Kicked to the Curb
As of 2pm ET, the election is officially over. KerryEdwards graciously conceded the election to George Bush when it became apparent that any challenge to the Ohio vote was effectively pointless. With the concession, the specter of a protracted, democracy-damaging legal battle appears to have been averted.
"In America, it is vital that every vote count .. but the outcome should be decided by voters, not a protracted legal fight," Kerry said. "I would not give up this fight if there was a chance that we would prevail."
But Kerry also said that "there won't be enough outstanding votes for us to win Ohio, and therefore we cannot win this election."
Whew! You have to hand it to the Democrats, when a loss is assured, they are good at giving classy concession speeches. Al Gore's in the last election was a compliment to him. But who knows whether Kerry will grow a beard, lay low in the Senate, and reemerge in 2007 as a bitter, conspiracy-minded nutball like Al. Let's hope his manly actions today raise his stock as leader in the Senate, and that he does actually work towards the goal of "begin[ning] the healing."
As well-behaved as KerryEdwards were today, the same cannot be said of their bitter supporters. Today I had the pleasure of listening to two defeated partisans complaining about the result, and blaming the "stupid people and rednecks in the South and Midwest" for spoiling Kerry's rightful ascension to the nation's highest political post. Funny, I thought. Aren't the Democrats supposed to be the party of the middle class and poor, often the same "stupid people and rednecks" they were complaining about? Those ingrates!
But when you think about it, the "stupid people and rednecks" are the most selfless of Americans. Concentrated in the South, Midwest, and Mountain states, these same country folk are the ones who man most of the military posts around the world. They are also the same folks who care so much about the security of all Americans, that they chose to re-elect the incumbent Commander-in-Chief, a wartime president, for the benefit of the same whiners in Chicago, New York, Boston, Philly, DC, and LA that are most likely in the crosshairs of a terrorist attack. A hardworking farm family in Indiana (60-39% Bush) is far less likely to be targeted for terror than a city family from DC (90-9 Kerry, and in a city already targeted several times over). The cities abandoned the president that responded on their behalf after 9/11, mainly with brigades of the men and women from the red states that comprise much of the Armed Forces. I think a great deal of appreciation from the city folk in the blue states is due to the gregarious country folk who care for the safety of their political opposites, and the protection of all Americans.
Well, this election is one for the history books. Voters came out in droves, a bevy of Republicans won by overwhelming majorities, and we have the first president to win the majority of the popular vote since George H.W. Bush in 1988. The people have spoken. Bush's leadership has been validated. And the "selected, not elected" crowd can recede into the fog of irrelevancy for four more years.
UPDATE: Guess my experience wasn't unique.
"In America, it is vital that every vote count .. but the outcome should be decided by voters, not a protracted legal fight," Kerry said. "I would not give up this fight if there was a chance that we would prevail."
But Kerry also said that "there won't be enough outstanding votes for us to win Ohio, and therefore we cannot win this election."
Whew! You have to hand it to the Democrats, when a loss is assured, they are good at giving classy concession speeches. Al Gore's in the last election was a compliment to him. But who knows whether Kerry will grow a beard, lay low in the Senate, and reemerge in 2007 as a bitter, conspiracy-minded nutball like Al. Let's hope his manly actions today raise his stock as leader in the Senate, and that he does actually work towards the goal of "begin[ning] the healing."
As well-behaved as KerryEdwards were today, the same cannot be said of their bitter supporters. Today I had the pleasure of listening to two defeated partisans complaining about the result, and blaming the "stupid people and rednecks in the South and Midwest" for spoiling Kerry's rightful ascension to the nation's highest political post. Funny, I thought. Aren't the Democrats supposed to be the party of the middle class and poor, often the same "stupid people and rednecks" they were complaining about? Those ingrates!
But when you think about it, the "stupid people and rednecks" are the most selfless of Americans. Concentrated in the South, Midwest, and Mountain states, these same country folk are the ones who man most of the military posts around the world. They are also the same folks who care so much about the security of all Americans, that they chose to re-elect the incumbent Commander-in-Chief, a wartime president, for the benefit of the same whiners in Chicago, New York, Boston, Philly, DC, and LA that are most likely in the crosshairs of a terrorist attack. A hardworking farm family in Indiana (60-39% Bush) is far less likely to be targeted for terror than a city family from DC (90-9 Kerry, and in a city already targeted several times over). The cities abandoned the president that responded on their behalf after 9/11, mainly with brigades of the men and women from the red states that comprise much of the Armed Forces. I think a great deal of appreciation from the city folk in the blue states is due to the gregarious country folk who care for the safety of their political opposites, and the protection of all Americans.
Well, this election is one for the history books. Voters came out in droves, a bevy of Republicans won by overwhelming majorities, and we have the first president to win the majority of the popular vote since George H.W. Bush in 1988. The people have spoken. Bush's leadership has been validated. And the "selected, not elected" crowd can recede into the fog of irrelevancy for four more years.
UPDATE: Guess my experience wasn't unique.
posted by Mike C | 3:28 PM
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