOT. Christ, by the end of the last election they had ME thinking Bush was a war hero, not Kerry – the fuckwad Dems assumed people would go to their local library, read books or at least listen to the right news to discern that gee, Kerry was in fact a war hero who got wounded at least 3 times. Kerry et al wanted to rise above, to let the facts speak for themselves. Well, tough shit, when it comes to facts the American people just aren’t interested. So next thing you know, there’s a bunch of “Swift Boat” assholes spouting off at the press and lo and behold, not only do we question Kerry’s war service, but we COMPLETELY disregard the fact that, to this day, a year and a half of “Lieutenant Bush”s record in the Texas Air Guard is missing. I hate to digress for a moment here, but a good case in point with how stupid the Democrats are rests here...remember back when CBS broke the story, that Bush had received favored treatment in the Guard, remember when Dan Rather reported that and OH GEEZ! ... turns out he didn’t report the story correctly. Fuck. Oh no, bad information.

BAM! The Republicans jumped all over it, and before you know it Dan Rather was issuing an apology AND setting a retirement date. “hey, I fucked up...”

What? Hey, maybe you did fuck up, but this will be interesting...lemme see a hand of Democrats that, after the Dan Rather nonsense, stood up and said “You know what, that’s great copy, I hate Dan too, but the fact of the matter is we did not get to the bottom of Bush’s military record.” NO one stood up and said you know what, Dan Rather does not work for the DNC, Dan Rather is just a tv anchor; at NO point did a Democrat stand up and say “...but seriously...what the fuck DID Bush do during those years?” No, we all crawled under our rugs and felt like losers cause gee...we are.

I’ve had it. This is a party of pussyism, a party of “oh, the people will do whats right.” THE PEOPLE???! are you crazy? This is “A PEOPLE” that, after eight years of unprecedented economic growth, after two terms of peace and a decade where everyone got rich decided you know what...let’s try something else. After Dubya's first 4 years, wherein if he had been up for a review at any other company in the country would've gotten a "YOU'RE FIRED" critique, we roll into the polls and say "May I have some more, please?" I'm sorry, I know it's insulting, but you have to spell it out for people, you HAVE to pound it into people that, for instance, "no, W is NOT some ranch-hand Washington outsider who is the type of guy you'd have a a beer with...he's the ultimate insider who is spoiled beyond belief in a world outside of reality and would not cross the street to spit on you and yours." And when the Republicans hit you with a knife you have to hit them with a flamethrower. Christ, haven't we learned from them at all? I have a bad feeling about Tuesday, I have no faith in the Democratic Party and once again we'll wake up the next day having voted in people who hate our guts and only care about padding the coffers of the Almighty Halliburton.

Part of what I keep thinking the problem is is that, ironically enough in this day and age, people walk into the polls and aren’t selfish enough. We spend every second of our day being as selfish as possible, but for some reason we walk into the voting booths and decide that we should vote for “What’s best for our country and its values.” What does everyone in America want? Each person wants healthcare, I would think, no? Each and every individual wants to be safe, wants an education. We all want a fair tax system, each person wants to be given a chance to compete. And yet the dude in Iowa votes for so and so because he doesn’t want other guys kissing in New Jersey, the South Dakotan votes based on terrorism, the Indiana farmer votes so that his land will be taken away from him, but that’s okay as long as we can’t advance stem- cell research. Why? Because they like to feel good about themselves as Americans, they’re doing what’s best for America and it’s “values.” They like to feel warm and fuzzy, that they've done their patriotic duty...yet what they really have done is make the very country they love so much even weaker, ever more corrupt. So the same people get elected that are making the rich richer and the poor deader, and guess what? They haven’t really helped you, have they? They were so steamed up about the right to life, about the importance of the fetus and you were too, but now it’s a while after the election and gee...they haven’t stamped out abortion, and you’re working a second job to make up for the taxes you’re paying so Kenny Lay et al don’t have to while you pay $3 a gallon for gas. Another state just went for boys kissing, and yet you don’t have healthcare, do you? Hmm. So it’s not even like you’re giving up things that are actually important AND the government’s responsibility (your health/education/environment etc) in exchange for these “values” you got all emotional about. We are in such a hurry to completely destroy ourselves so that the few in power can give themselves even more senseless power and wealth, it’s amazing. But it’s our own fault – they barely even pretend to disguise their utter contempt for us, their hubris is overwhelming and they spend every second of the day thinking not of us but of themselves, but come voting time, WE have to step back and think gee....what’s best for a coupla rich guys in, say, Washingont, what can I do for THEM?

Remember, YOU decide what "American Values" are, they're not whatever the dipshits in power tell you they are. Maybe we find out American values include beating up puppies and cussing in church; que sera sera. Let the values chips fall where they may; in the meantime vote for fucking things that matter and are tangible - or, ta-DA!...you might be stuck in Iraq.