# Welp, Democracy was fun. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 30, 2004, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/welp-democracy-was-fun/252956 "2004-06-30T22:09:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Exgineer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a88e4f/32.png) [@Exgineer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exgineer)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2004, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/welp-democracy-was-fun/252956/41 "2004-07-01T02:34:38Z")
Where in hell do you people live, anyway? I live in the nearest thing we’re ever going to get to the mythical Socialist Paradise, and I’m not scared of dictatorship at all. I read through that thing, and it seems to me that what they’re trying to do is preserve the franchise. If your polling place gets blown up or something, they’ll hold the results until a revote or recount can be done. How do you turn that into a bid for dictatorship? You guys really are completely insane, aren’t you? Sheesh. For the record, if _anybody_ tried to subvert democracy in this country, I’ll be among the first at the barricades. I have some spare guns, too. ---
**Author:** ![choie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/choie/32/7829_2.png) [@choie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/choie)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2004, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/welp-democracy-was-fun/252956/42 "2004-07-01T02:35:22Z")
Actually, most of us were being serious, we were just using humor to lighten up the serious-ity. As I stated somewhere, don’t remember where – oh yeah, in my OP – I can conceive of the possible need to _postpone_ an election. Maybe. Under certain circumstances not solely decided upon by them in the Big House. But I don’t think this dude kept using the word “cancel” along with “postpone” (and joined by the word “ **or** ”) just to emphasize the point. Unless his middle name is “tautology.” And like **TVeblen** , I simply do not trust this administration to make such decisions. They have proven to be, shall we say, unreliable when it comes to issues of freedom vs. whatever they claim are issues of “national security,” which depending on the day can range from Dick Cheney’s energy council to the reasons why Bush prefers Jif to Skippy. I mean c’mon, we have a president and some followers who believe he’s been hand-picked by God. You think such a group is beyond fucking around with terror alerts in order to stay in power? Personally, I dunno if they are or not. That uncertainty depresses me. And it’s why this little news tidbit creeped me out. So lampoon away, gents; go ahead and call me paranoid. That’s just what the alien overlords want you to do. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2004, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/welp-democracy-was-fun/252956/43 "2004-07-01T02:35:42Z")
> [@](#): > > Why, exactly, do we need to postpone elections, for ANY reason? I think it’s already been explained. However, I’ll re-iterate: In a worst-case scenario, we may find ourselves in a situation where a good number of people either can’t or won’t go to the ballot box. I mean, we’d certainly want to avoid disenfranchising voters, right? > [@](#): > > I mean, let’s look at 9/11, the single most devastating attack on US soil by terrorists. > > Here in Texas, the ground did not shake. Yes, but Texas isn’t the primary focal point from whence New York’s votes are derived. ---
**Author:** ![vanilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f19dbf/32.png) [@vanilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vanilla)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2004, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/welp-democracy-was-fun/252956/44 "2004-07-01T02:52:04Z")
Revolt? Only the Birchers and Communists have the balls to do that and there aren’t enough of them. ---
**Author:** ![Metacom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecae2f/32.png) [@Metacom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Metacom)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2004, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/welp-democracy-was-fun/252956/45 "2004-07-01T02:54:15Z")
> [@Master Wang-Ka](#): > > Why, exactly, is the entire country suddenly holding still simply because one maniac or group of maniacs succeeded in killing people in one place? Well, what happens is people see what happens on the TV and then start thinking “This could happen to me!”–effectively, such an event induces feelings of terror in the population. Such acts are called “terrorism.” I get your point–if we were a country of rational people, we’d all shrug and say "OK, 5000 died in NY today. That’s about %0.002 of the population. If there was a terrorist attacks that killed 5000 people once a month, the probability of someone being killed by terrorism in a given year (given an initial population of 280M) would be about 1 in 5,000. Terrorism would only be the 8th leading cause of death, between Alzheimers and Influenza/Pneumonia. You don’t see people running around screaming because Alzheimers is killing people, do you? But most people just don’t think like that. Hell, when I’m scared, _I_ don’t think like that. Too bad terrorism works so well… ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2004, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/welp-democracy-was-fun/252956/46 "2004-07-01T03:13:52Z")
Those of us who honestly feel the 2000 election was stolen can hardly be surprised by attempts to feel out the feasibility of holding onto the office by similar means in 2004. ---
**Author:** ![t-keela](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a3d4f5/32.png) [@t-keela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/t-keela)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2004, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/welp-democracy-was-fun/252956/47 "2004-07-01T03:17:49Z")
> [@Exgineer](#): > > I read through that thing, and it seems to me that what they’re trying to do is preserve the franchise. > > If your polling place gets blown up or something, **they’ll hold the results until a revote or recount can be done.** > > How do you turn that into a bid for dictatorship? _bolding mine_ I thought I’d emphasize the point made here. We know how well it worked before. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2004, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/welp-democracy-was-fun/252956/48 "2004-07-01T03:24:38Z")
> [@Exgineer](#): > > For the record, if _anybody_ tried to subvert democracy in this country, I’ll be among the first at the barricades. I have some spare guns, too. OK…so far it’s \*\*Reeder, Exgineer, Doors \*\* and **Silenus** on barricade duty. Anybody else? We’ve got plenty of guns to go around… Man, this barricade is going to be _sparse_! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Uvula\_Donor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e19adc/32.png) [@Uvula\_Donor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uvula_Donor)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2004, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/welp-democracy-was-fun/252956/49 "2004-07-01T03:46:27Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > OK…so far it’s \*\*Reeder, Exgineer, Doors \*\* and **Silenus** on barricade duty. Anybody else? We’ve got plenty of guns to go around… > > Man, this barricade is going to be _sparse_! 😃 Do we get cool-looking bandannas or something? I wanna look scary for the news cameras. ---
**Author:** ![Syntropy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/65b543/32.png) [@Syntropy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Syntropy)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2004, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/welp-democracy-was-fun/252956/50 "2004-07-01T03:50:23Z")
Okay, but they can’t be blue or red. I’m too close to east Oakland. Just sayin’. ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2004, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/welp-democracy-was-fun/252956/51 "2004-07-01T04:16:31Z")
> [@](#): > > Those of us who honestly feel the 2000 election was stolen can hardly be surprised by attempts to feel out the feasibility of holding onto the office by similar means in 2004. And those of us with intelligence can hardly be surprised by your continued delusions. Remember, the worst-case-scenario that you fear is precisely the thing that us conservatives want to keep our guns for. Internal political consistency, you see. Now, if Bush decided to try banning guns, you’d have a case. ---
**Author:** ![Syntropy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/65b543/32.png) [@Syntropy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Syntropy)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2004, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/welp-democracy-was-fun/252956/52 "2004-07-01T04:45:27Z")
Ah, it just wouldn’t be a political pit thread without **SPOOFE’S** sneering pompous condescension. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2004, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/welp-democracy-was-fun/252956/53 "2004-07-01T04:53:29Z")
> [@SPOOFE](#): > > And those of us with intelligence can hardly be surprised by your continued delusions. I have to tell you, when you post things like that, you sound like Grand Moff Tarkin just before the Death Star blew up. :wally ---
**Author:** ![DadWagonDriver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/edb3f5/32.png) [@DadWagonDriver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DadWagonDriver)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2004, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/welp-democracy-was-fun/252956/54 "2004-07-01T04:56:34Z")
> [@TVeblen](#): > > _Any_ terrorist attack or a Code Red/Magenta/Maroon threat of one: definitely no. I’d need it to at least be Code: Cover art for Rush’s _Moving Pictures_ album. C’mon, someone got that… ---
**Author:** ![Weirddave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/919ad9/32.png) [@Weirddave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weirddave)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2004, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/welp-democracy-was-fun/252956/55 "2004-07-01T05:08:14Z")
> [@Evil Captor](#): > > Those of us who honestly feel the 2000 election was stolen can hardly be surprised by attempts to feel out the feasibility of holding onto the office by similar means in 2004. Those of us who honestly feel that aliens have planted brain control devices in our butts can hardly be blamed for taking steps to prevent these aliens from activating their devices, no? :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![DarkPrince](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce73a5/32.png) [@DarkPrince](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DarkPrince)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2004, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/welp-democracy-was-fun/252956/56 "2004-07-01T05:11:54Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > OK…so far it’s \*\*Reeder, Exgineer, Doors \*\* and **Silenus** on barricade duty. Anybody else? We’ve got plenty of guns to go around… > > Man, this barricade is going to be _sparse_! Eh, I’ve got nothing better to do. I call dibs on carrying the battle standard. 😛 Do we get cool Les Misérables style music and slow-motion deaths too? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2004, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/welp-democracy-was-fun/252956/57 "2004-07-01T05:20:23Z")
There’s no point in dragging in the 2000 election. I’m sure if the outcome had gone the other way and more people had voted for Bush but Gore got elected, Conservatives would have quietly let the issue drop and not made any further mention of it. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2004, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/welp-democracy-was-fun/252956/58 "2004-07-01T05:53:17Z")
I believe I read it here at SDMB somewhere that if elections are not held, the Pres and Co serve out their terms, then the gummint gets run by the speaker of the house until such elections can be held. The Pres does NOT retain the office any longer than he was duly elected to. Unfortunately I can’t find that particular thread and it’s late. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2004, 7:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/welp-democracy-was-fun/252956/59 "2004-07-01T07:11:02Z")
> [@Maureen](#): > > Ah, it just wouldn’t be a political pit thread without **SPOOFE’S** sneering pompous condescension. Hey, the guy’s gotta have _something._ Heaven knows it’s not a sense of comic timing… 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Dunderman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2004, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/welp-democracy-was-fun/252956/60 "2004-07-01T07:17:08Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > OK…so far it’s \*\*Reeder, Exgineer, Doors \*\* and **Silenus** on barricade duty. Anybody else? We’ve got plenty of guns to go around… I’m in, but you’ll have to give me an advance warning so I can find a trans-Atlantic flight. Oh, and someone will have to give me a crash course in guns. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/welp-democracy-was-fun/252956.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/welp-democracy-was-fun/252956.md?page=4)