Thanksgiving break was so, so awesome. It was more fun than I even hoped it could be.
Unfortunately, part of what made it so great was me not worrying AT ALL about homework, which means that for now I must. Expect a full report sometime in the next few days, whenever I tire of nonstop studying.
You may view it here, keeping in mind that I look much better in it than the silly size-4 model. After all, she's not actually getting married in it, and I am.
We did go to Canada. Our plans shifted several times over the course of the weekend, and we ended up driving there in the dark. The woman at the border crossing was really rude, and seemed convinced we were up to no good. I'm sure she gets a lot of college kids crossing the border on Saturday nights. (For the benefit of anyone not from around here, the drinking age in Canada is 19.) Our first plan for Vancouver was to find a bookstore, as Jamie was dying to get the British version of Harry Potter 5. So we drove around lost for a while, and saw a lot of already-closed bookstores. We failed to find a mall, and I'm personally convinced that the city of Vancouver has no malls, since we drove through practically all of it. We stopped at a Safeway for a bathroom break and to ask directions. We also asked a friendly looking clerk why some traffic lights have flashing green lights that mean "go" rather than solid ones. Apparently, it means it's a pedestrian area and to watch out for jaywalkers. Seems silly to me.
We had been driving around in varying levels of lostness for quite some time when we happened to coast past The Wolf and Hound, an actual Irish pub. We pretty much lost it over that pub. It became very clear that THIS was the real reason we were in Canada. We parked (bravo to Katharine's awesome parallel parking skills) and excitedly walked to the door.
We went inside, and an older woman found us a table--right next to the band that was playing! An Irish band playing in an Irish pub! Well, this called for Irish drinks. As I sat there with my friends, sipping Guinness in an actual Irish pub, I thought, this is so perfect.
The evening turned out not to be perfect after all, though. Here's what we (hopefully) learned that night:
If the waitress brings your potato skins on two plates, it's probably because the top one is too hot to touch, and if you try to grab it by that plate, you'll have to hold your finger in a glass of ice water for most of the evening.
After ten, the drunk Canadians come out dancing. They're a hoot.
If people among your group of friends have significantly different monetary situations, sooner or later it's going to be an issue you'll need to discuss before selecting activities.
If you roll your eyes every time a friend tells you she can't afford to do whatever activity you've just suggested, she'll get very frustrated.
If you badger your friend endlessly about why she has to work on Saturdays, and try to convince her instead to come up to visit, she'll eventually snap and yell at you. Poverty isn't good for one's sense of humor.
If you yell at your friend and imply that she has so much money because she's mooching off her parents, she'll be mad for days.
I hope we can get over this, and I hope we can get over this without having to do awkward half-apologies. We were all more than a little insensitive at different points this weekend. But whatever happened, these are my oldest friends, like I said, and we've been through a lot together already. We should be able to get past this.
From the cover of this week's Stranger, Seattle's best weekly paper:
Do not despair. You don't have to leave. You don't have to move to Canada. You may feel out of place in the United States today. You may feel like you're surrounded by fundamentalist-church-going, fun-hugging, gay-bashing, anti-choice Bush voters. But you're not. George W. Bush only got 51% of the national vote. And you don't really live out there somewhere in "the nation", do you? You live in the city. A big city. And John Kerry got 61% of the urban vote. The bigger the city, the higher Kerry's percentage. John Kerry got 80% of the vote in Seattle. Cities vote Democratic. Cities are the economic engines that power the country. Cities are diverse, dynamic, and progressive. Don't think of yourself as a citizen of the United States. You are a citizen of the urban archipelago. The United Cities of America.
* * *
They hit the nose on the head with that, I think. Read the accompanying article here. I'm reserving judgement; I need some time to mull it over. But it's definitely appealing. Made my day when I read the cover diatribe yesterday.
Sarah and I have compared symptoms, and I've come to the conclusion that we have the same nasty cold, just in different phases (hers is still hanging around), and that it's being expressed slightly differently in me because my immune system is perhaps not as strong as Sarah's. Harumph.
In other news, I'm going to Bellingham tomorrow to see my girls! That would be my two oldest friends, my bridesmaids, who have known me since preschool and 4th grade, respectively. There are rumors of a trip to Canada. I just hope I'm up to it all.
Also, Bilbo has kitty pinkeye. Actually, we're not sure what it is--it's pretty minor, and it's been fluctuating in its intensity over the course of the evening. We've decided to give it a few days to clear up on its own, provided it doesn't get worse, and if he's not better on Monday, we'll call a cab and take him to the vet. I keep waking him up to look at his eye, which annoys him. But now I shall sleep, and let him sleep as well.
Kathleen has gone home to visit her family the last couple weekends,
and her family keeps sending her back with dishes and other such
goodies. The box of new dishes sat on the floor in the kitchen for a
few days before Sarah opened it up, washed them, and then put them
away in the cupboard. She pulled out a bunch of my dishes which we
had been using and stacked them on the table to make room for
Kathleen's new dishes. She did the same thing with my silverware set.
The week before, new chairs had turned up in the kitchen, and my
folding chairs were put away in the closet.
At first, I was upset that Sarah was doing this; it seemed like she
was pushing me out. I mean, I have another month and a half here.
When I told my mom about it, she said, "Sarah's very practical, isn't
she?"
Yes. Yes, she is. It suddenly crystalized for me.
Sarah and Kathleen (and new roomie #3) will need to replace everything
I'm taking with me, and if we start packing my things up now, it's
easier to see what's left to replace. It's certainly not a personal
affront, simply an effort to keep from having a huge task of replacing
most of the kitchen at the time of finals and vacations.
Later, I realized that I was upset about Sarah packing up my things
because it made me realize how soon the move is, and I'm sad that I'll
be leaving. I'm really excited to be moving in with Chris, but I am
sad that it means I have to leave my little home in the city with my
best friend. One of Chris's favorite songs is "Closing Time" by
Semisonic:
"Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end."
I slept for ten solid hours last night and only woke up once. I slept through Sarah getting up, showering and getting dressed for class, leaving, and returning, and I finally woke up only when she shut the bedroom door to keep from disturbing me. I slept through my entire first class and my bagel break. I guess that solves the question of whether or not I'm going to classes today. I just hope I can be more productive today--my brain is not yet mush, so I think there's a good chance of that.
I hardly slept at all last night. I'm feverish, and that combined with the heat being left on made me completely unable to handle my blankets, which all ended up crumpled at the foot of my bed or on the floor. I woke up every hour at least, and I don't think I slept at all between 6:00 and 8:00, when I finally decided it was not worth the effort to try any longer. This is no ordinary cold. This is a particularly nasty cold or perhaps (gasp!) the flu. Damn. I was REALLY was going to get a flu shot this year.
Somehow I was feeling much better at noontime, so I went in to work after all. Two reasons: one-I'm always, always broke these days, so I have to work pretty much every opportunity I get; two-if I don't work, they're kind of stuck. So I went, and I felt decent for the first couple hours. I even did a training for contact lenses (I get a bonus when I do one because they're such a hassle). But the work piled up, as did my symptoms, and by closing time I was absolutely miserable. I HATE being sick.
And now I'm back and attempting to study, but my brain is fuzzy because my head is so congested. I'm really trying to decide if I have to go to my classes tomorrow, and whether it's any benefit to me either way. I mean, I'll be tired, sore, cranky, and possibly contagious if I go to class, which leads to a pretty miserable experience for everyone involved (i.e. the people who sit next to me in classes), but from my experiences the last couple days it seems unlikely I can get much resting or studying done if I stay home, and I really can't afford to miss much class. If I stay out for two more class periods in comparative government, I'll miss an entire country; if I miss one more class of English, a Henry James novel. In my elections class I have to write an in-class essay on Monday on a book I can't quite manage to slog through with my brain as it is, and without class discussion, I'm pretty much fucked there. With some good preparation, I can pull together a bullshit paper, but it won't be pleasant.
Ugh. Sarah gave me her cold. She's almost over it now, and it's been almost a week and a half. This has me worried for two reasons: 1) I do not want to be sick for two weeks. 2) Given the large interval between onset of hers and mine, it's entirely possible that these are two different colds, which means I have no preview of what the course of this sickness will be. So far the symptoms mostly match.
On the plus side, while staying home from class today I discovered this: Why Americans Hate Democrats: Depressed Liberals Analyze What Ails Them, from Slate, of course. Quite likely nobody else is as self-punishing as me to want to read all the articles, but they're brief and insightful, so if, like me, you're wringing your hands at the state of things, go read one or two and see what makes sense to you.
Gar. I have to go to my afternoon class and give a presentation, so hopefully I can make it through. Also, I work tomorrow. Why is it I'm ALWAYS scheduled to work when I'm sick? Now I work often enough that it's not unlikely, but this happened back when I was only working two or three days a month too. Yay for cold medicine and cough drops.
Today's (or rather, Friday's) post was meant to be about initiatives and referendums. But I'm tired of rehashing the election. Or, to be more accurate: I'm not tired of reading about it, and I'm not tired of hearing about it. But I just can't bring myself to analyze and form any new opinions. I've done little else for days. That ship has sailed. I'll likely do a fresh analysis of the state of the nation in a few months; perhaps to coincide with (re)inauguration. Until then, you can expect more of what you had come to expect from me: updates on the progress of wedding plans, the height of the stack of homework on which I am procrastinating, or what tasty treat I had for dinner.
In that vein, I must begin by stating that this was a good weekend. It was predictible and comfortable, and I didn't spend it here. Chris drove over from Ellensburg and picked me up, and we drove to visit his mom. Chris's dad is out of town for a few weeks on business, so we went to keep her company. We had pizza and beer and she regaled us with stories of her performance as Captain Jack Sparrow. She makes a VERY believable (male!) pirate, and it's not just me that thinks so.
Saturday I worked. It was a totally ordinary day at work, but it feels good to be earning money so I won't be so broke. I'm also getting good hours this month, which pleases me.
Saturday night Chris and I watched Y Tu Mama Tambien and My Big Fat Greek Wedding. A foreign film with subtitles and a romantic comedy--score two for me! I love it when I win the movie-choosing game. I'm even happier about it when he chooses the movies and they are ones I'm excited about too.
Sunday morning Chris and his mom attempted to teach me to Greek dance. I have one of the dances fairly well down, but add in any variations and I'll be completely lost. I guess that means more Greek dancing lessons for me!
Hm. Maybe not a totally thrilling weekend to an outside observer, but I really enjoyed myself. And now, mayhaps, I shall go finish my homework. (I don't know if mayhaps is a real word, but I like it.)
Governor. Republican Dino Rossi and Democrat Christine Gregoire are still neck-and-neck after two days of counting. Currently, Gregoire is ahead by a few thousand votes, and King County (home of Seattle) is still counting absentee ballots, so it seems likely she'll squeak out a win. I predicted a win for Rossi, and I thought it would be close but not nearly this close. Washington runs about a 52/49/2/1 split of Democrats/Republicans/Libertarians/Greens. But there's a sizable chunk of people in the center who vote cross-party frequently, or consider themselves unaligned, voting "for the person, not the party." And Washington has had twenty consecutive years of Democratic governors. Recently, Gov. Gary Locke and the closely balanced state legislature have been having a really tough time making good policy despite budget woes. So I figured the voters would agree with Rossi's TV commercials that "It's time for a change." He pushed his business background and his successful career as a state Senator on the Ways and Means committee. Gregoire really had nothing to say. She wouldn't identify too closely with Locke, whose popularity has waned. She didn't really address the biggest issue facing Washington state government officials: the major budget shortfalls. Instead, she tried to run on the same platforms as Rossi: government outsider friendly to business. Because she was neither, it came off as insincere. I'm actually very surprised this race is as close as it is.
Other statewide executive races: In Washington, we elect everyone from the Lieutenant Governor on down to the Insurance Commissioner. Do we know what they all do? Of course not. These races broke down predictably; Dems and Republicans split offices evenly. In these less important races, the Libertarians and Greens got a much larger proportion of the vote. In the gubernatorial and Senatorial races, they rarely scored more than one percent combined, but in these state races, they scored as much as six percent of the vote. Most notable was Libertarian Jocelyn Langlois, who garnered 4 percent of the vote for Lieutenant Governor by running on a promise to abolish the office while in it. This is why I love my state.
US Senator. Democrat incumbent Patty Murray's got this one in the bag. She beat challenger George Nethercutt by a margin of 13 percentage points. She's well-liked by most, though fiercely hated by the state's most rabid conservatives. Not even the attack ads referencing her remarks on Osama bin Ladin could shake her lead. I think most people understand that was a sleazy move. (For those unfamiliar, in late 2001, Patty Murray made a statement attempting to explain why so many Muslims admired Osama bin Ladin: he built schools and roads, etc. In context, it was a well-thought-out intellectual statement, but right-wingers took it out of context as though she thought bin Ladin was a good guy. It's the same as saying anyone who acknowledges that Hitler built the autobahn and pulled Germany out of its depression believes those accomplishments overshadow his hatred, wars, and systematic murder.)
US Representatives. All incumbents re-elected. In 8 of the 9 races (including ones without incumbents running for re-election), the winner got more than 60 percent of the vote. Lefty Jim McDermott, of the 7th District (Seattle/Western King County) came out with 80 percent. No surprise there--he'll be re-elected until he's dead. And maybe even then. The most interesting race statewide was between Sheriff Dave Reichert (R), famous for catching the Green River Killer, and radio personality Dave Ross (D). It was a tale of two Daves, of two men who aren't politicans and don't pretend to be. Reichert won in a closely contested race, 51/46, based partially on his promises to fight against domestic violence. Astute observers will note that domestic violence is a state/local issue, not a federal one, and he won't actually get anything accomplished on it in the US House.
State Superintendent of Public Instruction. Judith Billings held this top education post previously for 8 years, and did an awesome job. Then, she was diagnosed with HIV. Concerned about her health, and worried she wouldn't be able to keep up with what can be a demanding job if done by someone who cares. Because of this, she didn't run for re-election four years ago. Meantime, Terry Bergeson was elected. She loves the WASL. She thinks the WASL is the solution to all problems. The No Child Left Behind Act is genius, she thinks. At the expense of EVERYTHING else. But Judith Billings found out her HIV wasn't as large a barrier as she thought. She discovered she's tougher than she gave herself credit for. So she ran again. You can read their statements here. Clearly, Billings is the smarter, more sensible candidate, despite Bergeson's love of italics. Unfortunately, people who don't have children or who haven't recently been through school don't understand the negative effects of the WASL on education. There's no easy way to measure the lost information and attention that students could be receiving if their teachers weren't so damn distracted by keeping test scores up to retain their jobs and funding for the school. But people don't see that side, and accountability sounds like a good thing. Bergeson wins, 56/43.
Tomorrow: Initiatives, Referendums, and the Monorail Recall.
Earlier today, I had so many thoughts and emotions running through me I couldn't start to write here. Now I just feel numb. What I've been saying most of today, ever since hearing Kerry had conceded, is "I'm just glad it's over." At a time like this, there's not much else to say.
If current reporting is accurate (and I have no reason at all to suspect otherwise), the election was conducted fairly in nearly every locality. Americans were given the chance to choose, and they chose Bush. But why?
Here are the most common reasons as I see them, based in good part on the analysis of others. I'm sorry, but I've read so much on the election today I'm not totally sure of my sources here, but you can be fairly certain anything that sounds like a fact is from a reputable source.
"Moral values." This means protecting the sanctity of marriage and the rights of the unborn; in this particular election the former was the bigger issue. I'm being very generous to the opposition here. I'm adamant that the morally superior position on marriage is that partnership benefits should be available to any couple regardless of gender. I oppose civil unions because they are so reminiscent of the "separate but equal" ideology of segregation. Personally, I think the government should grant civil unions to any couple who wants one (gay or straight) and that churches should grant marriages to members or couples they approve or whatever criteria they choose. Because if the issue is that "marriage" is sanctified by God, the government shouldn't even be involved. Hm. Bit of a detour there. Point being, the Religious Right is a more powerful political force than we bargained for, and those who attend church every week or more voted overwhelmingly for Bush, for the single reason that he will 'protect' their 'values'.
It's easy to know what Bush stands for. Whether you love him or hate him, you know what he's after. A lot of people chose the bad candidate they know and understand rather than the wild card candidate who is renowned for complicated and seemingly contradictory positions on the issues.
The War On Terror. Anyone who's let Bush scare the dickens out of them in the past weeks voted for him. God knows he's been trying. These people don't believe for a second that Kerry the flip-flopping intellectual can keep them safe from "Al-Qaider".
Demographics of voters. Young people did NOT show up in droves as was predicted. In fact, turnout among young people was the same as in 2000, while turnout in nearly every other age group was up significantly, which means that proportionately FEWER young people voted than usual. Young voters are more likely to be Democrats. Or Nader voters. Who did show up to the polls in large numbers? Evangelical Christians. The McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform laws don't regulate get-out-the-vote efforts as strictly as other forms of campaigning, so both camps have been pushing for new voters in their base camps. The Republicans, as it turns out, were much more effective at mobilizing suburban churchgoers than the Dems were at mobilizing apathetic young people and workers. Now that it's happened, I'm amazed we didn't see it coming.
Everything about Election Day surprised me. Here's how I predicted it would go: Kerry would win the popular vote by a narrow but significant margin (a la 2000), and Bush would win the electoral college due to its unfair overrepresentation of rural states. (If you're not clear on the electoral college, shoot me an email and I'll be glad to explain it. Getting it abolished is my pet issue lately.) Networks would drag their feet in granting wins in a state to one candidate or another, but if I just stayed up until 1 or 2 am, I'd get to see how the states all broke down. Then, there would be legal challenges for months, and it would be a big yucky mess.
But we all know that's now how it happened. Except for the part where the networks were ridiculously hesitant to announce a state being won by a candidate. Not only did Bush win the electoral college, he won a majority of the popular vote. A true majority, not a plurality. No president has won a majority of votes since Bush I in 1988, and he was running against Dukakis.
I have nothing else to say on this. I mean, I have lots to say, but I'm tired. I haven't slept more than 5 hours in a night since the weekend, and the drama wearies me.
Tomorrow: State and local races and ballot measures.
UPDATE: I have no idea why it's so freakin' difficult to make the text in my numbered list to be the same size as the rest. Let me know if it matches in your display or not, and if not, which is bigger. Thanks. Blogger hates my template, because it's semi-unique and has little rocks on it. So there.
MSNBC is projecting Bush to win 269 electoral votes so far (they have to say "projecting" so they don't look like they're calling anything too early) with several Bush-leaning states still uncategorized, so it looks like it's all over but the lawyering.
I'm somewhere between crying and putting my fist through the wall. And if you know me, you know I don't get really angry easily. Getting any homework done is out of the question. I won't sleep until it's over, or a reasonable facsimile thereof. I've been sitting here refreshing MSNBC's coverage and reading and listening to everything election-related I can get my hands on for a few hours now. It's not pretty.
If anyone is still making up their mind about this election (and even if you're not), you should check out this selection of political posts in blogs I read.
Bryan Adams explains Why You Cannot Vote For Bush, whether you agree with his policies or not.
CW implores us to decide for ourselves which criteria are actually important for evaluating the candidates.
Wil talks politics in three consecutive posts about the most important election in our lifetime.
Jules tells about Muriel's response to the election.
A humorous take from Kellie. Very funny anti-Bush jokes.
And, the letter I wish I'd read earlier. It makes me wish I'd spent the money to see Fahrenheit 9/11, instead of boycotting it because I think Michael Moore practices irresponsible "gotcha" journalism. I haven't seen the film yet, so I can't speak to its content. But this letter on its own clearly and succinctly sums up the case for Kerry, making many thoughtful arguments that I hadn't even thought of. Points to you, Michael Moore. And I'm totally going to pay to watch your movie now.
To my readers, I know your time is valuable. Feel free to skip to the section pertaining specifically to you, though if you do have the time they're all good to read, especially the last one, to Sen. Kerry.
"One Day Left" by Michael Moore
To Decent Conservatives and Recovering Republicans:
In your heart of hearts you know Bush is a miserable failure. From having no plan on what to do in Iraq once he conquered Baghdad to the 380 missing tons of explosives that could be used to kill our brave young men and women, this guy doesn’t have a clue how to fight and win a war. You should see the mail I’ve been getting lately from our troops over there. They know how much the Iraqi people hate them. They are sitting ducks anytime they go out on the road. Many believe we are not that far away from a Tet-style offensive inside the Green Zone with hundreds of Americans and Brits killed.
Bush refused to go after and capture Osama bin Laden. He fought, every step of the way, the investigation into the 9/11 attacks. Who on earth would oppose such a thing? If 3,000 people died at your place of work and your boss said we don’t need to find out why or how it happened, he’d be thrown out on his ear. Bush’s behavior after this great tragedy alone is reason enough for his removal.
You already know that George W. Bush is the farthest thing from a conservative. He’s a reckless spender who has run up record-breaking deficits and the biggest debt in our history. He believes in having the government pry into everything from your library records to your bedroom. He has hit you with hidden taxes with his tax cuts for the rich.
I know many of you don’t like Bush, but are unsure of Kerry. Give the new guy a chance. He won’t raise your taxes (unless you are super-rich), he won’t take your hunting gun away, and he won’t make you visit France. He risked his life for you many years ago. He’s asking for the chance to do it again. Scott McConnell at The American Conservative magazine has endorsed him. What more do you need?
To My Friends on the Left:
Okay, Kerry isn’t everything you wished he would be. You’re right. He’s not you! Or me. But we’re not on the ballot – Kerry is. Yes, Kerry was wrong to vote for authorization for war in Iraq but he was in step with 70% of the American public who was being lied to by Bush & Co. And once everyone learned the truth, the majority turned against the war. Kerry has had only one position on the war – he believed his president.
President Kerry had better bring the troops home right away. My prediction: Kerry’s roots are anti-war. He has seen the horrors of war and because of that he will avoid war unless it is absolutely necessary. Ask most vets. But don’t ask someone whose only horror was when he arrived too late for a kegger in Alabama.
There’s a reason Bush calls Kerry the Number One Liberal in the Senate – THAT’S BECAUSE HE IS THE NUMBER ONE LIBERAL IN THE SENATE! What more do you want? My friends, this is about as good as it gets when voting for the Democrat. We don’t have the #29 Liberal running or the #14 Liberal or even the #2 Liberal – we got #1! When has that ever happened?
Those of us who may be to the left of the #1 liberal Democrat should remember that this year conservative Democrats have had to make a far greater shift in their position to back Kerry than we have. We’re the ones always being asked to make the huge compromises and to always vote holding our noses. No nose holding this time. This #1 liberal is not the tweedledee to Bush’s tweedledum.
To Nader Voters
See the above note.
Ralph’s own party, the Green Party, would not endorse his run this year. That’s because those of us who want to build a third party in this country know that the only way to do this is to build bridges with those who believe in the issues Nader believes in. But not one of those people will sacrifice the chance to remove George W. Bush from the White House on Tuesday. The choice here is clear: do we join with our friends, or do we piss on them?
After the debacle of 2000, the Democrats got smart and abandoned the conservative wing of their party. That’s why 8 of the 9 Democrats in the primaries this year were from the liberal wing. Ralph should take credit for that and declare victory. It’s so sad that he doesn’t realize the good he’s accomplished. But for reasons only known to him, he’s more angry at the Democrats than he is at Bush. He has lost his compass. I worry he has lost his mind. But he still gives a great speech!
And Lila Lipscomb, the mother from Flint who lost her son in Iraq, she still grieves -- as do the mothers of 1,120 others (not to mention the mothers of the 100,000 Iraqis who have died because of Bush’s war). That’s what this election is about. Not Ralph proving some point. Almost none of us on his 2000 advisory group are supporting him this year. His total lack of respect for his best friends should tell all of you something about what he really thinks of you, too.
To the Non-Swing States:
Stop listening to how your vote doesn’t count in this election and that your state is already decided for Kerry or Bush. It is critical that you vote because we not only need to give Kerry the electoral win, but he needs to have a HUGE mandate with an ENORMOUS popular vote victory as well. It will be impossible for him to get anything done for four years if there is no clear mandate. We must not only defeat Bush, we must put a stake in the heart of the right-wing, neo-con movement. If you live in New York, California, Illinois, Texas, the Northeast or the Deep South, you need to vote and you need to bring ten people with you to the polls. If you live in a state where we have the chance to elect the Democrat to the Senate or the House, you need to vote. Turn off the TV. Quit listening to news media that has a vested interest in repeating to you over and over that your vote does not count. It does.
If you have friends or relatives who live in the 30-plus non-swing states, call them and remind them how important it is that Kerry gets a massive popular vote victory.
To Non-Voters:
I understand why you stopped voting. Politicians suck. Nothing ever seems to change. You’re only one vote.
Yes, politicians suck. But so do car salesmen – and that hasn’t stopped you from buying a car. Politicians only respond to the threat of the angry mob also known as the voting public. If most people don’t vote, that’s good news for them ‘cause then they don’t have to answer to the majority.
Almost fifty percent of Americans don’t vote. That means you belong to the largest political party in America – the Non-Voting Party. That means you hold all the power to toss George W. Bush out of the Oval Office. How cool is that?
I believe that we are going to have the largest election turnout in our lifetime tomorrow. You don’t want to miss out on that. The lines at the polls are going to be long and raucous and fun. It is an historic election. You won’t want to say that you were the only one who wasn’t there. Promise me you’ll vote, just this one time.
To All First-Time Voters:
Welcome to the longest running, uninterrupted democracy on earth! You own it. It’s yours.
A few words about how messy it’s going to be tomorrow. The lines are going to be long. Bring your iPods. Better yet, bring a friend or two. The election officials have no clue just how many millions are going to show up at the polls. This will be the largest turnout in our lifetime. They don’t have enough machines. They are going to have to send for more ballots.
And they are going to make it difficult for you to vote. The new law says if this is your first time voting you must bring ID with you that matches the address you are registered at.
If for some reason they can’t find your name on the voting rolls, you have the right to ask for a provisional ballot, which you can fill out and then sort things out later.
If you have any problems at the polling place, please call 1-866-OUR-VOTE. The people there can tell you how to find the precinct where you should be voting, get you legal help if you are denied the right to vote, or answer any other questions you may have.
If you need any help figuring out the ballot, don’t be afraid to ask. If you screw up your ballot, you can ask for another one. In fact, the law allows you to screw up your ballot two times before you finally have to submit your final ballot! Be careful to vote on the line that says John F. Kerry/John Edwards. Don’t vote for more than one Presidential, Senate or House candidate or you ballot won’t be counted. If your polling place has a stub or a receipt from your ballot, make sure they give you one.
Thanks for joining us. Democracy is not a spectator sport. It only works when we all come off the bench and participate.
To African Americans:
First of all, let’s just acknowledge what you already know: America is a country which still has a race problem, to put it nicely. Al Gore would be president today had thousands of African Americans not had their right to vote stolen from them in Florida in 2000.
Here is my commitment: I will do everything I can to make sure that this will not happen again. And I’m not the only one making this pledge. Thousands of volunteer lawyers are flying to Florida to act as poll watchers and intervene should there be any attempts to deny anyone their right to vote. They will NOT be messing around.
For my part, I have organized an army of 1,200 professional and amateur filmmakers who will be armed with video cameras throughout the states of Florida and Ohio. At the first sign of criminality, we will dispatch a camera crew to where the vote fraud is taking place and record what is going on. We will put a big public spotlight on any wrongdoing by Republican officials in those two states. They will not get away with this as they did in 2000.
In Ohio, the Republicans are sending almost 2,000 paid “poll challengers” into the black precincts of Cleveland in an attempt to stop African Americans from voting. This action is beyond despicable. Do not let this stop you from voting. I, and thousand of others, will be there to fight for you and protect you.
To George W.:
I know it’s gotta be rough for you right now. Hey, we’ve all been there. “You’re fired” are two horrible words when put together in that order. Bin Laden surfacing this weekend to remind the American people of your total and complete failure to capture him was a cruel trick or treat. But there he was. 3,000 people were killed and he’s laughing in your face. Why did you stop our Special Forces from going after him? Why did you forget about bin Laden on the DAY AFTER 9/11 and tell your terrorism czar to concentrate on Iraq instead?
There he was, OBL, all tan and rested and on videotape (hey, did you get the feeling that he had a bootleg of my movie? Are there DVD players in those caves in Afghanistan?)
Speaking of my movie – can I ask you a personal question before we part ways for good on Tuesday? Why did you and your friends fund SIX “documentaries” trashing me -- but only ONE film against Kerry? C’mon, he was the candidate, not me. What a waste of your time and resources! Sure, I know what your pollsters told you, that the film had convinced some people to vote you out. I just want you to know that that was not my original intent. Funny things happen at the movies. Hope you get to see a few at the multiplex in Waco. It’s a great way to relax.
To John Kerry:
Thank you.
And don’t worry – none of us are going away after you are inaugurated. We’ll be there to hold your hand and keep you honest. Don’t let us down. We’re betting you won’t. So is the rest of the world.
That’s it. See you at the polls – and at the victory party tomorrow night.
Yours,
Michael Moore
www.michaelmoore.com
MMFlint@aol.com
