Based on the information at the Iraq Coalition Casualty Count, we can guess that if John Kerry had been elected president, that's approximately how many men and women who dedicated their lives to protecting us have died under Bush. Nearly all of them would likely be alive today under President Kerry.
Then there's the civilian cost: a bare minimum of 35 civilians lost per day in 2005, 72 per day in 2006, 60 per day in 2007 and 33 per day in 2008 thus far. Extrapolating, that's 12,775 innocent people killed in 2005, 26,280 in 2006, 21,900 in 2007 and approximately 5,000 in 2008, give or take a few helpless children. And that's just the deaths that have been duly recorded; the real numbers are almost certainly much higher.
So I'm sure Riverbend is terribly impressed with the supposedly pro-Obama folks not ready to forgive Hillary Clinton, or the supposedly pro-Clinton folks who are threatening to betray everything she stands for by voting for -- gods help us -- John "100 years" McCain! But hey, he's only fine with troops staying in Iraq if they're not dying. Those Iraqis, after all, they're just brown people, right?
Yet I'm reading diaries today about how Obama is the worst candidate ever and supposed Kossacks who've switched their registrations to Republican because Hillary had the election stolen, stolen I tell you, away from her. I'm reading how it's not yet time to forgive Hillary for her gaffes -- she's got more of them than Barack! Gosh!
I'm sure the innocent people who will die today are impressed by those rhetorical flourishes. And I'm sure the next time a major city drowns somewhere around the world thanks to global warming, President McSame will really give a damn about that anti-Obama, pro-Hillary vote for the "beat the bitch" candidate.
I'm not a combative person by nature. I hate confrontation. I'm an introvert who hates getting into flame wars. I can't even phone bank with any real stamina because dealing with strangers just drains the life out of me. But honestly, I am stunned by the self-absorbed, self-important bull that I'm reading here. I was an Edwards supporter -- should I vote for Bob "no pagans in the Army" Barr as my protest vote? I'm a neopagan, BTW.
Folks, it's time to get behind the one and only candidate representing the Democratic Party, and the one and only candidate representing liberals, moderates and sane conservatives who has a chance of winning (I used to be a Green, then I voted for Gore). It's also time to let go of the primary season sniping, the petty BS, and the verbal miscues and support anyone who's with us.
Bush says anyone who's not with him is against him. I say anyone who's not against us is with us. I like those odds. How about the rest of you?
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Roland X
Hope is a phoenix