2004 Presidential Election Poll

Peter Rideout wrote: James Lee wrote: ^Any free election is a triumph for democracy. If you're not satisfied with the results of the election, the maybe you have a problem with democracy itself. You're not alone...Alexis deToqueville had a number of criticisms of democracy, back around 1831(!), and very few of them have actually been meaningfully addressed in the last 170 years. Ultimately, however, it's either democracy or outright revolution for anyone who is interested in change. I'd like to avoid revolution...the carnage in Iraq and Vietnam is nothing compared to the horrors of the Civil War (in which the side of democracy lost, by the way). I'm in favor of getting rid of the electoral college, but GWB still won the popular vote...I dislike him, personally and politically, but I understand that many people (especially in the Pork Rind states) are justifiably leery of the shrill, smug liberal elitists and humorless, inhuman socialism they typically represent. Gdub gets a lot of comments like "how can you be gay and republican?" which is silly because they're not automatically mutually exclusive, any more than Gay & Christian (or Gay & Prog!)...similarly, many of my postions seem to be on the wackier side of liberalism, but I also favor certain traditional conservative/ republican ideals such as less government spending and less government involvement in our personal lives. I don't believe government should be legislating morality, but I also completely understand why half the country feels that 'a return to traditional values' (the most-often cited reason Bush voters gave in exit polls) is a compelling ideal. I don't think GWB will really satisfy anyone (plenty of religious, conservative, and republican folks have already come out against him) but let's stop being so easily spooked- the world is not going to come to an end because of him. His victory may mean that scary things will happen in the next four years, but just because the elections are over doesn't mean we've instantly lost the power to influence the course of events. [insert humorous closing comment here to balance the wordy seriousness of my post] Sorry, James -- I'm too stupid/lazy to read anything that long. Could you sum it up in one line or less, please?

An editor's challenge! Interesting. I'll give it a try:

*Do you value democracy? Accept the election results. Afraid of the future? Get involved.* 

Not bad...but you'd hardly recognize me from that statement. I didn't even get to use any of what one of my high school english teachers (playing Hemingway to my Faulkner) referred to as "ten-dollar words"

LOL, if only I was paid per word I'd be richer than Bill Gates by now.

Fitzcarraldo wrote: My colleagues from Belgium never fail to remind me that "French fries" were in fact invented in Belgium. Allegedly.

Exactly! French fries are typical Belgian. A common joke is that Belgians eat french fries at breakfast, at lunch and at supper. Very tasty but very bad for your cholesterol hehe.

BillBoh1971 wrote: "Thats it. You threw down the guantlet. No more Belgium Waffles. It's Freedom Waffles from now on. I'll show you!!" I don't get it. What have GW Bush and waffles in common? What do you wanna show me??

It was a joke. When we had some political snares with France a few moron restaurant ownerthought they would show France by changing the name of French Fries into Freedom Fries. It's one of those lame things that most americans are embarrassed about

So.,since you're from Belgium I "threatened" to change the Belgium Waffle into Freedom Waffles...I was just trying to be silly in the hopes of disarming  your rage over our election. I guess I shouldn't expect you to know the stupid things that happen in america but I figured for sure this doozy would leak out to you europeans.

BillBoh1971 wrote: gdub411 wrote: Don't waste your breath on these guys Danbo Your not going to change their minds. Everybody else in the world seems to think they know what's best for us stupid americans. Their the elitists. Let Europe rot in its own decadence!! Hmm ... and isn't THIS a flaming (even a racist) remark? I'm not an elitist, but i must admit some Americans are really stupid, yes. Not that we Europeans are so much more clever though, but at least we know what both nazism and communism is and how dangerous they are. Anyway, with Bush and his spending-like-a-liberal politics, we'll see what country will rot first. The reason i'm saying Bush voters are not very clever is because Bush's politics will hurt them sooner or later anyway. If not because of new terrorist attacks (Bushy boy is really asking for trouble), it's gonna happen through the economy. Or through his extreme-conservative social agenda (women rights, gay rights, privacy right...and much more) - hence my reference to nazims and communism.

Thats it. You threw down the guantlet. No more Belgium Waffles. It's Freedom Waffles from now on. I'll show you!!

jiggajake wrote: bush is making downloading music a federal offense as well, rather than a civil court case, you'll now get a civil court case and a minimum of 3 years in jail :-D w00t!

where did you hear that?

James Lee wrote: take out Jar-Jar and I might agree

Yeah good point...

gdub411 wrote: Don't waste your breath on these guys Danbo Your not going to change their minds. Everybody else in the world seems to think they know what's best for us stupid americans. Their the elitists. Let Europe rot in its own decadence!!

Hmm ... and isn't THIS a flaming (even a racist) remark? I'm not an elitist, but i must admit some Americans are really stupid, yes. Not that we Europeans are so much more clever though, but at least we know what both nazism and communism is and how dangerous they are. Anyway, with Bush and his spending-like-a-liberal politics, we'll see what country will rot first.

The reason i'm saying Bush voters are not very clever is because Bush's politics will hurt them sooner or later anyway. If not because of new terrorist attacks (Bushy boy is really asking for trouble), it's gonna happen through the economy. Or through his extreme-conservative social agenda (women rights, gay rights, privacy right...and much more) - hence my reference to nazims and communism.

You're not a democracy, you're a republic.

And Star Wars Epesode 1 IS a good film.

[insert humorous closing comment here to balance the wordy seriousness of my post as well]

^Any free election is a triumph for democracy.

If you're not satisfied with the results of the election, the maybe you have a problem with democracy itself. You're not alone...Alexis deToqueville had a number of criticisms of democracy, back around 1831(!), and very few of them have actually been meaningfully addressed in the last 170 years. Ultimately, however, it's either democracy or outright revolution for anyone who is interested in change. I'd like to avoid revolution...the carnage in Iraq and Vietnam is nothing compared to the horrors of the Civil War (in which the side of democracy lost, by the way).

I'm in favor of getting rid of the electoral college, but GWB still won the popular vote...I dislike him, personally and politically, but I understand that many people (especially in the Pork Rind states) are justifiably leery of the shrill, smug liberal elitists and humorless, inhuman socialism they typically represent.

Gdub gets a lot of comments like "how can you be gay and republican?" which is silly because they're not automatically mutually exclusive, any more than Gay & Christian (or Gay & Prog!)...similarly, many of my postions seem to be on the wackier side of liberalism, but I also favor certain traditional conservative/ republican ideals such as less government spending and less government involvement in our personal lives. I don't believe government should be legislating morality, but I also completely understand why half the country feels that 'a return to traditional values' (the most-often cited reason Bush voters gave in exit polls) is a compelling ideal.

I don't think GWB will really satisfy anyone (plenty of religious, conservative, and republican folks have already come out against him) but let's stop being so easily spooked- the world is not going to come to an end because of him. His victory may mean that scary things will happen in the next four years, but just because the elections are over doesn't mean we've instantly lost the power to influence the course of events.

[insert humorous closing comment here to balance the wordy seriousness of my post]