I believe that an economic reckoning is coming, probably in the next 2 years.
I hope it knocks the red states back to 1931.
I believe that Bush, reveling in his annointment by his base, will now work to dismantle Social Security, create tax policies shifting even more tax burden from corporations and the investor class to those whose income is from wages, and in general destroy the middle class as we know it.
I hope that all those who voted on what they call moral values are left with only their values to pay for food, clothing, and shelter.
I believe that the red states, with their hatred
for taxes but love for all the goodies taxes provide, will never acknowledge that it is the policies originated by blue states that have allowed millions to own homes, send their kids to college, provide for old age, and in general be part of the middle class.
I hope that the coming recession devastates the industries of the red states.
I believe that the media, with their bottomless interest in trivialities, their Rupert-envy, adnd their general incompetence in finding and reporting facts, helped cost us the election. I believe that our media's fatuous, right-wing-imposed dedication to 'balance', which led to pairing every large lie by Bush with a small exaggeration by Kerry, obscured the truths that Bush voters did not see.
I hope that in the next four years, we will either find media outlets willing to be the left counterparts to the right-wing machine run by that Australian bilionaire, or we will marginalize them all in favor of the blog world.
I believe that we on the left have lacked the go-for-the-gonads instinct it takes to win a national election. We believe in tolerance, inclusion, honesty, decency, fairness, civility, and true compassion. We believe in appealing to people's reason. These qualities make us admirable as human beings, and losers in general elections. We have not been able to get across the truth that our values also have a moral base.
I hope that before the 2006 election, and certainly before 2008, we can find people capable of defining our message and delivering it so that we reach beyond our current base to those who, for economic and other reasons, should be with us. And I hope those people know how to fight.
I no longer want just to be 'better' than the liars and cheaters of the right. I want to win. I no longer want merely the moral victory of not stooping to their level. I want to win. I don't want to hold back and be nice and not meet their attacks with just as much power and ferocity. I want to win. I don't want to pretend this is not a war. I want to win.