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Ambushed (again)!

Nov 3, 2004

Today, John Kerry conceded defeat to George W. Bush in the 2004 presidential race. Today, the Democrats lost resoundingly to the Republicans. So great was the margin, Kerry did not think of contesting Bush's victory. Today is a tragic day. A day of frustration, of anger and lost hopes. A day I question what it is this country stands for. A day I contemplate if it is time to emigrate.

If George W. Bush can be elected president, both by popular and electoral votes, what is it this country did not get about him and his administration?

Questions swirl in my head. Is the media to blame for not educating the voters about the "myths" about the war and the economy? Heaven knows there were plenty of those. No, Saddam Hussein had nothing to do with 9/11. WMDs, you say? No, we were wrong, no WMDs have been found in Iraq. Did they get shipped out of Iraq by Russia or France? Ludicrous, impossible, did not happen. And on the economic front. Did you think that the Republicans were good for business? Well, actually if you look at historical data, you will find that the economy grew by 11% when Democratic administrations were in office as opposed to 6% with Republican ones.

If the media is not to blame, is it then that Americans are, by and large, naive and easily manipulated? Just throw in a pinch of Osama-fear into cooked-up Fox on a base of greens from an annointed-by-God Bush, and you have a winning dish? Is it really that simple?

I do know one thing. A loss by Democrats cannot be interpreted as our
loss. Yes, the fact that Bush is still president is not good for us liberals, and it is not good for our country either. However, we cannot make the mistake of assuming that the Democrats represent us. We took sides against Bush, with the only possible alternative in 2004. And that alternative did not pan out. Discouraging? Yes. Disappointing? Supremely so. Concede defeat? Absolutely not.

I don't know what the answer is. Or even that there is only one answer. A third party, a charismatic leader, a takeover of the Democratic party with a populist economic agenda, all these seem attractive.

But I do know what I need to do. And I hope you'll join me. I know that we have the truth behind us. And this truth is not even shaded by gray, so great is the misinformation and belief in falsehoods that led people to vote for Bush (see the University of Maryland PIPA poll).

What we need to do is inform and educate. Not just our own, but people all over the political spectrum. We need to include. Find common ground to start talking. Be patient and persistent. It may take time, but it is our only hope.