US to GOP: We don’t like you.
Ok, so the unbelievable has occured. The Democrats have won Congress, with “Good Old Boy” Allen losing in Virginia. Goodbye to another racist jackass.
Just in case the “political nutjobs” don’t get it, this election means that:
What was a viable and essential part of the American political scene, the conservative movement -you know, those guys who believe in limited government, decreased federal spending, and staying the hell out of your business- was replaced by a bunch of meddling, greedy pigs who lied us into war, let energy companies write their own laws, big pharma too, and funnelled billions to contractors in the “GWOT” in return for campaign dollars. The voters finally got sick of corruption, incompetence, and lies and kicked them out. Kudos.
It means that a debate on the war might possibly occur without all 3 branches of government and a compliant media calling one side traitors. It will mean oversight on war spending, investigations into making sure a Katrina doesn’t occur again, and no more sheltering child abusers as a political tactic.
Now, as I said the other day, the Democratic party is not, by any stretch, the answer to our problems. But the election of them to power by the American people means that despite the most negative and expensive campaign in our history, despite the robocalling, racist ads, and a impotent king jetting around the country (on our dime, no doubt) attempting to throw the fear of little brown people killing us all without his steadfast “leadership”, the people said “enough” and voted them out. If Bush had been on the ballot in name, and not just as a symbol, he’d be out of office today. Time will tell if the Democrats will make a significant change in the tenor of our nation, one certainly hopes so.
But more importantly than that, this election sent a message to the majority of Americans, and to millions around the world, that now, a dialogue is possible.
A dialogue about how we react to, and prevent, terrorism. (Hint? Don’t be one.)
A dialogue about how we as a nation treat our laws. Either we respect the constitution that got us this far, or we continue to allow American citizens to languish in unmarked cells, without a lawyer. Either the rule of law prevails, as it must, or we allow King George to listen to our calls, read our mail, and pry into our finances (while allowing no oversight of his, of course) all in the guise of “keeping the American people safe”. It was utter bullshit on 9/12, and its only moreso now. George Bush and the GOP don’t care if you live or die, only if you can still react to fearmongering. This election said we no longer do.
A dialogue about how and where we get our fuel. Instead of paying energy companies billions in tax breaks, fund alternative energy research. Without oil revenues, the entire middle east together has a lower GNP than Finland. And without money, they can’t buy bombs (from us or anybody else). And when we don’t need their oil, we don’t need to pay attention to them ever again. For an example, peruse our reaction to the horrors of Dafur. Yeah, not much. 9/11 wouldn’t have happened if not for our meddling in the Middle East. Notice they didn’t attack Sweden.
And finally, a dialogue about hypocrisy. The GOP ran, and for years won, on giving lip service to the notion of legislating morality. Or at least their version of it. What stings the redstate.com’s of the world so about this election is that now they won’t be able to replace Justice Stevens with some trained chimp who will outlaw abortion. Or ram thru (uh, bad pun) a gay marriage amendment. Of course, the GOP doesn’t give a spit about any of that, its only a recruiting tool, but for too long the hysterics of our nation have had a voice in debate, far beyond what the mainstream of America holds true. The Haggards, the Foleys, and all the other hypocrites, your days of being taken seriously in the public arena, well, hopefully your reign of error is soon over. You only had a voice as long as the GOP was in power, and the rest of us? Well, we were being polite. Really, we were. No more. You are nuts, and we don’t have to listen to it.
No creationism or “intelligent design” in schools.
No taxpayer dollars to “faith-based” bullshit. Its illegal (yes, we do actually have a separation of church and state here. Don’t like it? Form your own f’n nation, how about?) and insipid. People up to age 29 should practice abstinence? Oh, please. Go buy a chastity belt, you.
No more midnight Schivo debacles. We will live, fuck, and die, all without your help or approval. Piss off and return to your debates of how many angels you can wedge on that pin. The rest of us no longer have to act as if we care, just to curry favor with the likes of you.
I am not now, nor will I ever be a Democrat. I have no great faith in that party- or any, frankly- to do a tenth of what they say they will. But if what we’re seeing coming over the horizon is the dawn of a country, and world, without unlimited republican influence, then that is a better day.
