| Sorry that I haven?t been around lately, but Election Day is upon us so I have to say something. In even numbered years Election Day is my favorite holiday (in odd numbered, Christmas). Once every two years we get a chance to overthrow the government, an opportunity to remake our Republic in new ways. Things are now coming to a head and what happens tomorrow will have reverberations through the next several decades. One of two things will happen, I believe, and which of the two occurs will indicate how things go.
The first possibility is the one that everyone is predicting: Democrats will take back the House with 20-30 seats gained, and may very well take over the Senate (though that is far less likely). The GOP bottom will fall out and we may even make big gains in places like Idaho (so much for decrying Dean?s 50 state outreach program). Here in Texas Democrats will gain probably 4-8 seats in the State House, enough for a new Speaker and may very well nip Perry out of office. More likely Bell will fall just short of the goal and the Texas Democratic Party leadership will be solely to blame.
The second possibility is the more logical one. If we can use exit polls to know that the Ukrainian presidential election was stolen, if we can use exit polls to know that the Iranian presidential election was stolen, then we can use them to tell that the last presidential election was stolen. The 2000 election was, as we know, also stolen. In 2002 Democrats suck up job to the inflated Bush probably did the trick on its own. But now is the litmus test. They can steal it by letting Democrats gain 10-14 seats in the House and 3 or 4 in the Senate, and they have all the motivation in the world to do it. As long as they have the Speaker, the Majority Leader and the President, there is one party rule. As long as that exists (and a pusillanimous and divided opposition is all that exists in the Democrats) they will continue to grant themselves sweeping, even autocratic powers. |
If the first happens, I will jump for joy and eat my words. I am holding out hope that I am terrifically wrong. But if and when scenario two happens there will be other predictable reactions. The discourse will begin at its lowest point?on television. They will speak of large Democratic gains that were just not enough to put them over the top. Republican commentators will cite yesterday?s show trial conviction of Saddam Hussein as causing a last minute Bush bounce (as it was intended to do?the conviction and sentencing was moved up and was expected to be months or years from now). Democrat commentators will cannibalize their leadership, turning on Howard Dean or Rahm Emmanuel depending on which side of this divide they are on. Nobody will talk about the possibility of the election being stolen, or if it is said the person will be hackled down. Most likely it will be a spokesperson of the community whose oppression forms the backbone of Republican vote rigging?African Americans. The voice that is speaking will be easy for the media and others to marginalize because it will be Black and perhaps even female. On Wednesday the papers will simply condense the conventional wisdom and only the occasional dissident (always with a GOP or ?common sense? Democrat hack screaming back at them) will be heard to question the results.
But some of us will speak the truth, and with each passing stolen election and dashed hope some will simply drop out of the process and the rest will be radicalized. There will be a dominant Republican majority, a weak and sniveling opposition in the Democrats and there will be the rest of us. We must stay true to our cause and our country, remembering what this country was intended to be. Evil will never prevail forever and as long as one man or one woman is free in this country, the forces arrayed against us will never win. We must get ready for the possibility that tomorrow, rather than bringing the first celebration in a long time, will instead confirm our worst fears about the Bush Administration, the Republican Party and the American political system in general.
Once again, I hope to God that I am wrong, and I ask you all to pray with me that we are. But in the instance that the truth is worse than expected, I ask you to simply remember this post and get ready to stand your ground for democracy. Like the ancient Chinese blessing/curse, we are destined to live in interesting times. I am glad to have you all as my friends and comrades in this hour, and I?ll try to start writing more. If things go along the lines of Plan B, you can expect that I will. |
