Thursday, November 04, 2004
Bit more depressed about it today. Working it through…
An Election Special P.S.
If we’re going to have democracy then we have to live with the consequences: sometimes there are going to be winning candidates we don’t like. But the people have spoken and the people want Bush. Therefore it’s a good result, better than 2000 when the electoral college (and the Supreme Court and a brother in Florida and blah blah blah) delivered the presidency to George W*. So Bush and Republican subterfuge was not the problem; the Democrats lost the argument. Making sure people vote is not a good thing because they might tick Democrat (only one in ten young people bothered turning up - lazy fuckers**), it is a good thing because more voices are heard: in this case, the Christian Right and they have as much of a right to determine policy as Latinos on minimum wage.
The Left have to learn the lessons and move on. It’s not dead – as long as there is inequality there will be people who fight against it – but it needs a clear sense of what it is for and not define itself through what it is against. There’s little mystery why voters preferred Bush. Kerry did not stand for anything, he was just Notbush (City Limits…). And that’s inadequate. The record of the last four years left the White House there for the taking, but the Democrats played safe and chose someone who wouldn’t offend anyone. Unfortunately he couldn’t inspire either. When you’re in the booth and your choice is “same as before” or “hmmm… something different, not sure what….” then it’s hardly surprising that many people weren’t willing to chance it on an unknown. The Left needs to organise, take a look at itself, and then try and persuade people why it has the best ideas. And then in four years time there’s a new election without an incumbent to try and displace. And hopefully, no Karl Rove either.
* NB Interesting to see that Democrat hopes (and mine) were pinned on Kerry taking Ohio when it was clear that he had lost the popular vote. Would a Kerry presidency in these circumstances have been legitimate? Would the illegitimacy of the previous administration justify a fair’s fair Democrat one?
** I’m not sure how much this is down to apathy and how much it’s a simple trusting to elders to make the big calls. Britney Spears: “Honestly, I think we should just trust our president in every decision he makes and should just support that, you know, and be faithful in what happens.” It might come from a culture of obedience, working hard and keeping your mouth shut.
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An Election Special P.S.
If we’re going to have democracy then we have to live with the consequences: sometimes there are going to be winning candidates we don’t like. But the people have spoken and the people want Bush. Therefore it’s a good result, better than 2000 when the electoral college (and the Supreme Court and a brother in Florida and blah blah blah) delivered the presidency to George W*. So Bush and Republican subterfuge was not the problem; the Democrats lost the argument. Making sure people vote is not a good thing because they might tick Democrat (only one in ten young people bothered turning up - lazy fuckers**), it is a good thing because more voices are heard: in this case, the Christian Right and they have as much of a right to determine policy as Latinos on minimum wage.
The Left have to learn the lessons and move on. It’s not dead – as long as there is inequality there will be people who fight against it – but it needs a clear sense of what it is for and not define itself through what it is against. There’s little mystery why voters preferred Bush. Kerry did not stand for anything, he was just Notbush (City Limits…). And that’s inadequate. The record of the last four years left the White House there for the taking, but the Democrats played safe and chose someone who wouldn’t offend anyone. Unfortunately he couldn’t inspire either. When you’re in the booth and your choice is “same as before” or “hmmm… something different, not sure what….” then it’s hardly surprising that many people weren’t willing to chance it on an unknown. The Left needs to organise, take a look at itself, and then try and persuade people why it has the best ideas. And then in four years time there’s a new election without an incumbent to try and displace. And hopefully, no Karl Rove either.
* NB Interesting to see that Democrat hopes (and mine) were pinned on Kerry taking Ohio when it was clear that he had lost the popular vote. Would a Kerry presidency in these circumstances have been legitimate? Would the illegitimacy of the previous administration justify a fair’s fair Democrat one?
** I’m not sure how much this is down to apathy and how much it’s a simple trusting to elders to make the big calls. Britney Spears: “Honestly, I think we should just trust our president in every decision he makes and should just support that, you know, and be faithful in what happens.” It might come from a culture of obedience, working hard and keeping your mouth shut.
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