Posted on 07/12/2003 1:27:36 PM PDT by FractalSphere
Whether, Not Who, is the Question About the 2004 Election
Ted Rall
NEW YORK--He has canceled elections in Iraq. He will probably cancel them in Afghanistan. Will George W. Bush put the kibosh on elections in the United States next year?
Frightened by Bush's rapidly accruing personal power and the Democrats' inability and/or unwillingness to stand up to him, panicked lefties worry that he might use the "war on terrorism" as an excuse to declare a state of emergency, suspend civil liberties and jail political opponents.
People who have spoken out against Bush are talking exit strategy--not Alec Baldwin style, just to make a statement, but fleeing the U.S. in order to save their skins. "Do you or your spouse have a European-born parent?" is a query making the rounds. (If you do, you can obtain dual nationality and a European Union (news - web sites) passport that would allow you to work in any EU member nation.) Those whose lineage is 100 percent American are hoping that nations like Canada and France will admit American political refugees in the event of a Bushite clampdown.
To these people, whether or not the 2004 elections actually take place as scheduled is the ultimate test for American democracy. At Guantánamo Bay the United States is converting a concentration camp into a death camp where inmates will be executed without due process or legal representation. Never before in history has a U.S. president contemplated the denaturalization of native-born citizens-thus far even people executed for treason have died as Americans--but Bush has drafted legislation that would allow him to strip anyone he calls an "enemy combatant" of their citizenship and have them deported. By any objective standard he has already gone way too far, but for many it would take the cancellation or delay of the elections to confirm that we are trading in our wounded democracy for a fascist state.
Lincoln considered suspending the 1864 election because of the Civil War, but ultimately tabled the idea. To date nothing has ever prevented an American presidential election from being held on time.
It's easy to come up with a scenario in which canceling the 2004 election could be made to appear reasonable. Imagine that, a few weeks before Election Day, "dirty bombs" detonate simultaneously in New York and Washington. Government, media and political institutions and personnel lie ruined in smoking rubble and ash; hundreds of thousands of people have been murdered. The economy, already teetering on the precipice, is shoved into depression. How could we conduct elections under such conditions?
Republicans have already floated the don't-change-horses-in-midstream argument. After Democratic presidential Sen. John Kerry criticized Bush recently, GOP National Committee Chairman Mark Racicot took him to task not for his specific remarks, but rather for "daring to suggest the replacement of America's commander-in-chief at a time when America is at war." The White House website's "frequently asked questions" section indicates that the "war" is expected to continue well beyond 2004: "There is no silver bullet, no single event or action that is going to suddenly make the threat of terrorism disappear. This broad-based and sustained effort will continue until terrorism is rooted out. The situation is similar to the Cold War, when continuous pressure from many nations caused communism to collapse from within. We will press the fight as long as it takes."
The Cold War lasted 46 years; does Bush intend to remain in office that long?
Our boy president has plenty of reason to worry about his election chances. A new CNN-USA Today-Gallup poll says that only 50 percent of Americans would vote for Bush over a generic unnamed Democrat--the lowest number since 9/11. Two-thirds say that Bush lied about or exaggerated the threat from Iraq's WMDs, and a steady flow of body bags from Afghanistan and Iraq has made 53 percent aware that the occupations are going poorly. Pollsters report that most people trust Democrats to rescue the sinking economy--and few believe that Bush's tax cuts will help them.
Bush may be the kind of guy who sees 99 percent odds as 2 percent short of a sure thing, but I bet he'll look at his $200 million campaign war chest and decide to let the people decide. He'll surely want to win legitimately in 2004--albeit for the first time. Though they're capable of anything, Bush's people probably know that Americans wouldn't stand for two putsches in four years. Still, you have to hand it to him: The fact that Democrats are terrified of ending up imprisoned by an American Reich is the ultimate tribute to Bush's artful bullying--and sad confirmation of the impotence of his would-be, should-be opponents.
(Ted Rall is the author of "Gas War: The Truth Behind the American Occupation of Afghanistan," an analysis of the underreported Trans-Afghanistan Pipeline project and the real motivations behind the war on terrorism. Ordering information is available at amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com.)
I don't know who these "Democrats" are who are so terrified of ending up in camps, anyway. I know a lot of communist revolutionary types who like to pretend they're in danger of that---which is really funny, considering that their heroic leaders abroad have actually DONE that to their people---but you can't exactly call those people Democrats. Not quite.
It was not a "news" item, thank God or I would have to find a new source for my DSL. It was an op/ed. They list a bunch of kooks, including Ann Coulter.
No it came from an op/ed section on Yahoo News where they list a number of kooks including some freepers lust object, Ann Coulter.
Be assured that the liberals are in full agreement with you. The only point at issue is just who is which...
I know that I believed that the Secret Service was gonna have to pry his fingers from the door jamb in order to get him all the way outside. I don't have similar qualms about Dubya. He doesn't have the narcissistic ambitions that Klintoon had.
And how about that Long Goodbye on inauguration day? Jeez, I thought he'd never leave DC...
Sir, anyone who would post anything by Ted Rall as good source material deserving of respect is a gullible fool.
You sir, are an gullible fool. Now please stand aside while the adults save Western Civilization from Islamic Fascism.
Be Seeing You,
Chris
If we did in fact get attacked by dirty bombs 10 days before the election, Bush would win, because people would rally to the President. There would be absolutely no need to cancel the election or do anything rash.
When Bush is put head to head against any of the real democrats who are running, he's won decisively. Bluntly, I have not encountered any current Democratic candidates I'd consider Presidential timber.
Bush has made promises and delivered on them, which is a lot better than Clinton or Bush I did. Bush I probably would have won if he hadn't broken his "No New Taxes" pledge.
I don't think the left has much hope against Dubya, because - love him or hate him - he's been a highly effective leader. Bluntly, that's why your lot hates him. But don't expect him to lose the election unless you can somehow convince the electorate that he's not effective. Unfortunately for you, your last two Presidents (Clinton and Carter) have been notorious for how little meaningful they accomplished in office.
D
| should have been in here in 1999. Clinton was going to do the same.
What's funny though, is that the people claiming that here were widely dismissed as having gone over the side, even by Freeper standards. This guy gets posted on a Yahoo "news" site. |
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Perzactly! And it thrills me to see that Bush is driving those liberals as loony as Clinton drove some of us.