John Kerry didn't fail us, our country failed him

[59millionmorons]

When people start voting for a party because of religious/social issues, it proves without us fighting back , this country would turn into a country of religious fanaticism. Don't get me wrong I cherish my religion but some people take it way to far. To vote for a party because you are anti gay or anti abortion is a scary thing. The right has learned how to scare the south just by saying abortion, gay, taxes. We will never win another southern state as long as ignorance rules most of the south.

[deadparrot]

1. We don't deserve him.

[Maat]

2. I agree that we failed John Kerry.

Or my nutty neighbors did ....

Too bad no one with Kerry's courage is inhabiting the White House...

[IrishBloodEngHeart]

3. Kerry didn't spell out enough alternative

He offered to run the Bush foreign policy "more intelligently"

He offered the same economic program, but with a tweak on the tax code for thost making more than $200K and corporations who offshore.

He didn't draw the distinctions enough, looked muddled, and accordingly people then went to values.

[Kierkegaard]

4. And that may be quite a while.

The place is riddled with it(ignorance.) No disrespect to any Southern DUers. I lived there myself for about a decade, so I'm not speaking out of my ass...

[johntao]

5. Bingo

There are too many ignorant, intolerant people in this country. Unfortunately for us, they are the majority voting public.

[KoKo]

6. Our Institutions and our Legal System have failed Us...John Kerry is

nothing compared to what's been done to us. And, it all goes back to "Selection 2000."

[GreenPartyVoter]

10. Election reform. Scream it at your city council, your state legislators

and governors... let them know that we NEED THIS NOW.

-----------------------------------------------------------
FIGHT! Take this country back one town and state at a time!
http://www.geocities.com/greenpartyvoter/electionreform.htm

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

7. What bothers me is how many think * is a good Christian.

When did he become a Christian role model? Because Robertson and Falwell say so?

[Kierkegaard]

11. All part of building an image.

Also part of the ignorance. Profess your faith, then c'mon down and let's get drunk and feel up some little girls...

[ogradda]

14. and he is NOT a good christian

anybody who thinks that someone who doesn't hold their personal beliefs will fry in hell for eternity is not any kind of christian or even a decent human being.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

17. It all comes down to the "Faith without works is dead."

That's always been my favorite Biblical passage. I was glad to hear John Kerry quote it.

[jpgray]

8. I'm hesitant to blame wholly either the candidate or his supporters

Both have faults certainly, but it's impossible in my view to construct realistic hypotheticals to contrast with what happened--action and reaction are too closely tied together to isolate one factor for blame. This is why I didn't and don't blame Nader for 2000. I will say the greatest responsibility lay with Kerry--it was his job to survey the playing field and to successfully get his policies to the White House. Whether the Bush win is his fault, that I don't know.

[wurzel]

9. No. The language we use fail us.

We must learn to make social morality as important to Bush voters as personal morality is. And learn the language which they find acceptable and understandable.

[Carolina]

24. social morality

I think you have something there. Seriously, this a great theme.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

12. I agree, that America failed him, and us...

[NEOBuckeye]

13. Sometimes I almost wonder what would've happend to the South if the Union

Had just cut them loose at the end of the Civil War? Of course, if it happened, I doubt that I would be here now, given that my father is from Mississippi and my mother was born in Ohio.

I can't help but picture it as some kind of third-world, highly xenophobic, misogynistic, backwards theocracy ruled by a constitution of the 10 Commandments. On the other hand, perhaps the Union States would have become a fairly progressive country, more closely resembling Canada than the US that we now know today.

[59millionmorons]

16. Let there be no doubt

We live in two worlds in one country. Unfortunatly there world has more electoral votes than ours.

[President Jesus]

15. We did fight back, but you make a great point

I agree, Kerry did not fail us. He increased the Dem base from 2000, and the Dems lost no ground overall within the blue states.

Where we all failed was in understandign what the hell was at the root of the red-state 'conservatives'. While we were talking about incompetence, recklessness, and arrogance, they could've have given two shits.

All they cared about was if their candidate had 'Jesus' in his heart...a 'Jesus' defined by their skewed terms.

Kerry had NO shot at that vote. Nor would we have allowed him (or any Democrat) to run a campaign to cater to that vote.

Rove and co, hats off, got those people the polls. Here's their problem: those people are now expecting results, and there's no way they are going to get what they think they're getting. By 2008, there will be no school prayer or 10 commanments in public buildings, abortion will still be legal, and there will be no constitutional gay marriage ban. Do you think a few million zealots won't vote then? You bet, they will remember that they can't and don't trust Washington...UNLESS we nominate Hillary, and then you'll see even higher turnout, unfortunately.

[StupidFOX]

18. The South and Midwest failed the US

[Kierkegaard]

21. Hey, the midwest came through fine!

We don't count Ohio around these parts. They are kind of like a 'step-midwest' to most of us...not a blood relative.

[Jean Louise Finch]

19. a photo that shows not everyone failed him

This is from Boston, after the concession speech:

[AnnitaR]

20. THanks for this!

It actually brought a smile to my face!

[59millionmorons]

23. Oh my

This is the first picture I have seen of Kerry since election night. I could not watch the news or his concession speech.

[enigma-e]

22. Neither YOU failed JFK nor the country, ...

... America failed itself!

And it will be presented the bill... anytime soon!

[Carolina]

25. exactly

Kerry worked tirelessly, we worked tirelessly. But the ignorant, fundie part of America did this and may they reap what they have sown.

Yesterday,to one $19,000/year clerk who tempered her joy in my presence but nonetheless sneered: oh, that's right you're a Democrat ... I said: No, I want a leader who is enlightened, intelligent and reasonable, none of which GWB is. But that's OK, I have runaway money and a friend in Canada who'll adopt me, but what will you do if the world, especially Japan & China, rankled by W's saber rattling and an election, thanks to people like you, that validates his imperialistic approach decides to wield the greatest weapon of all and calls in our $3 trillion debt? This country would collapse into bankruptcy. I hope your morals, your guns and your vengeful god sustain you then.

She was clueless and speechless but still smug. The level of ignorance and moral self-righteous that we're up against is amazing. Then add to that the greed of the very comfortable and wildly wealthy.
I fear the US will have to collapse, a la Rome, before these 2 groups wake the fuck up. They failed America.