Congratulations to Bush and his supporters

The BBQ Pit
61

gobear, I expected the myriad of vicious partisan threads that have popped up; I did not expect this. Thank you for being the voice of reason.

Though I’m not a Democrat–indeed, not a liberal–I too was disappointed by this. I voted for Kerry and I thought he was going to win. You definitely have the right idea, whether it’s viewed through the lens of political expediency or just plain integrity.

Kudos.

And Brutus, please, lay off. I understand how you feel and I enjoy reading your posts, but I think everyone would really appreciate it if you’d restrain yourself.

DtC–another urging to get help.

62

I logged onto this board with the intention to post something along the lines of “I’ll be back in 2008, because I can’t handle another four years of every fucking thread being derailed into some political bullshit”, but then I read gobear’s post. If that’s the way this is going to be handled, then I think I’ll love the next four years.

But then Diogenes the Cynic had to pop in. Dio, I agree with everything you say, but did you have to lower the level of conversation so drastically? What do you get out of that? Don’t you prefer civil discourse so we can get on with using the board without having to read petty bullshit all the time?

63

gobear: I admire your disposition.

I hope our country and the world can deal with four more years.

And that’s all I’m going to say right now.

64

Well, I’m not pleased, but hey - such is life :).

Congrats to those who are happy.

Given my location, I should at least be ever so slightly insulated from this presumed seismic shift in the American body politic towards social conservatism :wink: :

http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2004/pages/results/states/CA/P/00/map.html

Not many of them reddies in this region, no sir :D.

*Are you…blueish?

You don’t look…blueish*

By the way - when was it the right switched to being “the reds” :p?

  • Tamerlane
65

That is an extremely good question that I’ve been wanting to ask myself.

66

Assuming you’re serious, red is the incumbent party.

67

NO it isn’t. Bush was red last time too and Gore was the incumbent party.

68

I wasn’t, really. But thanks for the info anyway - I didn’t know that :).

  • Tamerlane
69

As always, I really fail to see what either Diogenes or Brutus think they are accomplishing here. If you have nothing at all to add except your incessant name-calling, as appears to be the case, kindly shut the fuck up and go the fuck away. And take Bricker with you.

Those who are gloating, what exactly are you gloating about? It would appear Bush has won, fair and square, but his re-election has not been by a margin that suggests a ringing endorsement of his previous four years.

Personally, I’m highly disappointed in the outcome, but that’s the way it is. As others have said, let Mr. Bush live up to (or down to) his reputation, and I hope those who voted for him are just as happy with the results four years from this date. I suspect this will not be the case, but what-fucking-ever.

– Posted from a location in Scotland where most appear to be sadly shaking their heads at the overall gullibility of the American people

70

Hey, that’s right.

Well, Rilchiam, thanks for nuthin’!!

( that, too, wasn’t serious :wink: )

  • Tamerlane
71

Emotions will cool, but understand: this night has drawn a sharp light on the nature of our country. For liberals and many moderates, it’s a heartbreaking revelation. This is, to our eyes, a deeply ugly picture, made worse by the gay marriage bans that have passed all over the country (and not just in red states).

Please cut us a little slack tonight, and congratulations on a decisive victory.

72

Regarding the colour coding of the parties, it makes a lot of sense that each has a colour of its own. It enables, for example, the type of comparisons with former election years that the BBC does here.

73

Well, I thought I was right… :dubious:

74

Of course. We’re wondering how the rightist party managed to be the “red” party.

75

I’m not conceding that. At least Diogenes has the proper decency to be upfront about being obnoxious, rather than hiding behind a facade of politeness.

76

To gobear:

Your graciousness is a model for everyone on this board.

Humility in victory, graciousness in defeat. Those are good old-fashioned American values and I will not give them up.

I have not come to gloat. If Kerry had won, I would have been unhappy, but I would have supported his administration and hoped for the best. What is the point of doing otherwise?

Besides, all you liberal Dopers should look on the bright side: A Bush victory in 2004 practically guarantees a Hillary candidacy in 2008. Surely you must look forward to that?

77

Perhaps I just haven’t been here long enough and suffered enough abuse to feel justified in engaging in some of the gloating that some of my fellow Republicans here are so delighting in, but yes, I’ll gladly cut you some slack. I know your hopes, and those of most of those on the left, were high and I can only imagine how great your disappointment must be. Thank you for your congratulations, and for your graciousness in defeat.

Regards. :slight_smile:

78

I was going to start a thread with an OP very similar to Gobear’s, albeit a bit less classily.

To sum up:
(a) Barring a last minute miracle in Ohio, Bush will be our next president. And barring some truly unprecedented revelations of voter fraud, he will actually have been elected something like fair and square. There were certainly ugly allegations in Ohio, but he’s up by like 130,000 votes right now. No way in hell that was due to people hanging around the polling places.

(b) I hold no animosity towards any reasonable person who voted for Bush. Not in a “we all need to get along” sense, because, who am I kidding, I’m not a congrsesman, it doesn’t make the country function better if I can work side by side with republicans, but because I know that many of them are genuinely decent, intelligent, patriotic, thoughtful people.

© I still think that, so far at least, he’s been by far the worst president of my lifetime. If I’m not wrong, we’re in deep shit.

(d) I also firmly believe that in the years to come (maybe, 50 or 100 years from now), the anti-gay-marriage movement in the country right now will be viewed as a blot on our national conscience of hideous proportions. That position is bigoted, evil and wrong.

(e) As gobear said, and this is truly the most important point, you all elected Bush for a variety of reasons, chief among them being:
-he’ll keep our country safe
-he’ll do a good job in Iraq
-he’ll do things to make the economy better
Well, we’ll see. Four years from now, if terrorism is down, Iraq is doing well, and people are employed in good jobs for good wages, then fucking great. Show me this post and I’ll admit I was wrong. If not, well, no more excuses, Clinton left office 4 years ago, here’s your fucking chance to prove that you’re right.

79

Roseworm, well said. Regards to you, too. :slight_smile:

80

Forgive the nitpick, but he’ll actually continue to be our president.