Doesn't most of the blame fall squarely on 51% of the American people?

[bobweaver]

For doing the following:

1) being apathetic about politics in general - and being more concerned with their own personal needs and ambitions rather than politics or government

2) being gullible, and believing anything that government officials say, i.e., "Iraq had WMDs", "Iraq helped with the 9/11 attacks" and "Saddam was clearly a threat to the U.S." and on and on

3) being lazy and not looking beyond the mainstream media for the real stories. Nobody has to stick with only the MSM, there are plenty of other sources of information that are free and easy to access

4) being cheapskates by going to Wal-Mart instead of supporting local Mom-n-Pop businesses?

5) being selfish by consuming unnecessary amounts of fossil fuels - driving to the grocery store to buy more caliories to pack onto their butts while they could walk to the grocery store instead and burn calories in the process?

6) being foolish by casting a vote for a person based on what they say, rather than what they have done

You can bemaon the state of the U.S. and the miasma in Iraq, but where does the blame really lie? Does the blame really lie with the evil people who have grabbed power, or with the people who willingly cast their votes for these people who are now in power?

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. you left out this reason

4) being intolerant and hateful and voting on one issue even if everything else Bush has done is against their own interests.

[Kota]

2. If

you believe 51% voted for Bush, I don't, maybe 47%.

[LiberalFighter]

5. In reality the total of all those that voted was about 53%

This a rough estimate
221277999 == Voting Age Population (includes those not eligible due to state law and those that just plain don't bother registering to vote)

117897556 == Only includes those that voted for gw* and Kerry


57,288,974 Kerry == 25%
60,608,582 gw* == 27%


What do you think would be the result if almost all of the VAP voted? That's over 100 million people that didn't vote.

[LTRS]

3. Yes, without question

On the other hand, rethugs have been busily destroying our education system for 30 yrs expressly for this purpose. They have a vested interest in a stupid electorate.

[bowens43]

4. Bush didn't get 51% of the vote.

He won because of fraud.

[cire4]

6. Thats who I blame

Even if Diebold did screw with the election, there is no excuse, absolutely no excuse for this many people to vote for Shrub. Its a sad commentary on the state of this nation when so many people are just absolute idiots.

[leftyandproud]

7. 52%. *NT*

[Tony_Illinois]

8. Here's what I blame . . .

1. Apathy.
I fear that most people do not care and are basically uninterested in politics--period. The voting statistics support the theory that most Americans really do not care enough about our government to bother to vote. Although turnout is greater in presidential elections than off-year elections, overall it is pathetic. (And our leaders worry about turnout in Iraq).

2. Ignorance. Do not underestimate the power of the political advertisement on all of us--and even more so on the vast numbers of people who are simply not saavy enough to grasp the subtle differences between "fact" and fiction in these ads. Although you make it sound rather simple, the fact is that most blue-collar workers are not going to come home after a hard day's work and begin to research political position papers and alternative news outlets on the internet. It is not going to happen. And it is also true that the college-educated are not all interested either.

3. Fear. The spinmeisters in the Republican party are masterful and putting the fear of the Lord in the working class and the "religious" conservatives. Think of the terminology that they use without any regard for truth: Radical gays and lesbians; pro-abortion; abortion on demand; sex education promoting homosexuality; anti-prayer; anti-Christian; unpatriotic; quotos; welfare cheats... the list goes on. Guess what--on a vast number of people this works.

I have been pondering a solution to this for awhile now, and so far I just do not see a quick solution. (But I'm working on it).:)

[orpupilofnature57]

9. how about the?%, that does'nt even vote,apathy is as harmful asKKK ROVER