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[goodcow]

JOHN TITOR

These could be final days of a nation united
by Miami Herald writer Leonard Pitts Jr.

Maybe this is where America ends.

A reader raised that notion in an e-mail to me even before this week's election. Dismayed at the fractures and fissures exposed by an acrimonious presidential campaign and despairing of ever putting this Humpty Dumpty together again, he advanced a radical thesis.

We are, he pointed out, a nation founded not on common ancestry but rather, shared ideals: liberty and justice for all. Maybe, he said, that sort of bond ultimately cannot hold. It would be no surprise to him, he wrote, to see the U.S. split into two or more separate countries in his lifetime. He is 32.

I intend no endorsement of his prediction when I say that it struck me hard -- mainly because I could not airily dismiss it. Could not say with certainty that it will not happen.

If and when it does, some observers will be primed to blame so-called hyphenated Americanism. But it seems apparent after this week that the fissure that divides us most dramatically is less about race or ethnicity than something larger: culture, an unresolved clash of worldviews, mores and norms. It's the morality, stupid.

Indeed, CNN reports that more exit poll respondents called that the most important issue of the election than cited Iraq, the economy or terrorism. Morality is, of course, a code word for antipathy toward gay rights and abortion. Those who shared that antipathy voted overwhelmingly for President Bush.

To say I am merely depressed that he was reelected is to say the Titanic sustained a little paint damage. I speak not from any particular affinity for John Kerry but, rather, from a conviction that Bush's peculiar combination of faith-based zealotry and utter incompetence constitute a clear and present danger to national security and international stability.

After his reelection, someone sent me a note. Maybe now you'll understand, he crowed, that you don't represent America. This, based on a victory margin of 3 percent.

The president has issued honeyed words about reaching across ideological lines in the name of national unity. But given that he followed his last election -- an even narrower victory -- by turning to the right on two wheels, it seems a safe bet that he'll take from this victory the same moral as my correspondent. He'll think he's found himself a mandate.

Small wonder that everywhere I go, people are talking about moving to Canada. That's the kind of joke you make when you no longer recognize your country.

That disconnect is not about liberalism vs. conservatism. Agree with them or disagree -- I've done both -- there is a certain pragmatism to traditional conservatives. You know where they're coming from: small government; personal responsibility; fiscal restraint. And their arguments are usually grounded in something recognizable as logic.

But social conservatism is another thing entirely, a mutant strain unhindered by critical thought. These are the nominal Christians whose Bibles are so long on judgment yet so short on compassion, the soldiers of the new American theocracy who want to force creation ''science'' on the schools and deportation on the Muslims. They are the super patriots who regard criticism as treason, the pious moralizers who believe single mothers should be barred from teaching in public schools. They are blind guides who see tens of thousands dying in Iraq and think the defining issue of the election is what gay men do in bed. They give God a bad name.

And their chosen leader is about to embark on his second term as president of the United States.

One nation splitting in two? I hope my reader is wrong.

But if he is not, Tuesday will loom large in history to those seeking to understand why. They'll call it the day the end began.

 

[Particle Physicist]

wow. .. start riding them bikes.

 

[Doth Togo]

/sigh

Get over the election, and yes, it pains me that Kerry lost, but keep on moving forward with your life. It's not going to change any more than before. If you continue with your life, you have more of a chance of keeping it than giving up and reacting to Chicken Little shit like this article.

 

[xsarien]

After his reelection, someone sent me a note. Maybe now you'll understand, he crowed, that you don't represent America. This, based on a victory margin of 3 percent.

These people are more dangerous than "the terrorists."

 

[Cloudy]

-_-

 

[Justin Bailey]

I have a note to send this guy as well.

Dear Mr. Pitts,

Bush won.

Get the fuck over it.

Sincerely,
America

 

[videogamer]

/sigh

Get over the election, and yes, it pains me that Kerry lost, but keep on moving forward with your life. It's not going to change any more than before. If you continue with your life, you have more of a chance of keeping it than giving up and reacting to Chicken Little shit like this article.

Yes, it's quite disappointing that so many liberals are down because of this election. 3% is by no means an unsurmountable number of people. Especially when looking at individual states.

Don't give up. Take a week to calm down and clear your mind. Then rejoin the fight. It's never over.

 

[tedtropy]

Kerry lost. It'll be alright. Liberals will live to see another day and hopefully a better candidate. This is the real world, not a Michael Bay movie. Sorry, things just aren't that dramatic...

 

[Dilbert]

Get over the election, and yes, it pains me that Kerry lost, but keep on moving forward with your life. It's not going to change any more than before. If you continue with your life, you have more of a chance of keeping it than giving up and reacting to Chicken Little shit like this article.

Look, you can think that this was "just another election" all you want. It wasn't, and Tuesday WAS the start of some pretty significant changes in our society.

Read this article, written by one of Karl Rove's biographers. The strategy isn't about reelecting Bush -- it's about destroying the Democratic Party.

How about this profile in the New Yorker?

In our last interview, I tried out on Rove a scenario I called "the death of the Democratic Party." The Party has three key funding sources: trial lawyers, Jews, and labor unions. One could systematically disable all three, by passing tort-reform legislation that would cut off the trial lawyers' incomes, by tilting pro-Israel in Middle East policy and thus changing the loyalties of big Jewish contributors, and by trying to shrink the part of the labor force which belongs to the newer, and more Democratic, public-employee unions. And then there are three fundamental services that the Democratic Party is offering to voters: Social Security, Medicare, and public education. Each of these could be peeled away, too: Social Security and Medicare by giving people benefits in the form of individual accounts that they invested in the stock market, and public education by trumping the Democrats on the issue of standards. The Bush Administration has pursued every item on that list. Rove didn't offer any specific objection but, rather, a general caveat that the project might be too ambitious. "Well, I think it's a plausible explanation," he said. "I don't think you ever kill any political party. Political parties kill themselves, or are killed, not by the other political party but by their failure to adapt to new circumstances. But do you weaken a political party, either by turning what they see as assets into liabilities, and/or by taking issues they consider to be theirs, and raiding them?" The thought brought to his round, unlined, guileless face a boyish look of pure delight. "Absolutely!"

We are in for a world of hurt unless we start to point out what is REALLY going on here...or the momentum will be too great to stop.

 

[evil solrac v3.0]

karl rove is a fucking genius. and mephisto himself.

 

[happyfunball]

It's silly that some are having trouble in getting over the election but I believe the writer has a point about 2 different countries...one is a critical-thinking liberal nation...and the other is a simple-thinking religious fundamentalist nation(with some greedy rich peeps using religion to their benefit)

 

[3phemeral]

Look, you can think that this was "just another election" all you want. It wasn't, and Tuesday WAS the start of some pretty significant changes in our society.

Read this article, written by one of Karl Rove's biographers. The strategy isn't about reelecting Bush -- it's about destroying the Democratic Party.

How about this profile in the New Yorker?


We are in for a world of hurt unless we start to point out what is REALLY going on here...or the momentum will be too great to stop.

Reading that saddens me to no end. It almost feels like the democratic party has no equal to counter such extremism.

 

[mrmyth]

We've always been two nations - we started as a colony of religious fanatics and exiled convicts. Is it any wonder that what the two created might not stand?

 

[Willco]

The Democrats are dead at last. Now we can move forward with our one party system! Toga, toga, toga!

 

[ConfusingJazz]

I think the Democrats (or hope at least) see this election as a turning point or something. They got their asses handed to them, and their is just no way to spin it postively. I have this feeling that they are just trying to be Republican lite, and too afraid to take too much of an opposite stance. This is one reason I am really happy that Daschle lost, hopefully the Dems can get some new leadership in the party, and take them in a new direction as opposed to being the whipping boy for the next 10 years or so.

 

[Doth Togo]

However, if things don't go right, there always is the way of the AK.

I have mine, where is yours?

 

[enjoy bell woods]

The Democrats are dead at last. Now we can move forward with our one party system! Toga, toga, toga!

That's what scares me, man. What's with all the people who think there's only room for one party in this country? Two isn't enough.

 

[Overseer]

Hilary Clinton vs. Dick Cheney 2008 (Nader will be there too)

 

[Phoenix]

Time to break out the tin foil hats folks, the United States of America is doomed because of an email received by Mr. Pitts.

 

[Diablos]

Hilary Clinton vs. Dick Cheney 2008 (Nader will be there too)

I never thought I'd be saying this, but I would vote for Hilary Clinton in 2008. She might be a bitch, but I'd rather have a bitch that knows what she's doing in the white house than a moron like Dick Cheney or Jeb Bush.

 

[BigJonsson]

Imagine the comedy with Bill Clinton as First Lady

 

[Ristamar]

I never thought I'd be saying this, but I would vote for Hilary Clinton in 2008. She might be a bitch, but I'd rather have a bitch that knows what she's doing in the white house than a moron like Dick Cheney or Jeb Bush.

I don't care for Cheney, nor would I vote for him, but "moron" is that last word I'd use to describe him. The man is undeniably competent, savvy, and educated (a stark contrast next to Bush, some might say).

Regardless, Cheney already stated that he wasn't interested in running for office.

 

[Outdoor Miner]

Aside from the doomsday predictions, two things cannot be denied:

1) This country is as divided as I've ever seen it in my lifetime (relatively short 23 years)

2) This is going to be a historical (for better or worse) presidential term if Mr. Bush does half the things he's planning (taxes, social security, supreme court appointments)

 

[Bent Hamm]

i think it's pretty dumb to assume that bush is a moron.

2000 x this statement = cheney

the guy's an evil genius if anything.

 

[MrAngryFace]

I think what hurts the most is that as time goes by I find less and less I can indentify with in my country.

 

[Tenguman]

 

[Overseer]

Cheney is elected = Meals on Wheels D00MED!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Diablos]

I know Cheney is a "genius" - an "evil genius" as I would rather say; I meant "moron" in the sense that he thinks for himself and his party first (which any politican will do to an extent), to the point where decisions made are beyond destructive to anyone who disagrees with him and surpass the idea of simply "shaping" the political landscape.

 

[Overseer]

I can see it now.......

 

[alejob]

Are there enough rooms in Canada for all of us? HAHA!


Better yet, lets send the republicans to Alaska and we keep our country!

HEHE

 

[Seth C]

Are there enough rooms in Canada for all of us? HAHA!


Better yet, lets send the republicans to Alaska and we keep our country!

HEHE

How about you go to Alaska? There are less of you, after all. Hahaha

 

[luxsol]

Someone should ban Leonard Pitts Jr. from posting on the Miami Herald. People need to get over it already! =P

 

[Shinobi]

:lol :lol :lol

 

[bobafett]

The world is doomed.

 

[XS+]

That made me laugh out loud.

 

[Fresh Prince]

Can someone please explain to me the rationale why Hilary is going to do so well in 2008 (hypothetically)?

Anyway Liberal Scaremongering is getting tired, the world did not collapse in the last 4 year (Iraq an exception) it will not collapse in the next 4. Unless George gets a message from God.

 

[MC Safety]

I don't care one whit for politics. What I do wish is that the democrats backed a candidate with a pulse and some charisma. That way, the democrats would have won the election, and I wouldn't have to hear about how America is so divided, how there should be two countries, and how things are completely going to hell.

Let's face it, just about any shmoe could have toppled Bush, and the democrats found the one guy who couldn't.

Instead, I get to hear the whining and puling.

"My candidate lost! America is doomed!"

"My candidate lost! I'm moving to Canada!"

"My candidate lost! Waah, waah, waah."

 

[Greenpanda]

Let's face it, just about any shmoe could have toppled Bush

Not if Diebold has anything to say about it!

 

[videogamer]

I don't care one whit for politics. What I do wish is that the democrats backed a candidate with a pulse and some charisma. That way, the democrats would have won the election, and I wouldn't have to hear about how America is so divided, how there should be two countries, and how things are completely going to hell.

Let's face it, just about any shmoe could have toppled Bush, and the democrats found the one guy who couldn't.

Instead, I get to hear the whining and puling.

"My candidate lost! America is doomed!"

"My candidate lost! I'm moving to Canada!"

"My candidate lost! Waah, waah, waah."

Excuse me? Most people thought that Bush was unbeatable because he was lucky enough to have 9/11 occur under his rule. Even at the final weeks of the election when things were picking up, a majority of Democrats didn't believe that Bush could be beaten.

The Republicans would be whining anyways. I'd go to school and hear them gripe about abortion and Democrats lacking morals. Of course, this would lead to moral decay and the destruction of Christian America. I just find my viewpoint to be more valid.

 

[Mumbles]

Let's face it, just about any shmoe could have toppled Bush, and the democrats found the one guy who couldn't.

The simple truth is, shit-flinging is the name of the game, and Karl Rove is a better shit-flinger than anyone the democrats have. And yes, ignorance does play a role here. Kerry was pretty clearly against gay marriage (which is one reason I didn't like him much), yet Bush's supporters swore that he just loved gays. Kerry chided Bush for going to Iraq in the face of evidence, yet many Bush supporters believed that we found WMDs in Iraq, and clear evidence that Saddam supported Al Qaida. What exactly is Kerry supposed to do in the face of that?

And the truth is, even if Kerry had won, the other side would be furious, as they were when Clinton defeated Bush's father.

And for what I want out of a president - someone who isn't willing to say anything in order to get elected, someone who can take care of actual moral issues (eg. poverty, slaughter in Sudan/Chechnya/NK/etc., the reckless spending in government), instead of manufactured ones (eg. some lesbian being allowed to visit her girlfriend in a hospital in another state). Oh, and someone who actually can act to unite the US. But sorry, the people aren't interested in that - on either side.

Washington was clearly right - party-based politics are terrible for the country.

 

[White Man]

We are in for a world of hurt unless we start to point out what is REALLY going on here...or the momentum will be too great to stop.

I'm not even sure the masses would understand what's really going on. You could try to explain it in plain words to anybody, but it takes a bit of research to really get what's really going on.

 

[Guileless]

This country is not going to disintegrate after 200 years because of a 51-48 election. This hysterical chicken little act is really getting old. I voted for Kerry, but you know what? I woke up Wednesday morning and everything was allright.

 

[Phoenix]

Aside from the doomsday predictions, two things cannot be denied:

1) This country is as divided as I've ever seen it in my lifetime (relatively short 23 years)

2) This is going to be a historical (for better or worse) presidential term if Mr. Bush does half the things he's planning (taxes, social security, supreme court appointments)

I guess that's why people are seeing doom and gloom - too young or not students of history. The country was far more divided during the vietnam and the civil rights marches than anything today.

 

[Phoenix]

Not if Diebold has anything to say about it!

FYI, Diebold didn't even make a majority of the electronic voting systems out there. Electronic voting systems come from a variety of manufacturers.

 

[belgurdo]

This country is not going to disintegrate after 200 years because of a 51-48 election. This hysterical chicken little act is really getting old. I voted for Kerry, but you know what? I woke up Wednesday morning and everything was allright.

You might not wake up the next.

"What? The prez has ordered another "botched test run"? Roger that."

 

[videogamer]

This country is not going to disintegrate after 200 years because of a 51-48 election. This hysterical chicken little act is really getting old. I voted for Kerry, but you know what? I woke up Wednesday morning and everything was allright.

This is probably the most well funded and organized Democratic campaign ever. There was a base that was incredibly motivated. The incumbent President was a polarizing figure, to put it lightly. And the Democrats still lost. The supreme court justices can't last forever. When you are dealing with people who are more worried about gay marriages than collateral deaths in Iraq, arguing with them becomes pointless. No, the country will not disintegrate. It can become a one-party country run by the likes of Delay and Cheney.

 

[Boogie]

I can foresee this becoming one of the most played-out internet jokes really quickly.

 

[Greenpanda]

http://www.voidyourwarranty.net/images/tenguman/new_map.jpg

I made it even better!

 

[Guileless]

Hammy, I wake up and enjoy my life no matter who is president. My local government has a greater effect on my day-to-day life, and that's a fact.

Again, the hysterical shit is a waste of time. You're all going to be fine. If you're really concerned move to Cuba, North Korea, or Iran. They really hate Bush in all of those places and you would probably love it there.

 

[Gorey]

But social conservatism is another thing entirely, a mutant strain unhindered by critical thought. These are the nominal Christians whose Bibles are so long on judgment yet so short on compassion, the soldiers of the new American theocracy who want to force creation ''science'' on the schools and deportation on the Muslims. They are the super patriots who regard criticism as treason, the pious moralizers who believe single mothers should be barred from teaching in public schools. They are blind guides who see tens of thousands dying in Iraq and think the defining issue of the election is what gay men do in bed

This is what it's all about. The actual qoute is pretty extremist, but the core point- that there is a deep, deep cultural divide between the religious and the secular is true. How do you heal that? How do you bridge a gap like that? Even if it were possible, Bush gives every indication that he has no interest in governing in that fashion. So, what you end up with is a polarized electorate and a divided culture.

The doom-n-gloom talk isn't so much about kerry losing- hell, screw kerry. It's about waking up the next day and realizing half the population literally doesn't want the same society you do.