Greg Palast -- Oaf of Office

[Vitruvius]

<SNIP> ...<in his inaugural address> our President said, "It is the policy of the United States to seek and support the growth of democratic movements and institutions in every nation." Well, no, it isn't. Our President said, "We will widen retirement savings and health insurance." No, he won't. Our President said, "America will not pretend that jailed dissidents prefer their chains." Yes, he will. Our President said, "And our country must abandon all the habits of racism." Oh, sure.

He doesn't believe a single word he's saying. And all over America, everyone knows he's lying and America is truly relieved. America doesn't want to give up the habit of racism. Karl Rove doesn't. Jeb Bush doesn't. If not for challenging hundreds of thousands of voters in Black precincts of Ohio and other swing states, if not for purging thousands more from voter rolls for the crime of voting while Black, you wouldn't be president now, would you, Mr. President? <SNIP> You'll "support democratic movements" so long as the citizens of Venezuela don't get carried away and decide that democracy means they can choose a leader you don't like. <SNIP> And you'll "widen Social Security and health insurance"? Who are you kidding? <SNIP>

You said, "You have seen that life is fragile, and evil is real, and courage triumphs." What you meant was, "Courage is fragile and real evil triumphs." Indeed your entire campaign was about American cowardice: "they" are coming to get us. Americans, scared for their lives, soiled their underpants and waddled to the polls crying, "Georgie, save us!" Franklin Roosevelt said in his inaugural, "We have nothing to fear but fear itself." But he didn't have Dick Cheney creating from his bunker a government which is little more than a Wal-Mart of Fear: midnight snatchings of citizens for uncharged crimes, wars to hunt for imaginary weapons aimed at Los Angeles, DNA data banks of kids and grandmas, the Chicken Little sky-is-falling social security spook-show, and shoe-searches in airports. Fear is your only product.

In another world, in which all votes are counted, J.F. Kerry would have gathered most of those arcane chits called "electoral votes" and would have taken that oath today. But <SNIP> the fact that Republicans monkeyed with the votes in swing states doesn't wash away that big red stain: 59 million Americans marched to the polls and voted for George W. Bush. <SNIP> What we witnessed on November 2, 2004 was a 59-million strong army of pinheads on parade ready to gamble away their social security so long as George Bush makes sure that boys kill each other, not kiss each other; who feel right proud that our uniformed services can kick some scrawny brown people in the ass in some far off place when we're mad and can't find Osama <SNIP> Today we witnessed more than the coronation of some privileged little munchkin of mendacity. It is the triumphal re-occupation of our nation by nitwits who think Ollie North's a hero not a conman, who can't name their congressman, who believe that Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden were going steady, who can't tell Afghanistan from Souvlaki-stan. Bloated with lies and super-size fries, they clomped to the polls 59 million strong to vent their small-minded little hatreds on us all. <SNIP> this election was an intelligence test that America flunked.


More at http://www.gregpalast.com/detail.cfm?artid=410&row=0

[glitch]

1. Damn, of all people Palast should be on board with the vote machine fraud

And not be repeating the 59 million vote support figure Bush allegedly got. Especially when talking about intelligence tests.

"When I looked today at the oaf of office, I could not shake the feeling that this election was an intelligence test that America flunked."

[Vitruvius]

2. Without the fraud, Bu$h probably got 54 million (55 million tops), based

on the exit polls. Which does speak poorly of the alleged intelligence of many, many, ordinary Americans.

Worse yet, that 54 million includes most of the American ruling class; managers, the rich, our mostly-Repugnican judicary, the punditocracy and talking heads of the mainstream media, etc. These upper-crust bozos were so blind to their own long-term interest as to vote for Bu$h out of greed and a desire to stick it to the rest of us. Which says we have a truly stupid ruling class as well.

America did not do well on this intelligence test...

[glitch]

3. Definitely 55 mill TOPS since I don't really trust the exit polls either

Which probably puts me on the fringe of the fringe. Too many republicans were voting against the fraWd this time too.
So, the libertarians, the greens, the democrats in record turnout and quite a few republicans were voting against him, yet he still wins by 3 million? Not buying it.

I will never buy it. And judging by how they were manipulating the polls before the election I have no problem thinking they manipulated the exit polls as well. They just didn't do a good enough job on it and had to do an obvious midnight fix, which is what got them noticed.

So, while I agree there are plenty of idiots in this country, I do not believe any of the numbers so I have no idea what the true idiot ratio is.
Like everybody else, my opinion is based on faith, because no one sure as hell has proof this election was legitimate.

(rant not over, but I'll suspend it for now :hi:)

[Vitruvius]

5. I 'd bet that Kerry would have had well over 60 million, with an honest

election; that Rethug vote fraud and voter suppression changed a Dem landslide to a Rethug squeaker... Which the punditocracy is trying to paint as a Rethug 'mandate'.

And the Rethugs would never have gotten away with it if the Bu$h idiot pool didn't include the majority of the American ruling class. Which is the only actual majority Bu$h has got.

[anarchy1999]

4. One heck of a rant. Thank you Mr. Palast for standing tall for the rest

of us. Courage, plain and simple.