The reason why...

This election became a referendum on values. Democrats were demolished by the RNC grassroots movement that worked hard to ensure Christian conservatives voted on Tuesday, and they did. While Kerry refocused his campaign on Iraq, Bush hit on an issue that resonated strongly with mid-western and southern voters. Interesting how the Republicans were able to use the Democrat slogan “this is the most important election of our time” to energize Republicans. Assuming there is no Diebold conspiracy, Bush won. Considering he improved on the result in 2000 he won well and has a mandate. By a majority the American people chose to ignore , the economy and healthcare in favor of protecting their perceived “values”, and at the same time giving the Republicans a majority in the House, the Senate and the Supreme Court. Young people did not turn out to vote in record numbers, that won’t happen unless a draft is reinstituted. Until low income earners in red states have a fundamental understanding that the Democrats best represent their interests and that tax breaks for wealthy Americans only deprives them of essential services the Republicans will continue to dominate US politics.

Michael Moore, MoveOn.org, the DNC, P-Diddy, Rock the Vote, and the many other celebrities who involved themselves in this election did little to help John Kerry. Considering the popular vote and the record turnout I would say that the perception, amongst mid-western and southern voters, that Kerry is part of the liberal elite made Republicans more enthusiastic to vote against him. Democratic grass roots campaigns to energize the base are not enough. The base needs to be extended into states where Democrats should do well but don’t.

We didn’t see this coming, it was impossible to predict that the protest vote wouldn’t be against George Bush but instead be against John Kerry. The backlash against John Kerry can in large part be blamed on ruling on the legality of gay marriages. As dubious as this seems, it gave the Republicans the ammunition they needed to misinform Christian conservative voters across the country that a Kerry win would result in the federal support of gay marriage. As their children die in , they live without healthcare, without adequate education, they have low paying jobs and little prospect of retiring before 70, residents of the south and mid-west should ponder whether a bigoted protest vote against a group of fellow citizens was worth 4 more years Bush.

Where to now? I guess I could just shut up and reap the “rewards” of a Bush Presidency. Perhaps not.