MetaChat - How can there be any hope?

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05 November 2006

How can there be any hope? →[More:]The combination of not having exit polls and increasing chatter by the right wing about vote fraud makes it clear to me that the Republicans are going to steal the election.

Add to that how--when you think about it--they have no reason at all *not* to steal the election, since losing could potentially mean jail for a lot of them, and you get the inevitable conclusion that not only are they going to steal this election, they have no reason ever to concede an election again--the "permanent Republican majority" Rove has always wanted.

By all rights, we should be allowed a party on Tuesday night. They're going to steal it, though. I am completely filled with despair about this. America is a failure; the plutocrats have taken over.

post by: interrobang at: 19:06 | 20 comments

I am completely filled with despair about this. America is a failure; the plutocrats have taken over.

i was thinking the same thing in 1968. you're just now noticing?

posted by quonsar 05 November | 19:12

I wasn't around in 1968.

posted by interrobang 05 November | 19:14

America broke a long time ago and I don't think we can return it for store credit anymore. We really should just throw it out and get another one.

posted by cmonkey 05 November | 19:21

i was thinking the same thing in 1968. you're just now noticing?

I'm laughing my ass off here. Q, you da' man.

posted by JanetLand 05 November | 19:28

ib: This here US of A was formed by plutocrats.

posted by mischief 05 November | 19:44

Oh jeez, this is nothing compared to the Reagan years in terms of despair. At least a significant potion of the population seems to be ready to abandon these fucks. Buck up, you buncha tomato cans.

ib: This here US of A was formed by plutocrats.

true, but they were plutocrats with some good ideas.

posted by jonmc 05 November | 19:59

Has America ever "run" well? At one time you not only had to be male and white to vote, but you had to own property, too. There was no way to receive news except from broadsides, which were published by political parties. Europeans basically conquered Native Americans and then fought over or traded land in order to create the current borders. Later, political machines used to control elections. In the 20th Century there were McCarthyism, "relocation camps", Watergate, and other things.

posted by halonine 05 November | 20:27

At least in the past, though, there was the possibility of Watergate hearings. Now these warmongers are forever unaccountable.

posted by interrobang 05 November | 20:40

i-bang, this country runs hold-cold/right-left, and the turning point is usually when one side does something stupid or horrific. People are getting sick of seeing their kids and/or their neighbors kids come home in body bags for no good reason, and that's what'll turn it by the next presidential election ,provided we cough up another Clinton.

posted by jonmc 05 November | 20:47

No, they control the machines that count the votes. No matter how sick people get of them, we can never vote them out of office.

posted by interrobang 05 November | 20:48

we can never vote them out of office.

There's more than one way to change a government.

posted by scody 05 November | 20:52

If by "run well" you mean "run as designed", then the answer is pretty much "yes, the US does run well" with each party in turn defeating the worst elements of the previous government.

This country is most horrifying when one party owns both Congress and the Presidency, regardless of whether that party is the Republicans or the Democrats.

posted by mischief 05 November | 21:00

This country has seen worse, and been worse, than now, and survived. Don't give up quite yet.

posted by deadcowdan 05 November | 21:24

The combination of not having exit polls

Um, there will be exit polls. Maybe not for everything you want, but there will be exit polls. Exit poll data will be embargoed/quarantined to prevent early calls.

The main guy doing the exit polls is Joe Lenski of Edison Media Research. Interview part 1, part 2.

This country is most horrifying when one party owns both Congress and the Presidency, regardless of whether that party is the Republicans or the Democrats.

I dunno. I've never in my life seen Congress virtually eliminated from any meaningful public debate. I've been shocked that GOP backbenchers haven't revolted already. When the history of that institution is written, the 109th Congress will be a particularly curious chapter.

posted by stilicho 06 November | 00:26

This is going to be very silly to read on Wednesday.

posted by smackfu 06 November | 00:28

I sure hope so.

posted by interrobang 06 November | 01:42

I'm with ib on this one. Makes me not want to vote at all.

posted by chewatadistance 06 November | 08:03

Now that Pluto's been downsized, are they just Crats who are running the nation?

posted by Lipstick Thespian 06 November | 11:09

I'm still hoping.

Despite...

And remember, I live in the state in which Sec of State Blackwell was in charge of the utterly screwed 2004 Ohio vote count that put Dubya in office.

And now Blackwell is running for GOVERNOR, and as Sec of State he's overseeing HIS OWN RACE.

But I'm holding out hope. It's the Fool thing to do.

posted by shane 06 November | 12:31

chewatadistance - really? because I think a lot of this news may be a political ploy to do just that - keep intelligent but politically weary voters from showing up at the polls. If you continually read, "Your vote won't be counted," and that convinces you not to vote... well, haven't you played into their hands?

Gah, now I sound like a conspiracy theorist, but I wouldn't put it past some of the professional campaigners.

posted by muddgirl 06 November | 13:05

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