graikor's Journal: Four More Years

So, the people have spoken. We get another four years of Bush & company.

While I would love to place the blame for this rout on Karl Rove and the GOP dirty tricks machine, the plain and simple fact is that all the facts lined up against Bush, but the Democrats (once again) could not give the people of this country a candidate that inspired excitement.

Let's face facts, Kerry probably got considerably more Anybody-But-Bush votes than he did pro-Kerry ones. I know many people who voted for Kerry without really thinking that he was the best person for the office. This is the same problem the DNC had in 2000, and if they still haven't learned their lesson, it will happen again in 2008.

Unfortunately, I fear the DNC will look at all the "moral values" talk from the exit polls and skew even farther to the right, nullifying any remaining differences between them and the Republicans. In my opinion, that's the wrong lesson. I believe that the next Democratic nominee for President needs to be more passionate than conservative, a vital, enthusiastic liberal, who isn't afraid to stand against bigotry and the forces that would turn the U.S.A. into another fundamentalist theocracy. A candidate who people can get excited about on his own merits, and not only in comparison with the other guy's faults.

We shall see what the future holds - heck, maybe we'll get the old Governor Bush back! Since he can't run for re-election, maybe he will really work as a uniter instead of a divider this time out.

I know, I would be much more likely to see chimps flying out of my posterior, but I can still hope!