This is a very revealing graphic that we first saw at the blog what is this nonsense???. It gives you some food for thought and demonstrates that, the more things change, the more they stay the same:

I produced a video over the weekend as a tribute to the many thousands of volunteers who gave so much during this campaign. Their efforts and dedication really moved me, and although I did my part as a volunteer and fundraiser, it always felt like I could have done more.

Being a visual person, I find it easier to express my feelings in this fashion. I don't think I could write enough to express how I felt after Kerry's concession. I hope this video really conveys the message, I hope you enjoy it, and please wait for the dedicatory at the end of the video.

Use any of these mirror sites to view the video (your'll need Macromedia Flash player)

Video: We Had A Dream: Mirror 1 Mirror 2 Mirror 3 Mirror 4 Mirror 5 Mirror 6 Mirror 7 Mirror 8

NOTE: we need additional mirror sites to spread this tribute. If you have a website, web space, or know of someone who could host this animation, please let me know.
I'll send you the files so you could host it too. The more the merrier!

Thank you.
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PS: Mirror links had to be disabled after hosts were the subject of attacks and personal threats received from a bunch of cowardly extremists.

PSS: Just for the record, this video was produced under Fair Law protection (U.S. Copyright Law Title 17 U.S.C.) Fair use covers usage of copyrighted material for most non-profit, creative, free speech and political statements. It also covers the use of copyrighted material as long as it is non-profit, educational, or even meant as a parody.

Amazingly enough, there are still some journalists with guts asking the right questions. Keith Olbermann just reported in MSNBC some serious incidents in the voting recount in both Ohio and Florida. In some precincts with an overwhelming number of registered Democrats (80 or 88%), Bush won by a landslide. This incidence only occurred in those precincts where they used Diebold voting machines.

With the exception of these counties, exit polls reflected the will of the voters within the margin or error.

You can see the report here (Windows Media format):
http://home.comcast.net/~hugh.moore/countdown_on_voting_irregs.wmv
(Link courtesy of Democratic Underground)



This needs to be investigated further. It is outrageous.

Only three points I want to make:

1. Yes, we must recognize that with all of Kerry's values and the fact that he was an excellent candidate, it all went to hell when they decided to do EXACTLY WHAT THE AL GORE CAMPAIGN DID: they took the high road and refused to fight back the lies and smears of the rightwingers. They allowed the Swift Boat fuckers to run amok almost the entire Summer spreading their Nixonian filth, and the Dems didn't start fighting until it was WAY too late.
   
   We will never win if we keep "taking the high road" and pretending that "dirty politics are beneath us." They beat us by playing dirty all the time. We better learn to play dirty or we are doomed.
   
   
2. When the Democrats had an opportunity to fight back, they pulled lots of punches to appear "moderate." They were scared shitless to be tarnished as "radical," or "angry," or to be associated to Michael Moore, etc. This was, once again, a gross mistake. The Clinton team had a few bulldogs that they promptly sicced on the opposition and the media whenever it was time to counterattack. Carville was notorious for this. The Clinton team had a motto: "if they hit you, you hit back twice as hard." They won two elections by wide margins. They knew the game.
   
   As posted above, Bush is the worst president in US history. There was plenty of material to use to smash his image and his team of Rovian elves. The Kerry team didn't even scratch the surface, for heaven's sake!
   
   
3. Not just the left in general, but the Democratic Party in particular need to start BEATING THE MEDIA HORSE, and to do it mercilessly. Democrats have been too nice to the media whores for too long, and they have adopted a pusillanimous attitude toward them even in the face of their most outrageous transgressions of ethics and fairness. Someone told me the Democratic campaign people were very afraid to put the media against us. Bullcrap, I say!
   
   The Republicans didn't turn the media into this cowed right-wing machine by being "nice." For two decades the Republicans have been crying foul, sending letters, attacking the media with accusations of "liberal bias," RELENTLESSLY, until the media got cowed and cornered. They rigged the refs, as Eric Alterman says, and now the media are afraid of looking even slightly liberal.
   
   Republicans didn't get to this point by playing nice, by playing clean, or by being "reasonable." The right-wing attacked, attacked, attacked relentlessly for two decades until the media went their way. They used letters to the editors, calls to programs, emails to media outlets. They never let down.

We better take a page from the wingnut book, or we will always be the opposition party.

This study says it all:

Comparison of average IQ and voting patterns

Just a few things:

• You can look and behave like a trained monkey in the three presidential debates, and half the country would still vote for you.
  
  
• Treat your electorate like idiots, scare them, and lie to them, and you still get voted.
  
  
• Tell people you personally speak with god, and instead of interning you in a psychiatric institution, they'll vote for you.
  
  
• Tell the most outlandish and bizarre lies about your opponent, and people would believe it. The media will give it full coverage. Tell that your purple heart veteran opponent is a traitor, while dismissing your own AWOL record, and people will vote for you. Over and over again. It worked with Cleland before!
  
  
• Bring your record of four disastrous years of economic decay, a failed war, lies, corruption, and violations of constitutional rights, and you still get voted.
  
  
• Bring the GAGG rule (guns, abortion, god, gays), and you get voted in rural states overwhelmingly.

But apparently, getting consensual oral sex is the subject for impeachment and outrage for years and years to come.

There are at least 3 supreme court justices retiring, and depending on Chief Justice Rehnquist's health, it could be 4.

The justices that have spoken of retirement are Stevens, O'Connor, and Ginsburg.

If Bush wins, he will appoint all four and the chief justice. And this will lead to a majority of conservatives in the bench, 7/2.

Chief Justice Scalia, anyone?

And meet your new SC justices: Ted Olson, Miguel Estrada and Priscilla Owen. How do you like the new guys deciding the next 20 years of American law?

Say goodbye to Affirmative Action, Roe v. Wade, minimum wage, Social Security, Miranda Rights, separation of church & state, funding for science, and condoms. Say hello to Patriot Act II, mandatory prayer in schools, social services provided by Evangelical churches, "creation science" in the curriculum, and the Ten Commandments in the courts.

Have pleasant dreams...

Colorado for Bush. Maine, Oregon, Minnesota for Kerry.

Montana, Idaho and the Dakotas called for Bush.

Florida looks positively re-stolen. When you have Diebold machines, you don't have to worry much about which way Florida would go...

They just called California for Kerry, which adds 55 seats to the Democratic candidate.

Florida looks re-stolen. I wonder if they will conduct a study of electronic voting machines there; I'm sure they'll find funny coincidences.

Well, it seems like Zogby's projections were off, like all projections since the 2000 elections (we knew that already).

Still counting Ohio and many other states. This may be along night.

Boy oh boy!!!!

Zogby International's 2004 Predictions

(as of Nov. 2, 2004 5:00pm)

2004 Presidential Election

	Electoral Votes:
Bush	213
Kerry	311
Too Close To Call	Nevada (5)
Too Close To Call	Colorado (9)

Again, FOR THE RECORD: this is just an exit poll prediction, and as we remember from the last time around, this may mean nothing after all is said and done. Take it with a grain a salt, but hope it is accurate.Still, as the previous election taught us, we should NOT trust these projections until a week from now... at least!

Exit polls from MyDD.com (via Atrios) are in!
Here's what we have so far:

	 AZ  CO  LA  PA  OH  FL  MI  NM  MN  WI  IA  NH

Kerry	 45  48  42  60  52  51  51  50  58  52  49  57

Bush	 55  51  57  40  48  48  47  48  40  43  49  41

Again, just some preliminary exit polls. If this trend continues, it's KERRY BY A LANDSLIDE!

GO VOTE!!!!



Good luck!

Zogby's prediction:

Bush: 247

Kerry: 264

Tie: Florida (27)

http://www.zogby.com/news/ReadNews.dbm?ID=923

PS: Earlier, CNN gave Kerry 47 to 43 in Florida early votes.

Visualize victory! We are almost there!

PSS: Zogby has changed his prediction this morning, Nov. 2, and has both candidates tied!

As the dirty tricks and Republican shenanigans to disenfranchise voters increase, here are a few recommendations to keep in mind tomorrow when you head for the voting booth:

• Have this phone number handy to report problems: 1-866-MYVOTE1
  
  
• Use this phone number for immediate legal assistance
  1-866-OUR-VOTE (1-866-687-8683). Call that number if poll workers refuse you to vote for any reason
  
  
• Do NOT wear Kerry gear (tshirts, hats, etc) when you go to vote. it is against voting regulations and poll workers have been instructed to enforce this rule! This rule applies in MOST if not ALL states. Electioneering is not allowed within 100 feet of the polling room.
  
  
• Refuse the offer of anyone coming to your residence to "pick up your vote for you." It has been reported that shady operatives have been scamming elderly citizens using this trick. This is actually voting supression. Report it to your local authorities and to the phone numbers listed above.
  
  
• If you receive a phone call between today and tomorrow telling you that you are "not properly registered to vote," call 1-866-687-8683 and your local authorities to report it. It's another dirty trick by Republican operatives to keep people away from the polls.
  
  
• Election day is November 2, 2004. Not any other day of this week. Do not believe anyone telling you otherwise.
  
  
• If you experience any problems with your voting machine, make sure you report it to any of the election officials in the room, and call for help whenever you feel you may need it.

Good luck!!!

For those of you with cable:

The Sundance Channel is broadcasting tonight several movies that you (or any of you undecided friends) may want to check out.

Some of them are just extraordinary. This is the list:

7:00pm Unprecedented: The 2000 Presidential Election

8:00pm Uncovered: The Whole Truth About the Iraq War

9:00pm Unconstitutional: The War on Our Civil Liberties

10:10pm Bush's Brain

Check local listings for channel and times in your area.