Disclaimer: Views expressed on this website are not necessarily those of Ms. Midler. If you take issue with this diatribe, please direct all emails to me. I am the one responsible for my opinions…
I am appalled, angry, and disillusioned at the outcome of this election. The people clearly voted for ideology over a fact-based reality. If people could/would have taken the time to research and study the statements being made on both sides instead of just relying on a corporate run, lazy media and their plethora of non-stop talking pundits then they may have realized that America would be heading down the wrong road if George W. Bush was elected into office. Now we have made a grave mistake and we will all pay for it for many more years to come…
Those who voted for Bush believed the lies and distortions told them because they did not bother to research anything he said, especially issues involving global policy. That people voted for him mainly on moral issues is beyond laughable. But to be fair, big, fat, bloated, corporate mainstream media had a lot to do with that. Remember ratings, ratings, ratings equal money, money, money. With Fox News being so successful, it was no surprise to see other outlets try to copy their propoganda machine. What happened to holding the government accountable? I guess you can’t when you’re practically lying in bed with them.
I love America, like many of my liberal colleagues and friends, but I’m deeply sad for America today and the path it has chosen to follow.
It is no exaggeration to say be prepared for more attacks, be prepared for Bin Laden to continue to sink the American economy, be prepared for a continuation of the loss of numerous jobs, be prepared for the further crumbling of the public educational system, be prepared for more tax cuts for the rich, be prepared to pay higher medical premiums, be prepared for the continual brutal raping of the environment, and God forbid he doesn’t cause as much damage in the next four years as he has in the past four years. Our deficit is the highest it has ever been, and Bush just keeps on spending as if we have some sort of unlimited credit on a Blue Card…throw in tax cuts during a time of war and you’ve got a recipe for financial disaster. Our kids will be dealing with this for generations…
But are we down for the count? No. My suggestion is that we start fighting back now. It’s not time to lay back and take it. We have not made this president accountable for anything over the last 4 years, the media has given him a free ride, and now it’s time to start putting the fire to their feet. This administration is not republican nor conservative…at least they don’t really mirror the values of that party…this administration is fiscally irresponsible and has built a bigger, pork-filled government. And speaking of getting in bed with the wrong people…whatever happened between the separation of Church and State? And wow, even the House and Senate are still Republican-controlled. Not much chance of checks and balances here. I forgot who said something about absolute power corrupts, but clearly this saying has been kicking around for a long time for a good reason. The upside is that this administration, unless they change their ways and try to begin to heal the divide, will literally tear their party apart. Also, everything that happens here on out is definitely on Bush’s watch. No more Clinton to blame for everything. With Republicans in control, the buck stops with them. Yes, I hope that he succeeds and pulls us out of the mess he has created, but I ain’t holding my breath for this guy. I’m miserable enough even with my fabulous oxygen supply…
The downside is that many will be caught in the crossfires…Bush’s win is everybody’s loss and I think that will be proven in the end…Unless God performs a miracle, history will show Bush as the worst president ever to lay claim to the White House. I don’t think God will perform this miracle because he also told Bush there would be no casualties in Iraq…that is, if you can believe the other nut job, Pat Robertson. Not to go all drama queen on you, but this scares me…to an extent….
The Republicans have honed a well oiled machine since the sixties and now over the last couple of years for the first time, I believe, the left has laid down the groundwork or infrastructure to become stronger. It will take time. But they were able to mobilize the voter turnout to unheard of numbers and the race was virtually split down the middle….the margin was not that big for an incumbent president. With the help of Air America, Media Matters, Moveon.org, ACT, etc….we have a momentum going and more of a chance of getting our voices heard…visit these places and find out what works for you…
Start fighting back locally by writing your papers and calling in on talk shows when you hear untruths, demand the media to start asking more questions…no more scripted press conferences…it’s time to get in their face. The republicans have control of everything now and it is not the time to let them walk over half the population who see through the quagmire and chaos they have created to distract us from their deceit…unfortunately they won thru a campaign that preyed on people’s fears, and using moral wedge issues in such ways as to distort reality…and people fell for it, hook, line, and sinker…
It’s time for us to fight back on these moral issues and reclaim them as ours, too. A friend of mine said that republicans have found a way to talk in a simple way about moral issues, whereas, the democrats, libs, whatever, have not found the same way to communicate. Maybe we tend to intellectualize things to a degree that it turns off the everyday man…I don’t know. But this is definitely a lesson we need to pay attention to and learn how to get across in a simpler, yet more effective way….BUT I will not be intimidated to think that “nuance” and “intellect” are bandied about as negatives. Nothing is black and white…there are always gray areas that require careful analysis. When did rushing to judgement become a positive especially when lives are at stake.
Yes, we must find common ground with one another as Senator Kerry has said, but this will be hard knowing the history of this administration. When Bush says we must come together he doesn’t mean thru compromise…he just means you need to think the way he does and that’s bullshit.! He has been given 2 chances…one after 2000 vote debacle and the next one after 9-11…but the blew it…he moved farther to the right than any president I have ever seen and thru his actions polarized a country right down the middle. And don’t think for a minute that the rest of the world doesn’t care who we just elected and don’t discount the importance of their perception of us. Because we have become such a global community, it very much matters. It will be a long road back to regaining our credibility and respect unless some major changes are made…
But back to common ground. Remember, baby steps….The first step is to find common ground with our neighbors and friends and try to heal any deep divide there and then move on forward…there’s a revolution around the bend. In 2 years we have a round of important elections to attend to…
Go ahead and mourn today, lick your wounds, but get ready to suit up tomorrow!
Love, Mister D
PS: If this has offended anyone of my readers…I apologize… but I am angry and very passionate about this. I know this is a fan site for Bette Midler, but it’s also my site and it’s unofficial. I don’t plan on staying political here and will be going back to entertainment as soon as something pops up…
So if you are outraged, there are plenty of other sites to visit. For starters….try one of those easy-going message boards! 🙂
