I'm sorry.

[metu]

I failed. I could have done more. I should have done more.

I tried to make my case to the American people that re-electing President Bush was a bad move. I tried to make the point that this was not a matter of sympathy, but of practicality. I tried to use historical references to make the case clear.

I decided that the best thing for me to do would be to hold back from political discussions until the last couple of months of the campaign. This proved to be a bad idea as when I finally did enter the debate, I had not spent enough time preparing my rational arguments. I was unable to make my points as clearly and rationally as I could have. I was also unable to establish a base of respect because I was such a recent addition.

I spend a good deal of time over the summer researching the developments in Central Asia hoping that I could broaden the scope of the national debate. I was determined to bypass the debates over Iraq and bring more attention to the global perspective. I was unable to do this as I was swept in to the debate over Iraq and couldn't find anyone to argue about Central Asia.

I was unable to overcome my weakness for booze and video games. I was unsuccessful at breaking myself free of my comfort shell long enough to solidly and thoroughly convice my country to make the smart move. I let my tendencies for depression and escape continue because I was too weak to face this problem with my all.

I could have done so much more than I did. I could have written into newspapers and started my own website. I could have stood out on the streets of small towns passing out one page arguments. I could have gone on a campaign of advising people not to trust the television networks for a news source. I could have made more impact on the recent surge of the Christian Right over recent years by debating religion more in general and with Christian groups in particular. I could have worked with organizations, and even started my own, in order to inspire my friends and family to get out there and make the case to small town, midwestern America. I could have done so much more.

I'm sorry, America. I failed you.

 

[Edgecrusher]

and I'm sure all of America's problems would have just magically gone away the moment Mr. Kerry stepped into office.

 

[metu]

I never believed that.

It's not whether you win or lose, it's how you play the game. I'm disappointed with my performance.

 

[sumairetsu]

It's not whether you win or lose, it's how you play the game.

You can't tell the winners that.

Election results are in question in states like Ohio and Florida. Reports of voter intimidation, fraudulent voter registration, voter registration tampering and the like make for some interesting questions.

So does the fact that the exit polls in counties in Ohio where Diebold voting machines were the opposite of the numbers that were coming out in the tabulations. Is it a mere coincidence or ironic that the exit polls in those counties in Ohio that were using voting methods that were auditable (i.e. paper ballots) were producing results that were consistent with the balloting within a small margin of error (around .10% difference)?

Why is the Republican party being so eager to dismiss all exit polling as wrong when it has been used for centuries in nations around the world as an accurate way of finding out the way people voted?

Something is wrong here. We've been fucked over...again.

 

[Edgecrusher]

voter intimidation

How much of a pussy do you have to be to be intimidated into voting for someone?

"Vote for Bush, or the cute, cuddly, bunny rabbit gets it!"

 

[G-Master]

This is one of the more amusing threads we get to witness on UM.

 

[coolsnow7]

Exactly. And he has a point. Like the person above said, Kerry would have used magic. Magic. The same principle under which electricity operates. The same thing that makes the world go round. That which comes from the lands of pixies and fairies, not to mention unicorns. Magic.

 

[sumairetsu]

How much of a pussy do you have to be to be intimidated into voting for someone?

"Vote for Bush, or the cute, cuddly, bunny rabbit gets it!"

I'm talking about voter intimidation along the lines of "If you vote, and you have any outstanding warrants or parking tickets, you will be arrested." This was a common theme throughout Florida in the 2000 election in primarily lower-income areas (which tend to vote democratic) and was rearing its head again in Florida and in Ohio in this election.

 

[Edgecrusher]

I'm talking about voter intimidation along the lines of "If you vote, and you have any outstanding warrants or parking tickets, you will be arrested." This was a common theme throughout Florida in the 2000 election in primarily lower-income areas (which tend to vote democratic) and was rearing its head again in Florida and in Ohio in this election.

And what's wrong with bringing criminals to justice? or do democrats have something against that too?

 

[sumairetsu]

And what's wrong with bringing criminals to justice? or do democrats have something against that too?

Are you dense? Or just an uneducated, ignorant Republican?

Voting is a right of US citizens, not subject to persecution. Threatening somebody in this way is a civil rights violation. Also, until such time as they have been convicted, we are still considered innocent until proven guilty.

 

[Jinn]

heh, I'm not voting again until they ditch the Electoral College. I voted this year, and guess what? My state voted for Bush. Therefore, my vote for Kerry did not count. It didn't even count in the short run, because my county voted for Bush. I would've been better off jizzing into the ballot box, that way I would have at least taken out a few Bush ballots....

 

[Edgecrusher]

There's a difference between being a suspect and having a warrant out for your arrest.

If you are a SUSPECT, you are innocent until proven guilty. If you have a warrant or have tickets, that means you've already done something wrong.

 

[Edgecrusher]

heh, I'm not voting again until they ditch the Electoral College. I voted this year, and guess what? My state voted for Bush. Therefore, my vote for Kerry did not count. It didn't even count in the short run, because my county voted for Bush. I would've been better off jizzing into the ballot box, that way I would have at least taken out a few Bush ballots....

Just because who you voted for didn't win, doesn't mean that your vote didn't count. Clearly this time around you were in the MINORITY. And we live in a country where the MAJORITY rules.

 

[Jinn]

yes, but the electoral college is fucked up and outdated.
Suppose three people in Texas vote. Three people are the deciding factor for around 56 electoral votes.
suppose three million people in a much smaller state vote and that state is worth, say, 20 electoral votes, and before those states rang in, the numbers were tied with 30 needed to win.

Obviously, the majority lost to legalities and an outdated system.

Now although this is a mock situation, there have been cases where the president-elect LOST the popularity vote [the majority vote of the people not hindered by the Electoral College] but won the electoral vote.

A recent example of a president who lost the popular vote but won the electoral college was President George W. Bush in 2000.
Gore won the popular vote [american term for majority] but lost the election. Whether it be Florida actually voted for Bush, thousands of uncounted ballots for Gore were uncounted due to technical failure of the Butterfly Ballot, or the Supreme Court got tired of all the pig shit doesn't interest me, because it's a mess, and was 4 years ago. The point is, is that in an unhindered election, Gore would've probably won, but due to the Electoral college, he lost.

I'm not a democrat, or republican, or any of that pig shit. I vote for whom in my opinion is the better man for the job, and this year, my choice was Kerry, and I'm pretty ashamed that my vote didn't count this year.

 

[sumairetsu]

Just because who you voted for didn't win, doesn't mean that your vote didn't count. Clearly this time around you were in the MINORITY. And we live in a country where the MAJORITY rules.

Bullshit. In the Presidential election, your vote doesn't count.

Remember: in 1992, Ross Perot won at least 15% of the popular vote and didn't get a single electoral vote.

It should also be pointed out that the majority vote that you hold in such high esteem was not much of a majority. Remember, Bush only won by about 3.5 million votes. Out of nearly 115 million voters? That's not much of a majority.

And, that's taking into consideration that the voting machine tabulations were actually correct. (Yeah, right...and martians are living in my garage. )

 

[Jinn]

and actually, by American law, a Warrant doesn't prove one guilty. you're only guilty until proven so in court.

 

[Black Dragon]

Warrant's are at a judges discretion I believe.

 

[Protocol]

Kerry is a Bones man too. He's not any better. But you don't give morons a second chance. Bush out, anyone in. Next election, Kerry out, anyone in.

 

[Kenneth R.]

you come here to say "I'm sorry"?

I voted against Bush too. but I'm NOT sorry. i'm not sorry because i'm not whining Kerry Lost, i'm thinking of what i can do now to help fix the shit we're in

 

[Dead Winter]

The Electoral College is a farce, and anyone who disagrees is under the age of voting, anyway. It benefits the individual, not America.