Gore, Democrats, and Fighting the Republican Mentality
Desiree

I don't know about you, but I am sick to death of listening to Republican propaganda coming out of the mouths of everyone... INCLUDING Democrats! We are forced to listen to it on the nightly news, read it in our newspapers, hear it out of the mouths of right-wing radical politicians. And now we hear it coming out of the mouths of our trusted representatives and finally... out of the mouths of... well... ourselves. This is playing right into what I call "The Republican Psych Plan."

But I'm getting ahead of myself. I am a female, 20-something African American Californian who traditionally had a scornful view of politics in general, until the 2000 election -- when it got personal. See, my mom and dad are divorced (my dad's since remarried) but I'm close to both. My dad and second wife lived in Florida and were there for the 2000 election.

About a week after the voting took place my dad's wife called me, hysterical because he had been waking up in the middle of the night, screaming in terror, but not telling her why. I called my father only to have him tell me a horrifying story about being pulled out of the voting line by white deputies on the pretext of checking his registration, taking him to some dark obscure place, roughly handcuffing and frisking him, then letting him go with the "warning" that something "much worse could happen to him if he is found near the polls when they came back from patrol".

Instead of talking about things, he'd kept the incident a secret and internalized the terror, and that caused the nightmare. He said he kept having nightmares about being beaten and shot and thrown into a swamp somewhere.

Furious doesn't begin to describe how I felt! Luckily, I knew that the NAACP was at that moment holding hearings in Florida, and I flew there immediately and convinced my pop to share the story. He did, and is one of the people whose stories were sent to the Justice Department. If nothing else, it showed him that he wasn't alone. Eventually, he left Florida. There was no other way for him to heal.

So I am a personal witness to the horror of Election 2000. My family has suffered because of it. And for this, I believe it is imperative that GWB be "whipped" by Albert J Gore. It's more than just revenge, it's a matter of principle as important to the American electorate as the idea of democracy itself.

Republicans MUST be taught that the principle of democracy is not just a word to be thrown around when campaigning, but thrown away when they aren't declared the legitimate winner. The clearest, most succinct, and yes, most PAINFUL way (I'm not above wishing for a little revenge!) to demonstrate to the Republican party that the American people DON'T take too kindly to someone subverting their will for their own selfish gain, is to kick them out with the very same guy they kicked in the gut to get in: Al Gore.

But we have got to start by NOT following the "Republican psych plan." You know, the psychological strategy intended to imply that they are an unstoppable force? Like Trent Lott calling a press conference before the debate begins on any new piece of legislation just to tell everyone that they already have the votes necessary for it to pass. Of course this only applies to the bills that they want the public to know about beforehand - on others, like the bankruptcy and ergonomics bills - surprise! Trent Lott calls NO press conferences. Can no one see through this ploy?

This "don't even bother trying to resist us because we're unstoppable" tactic does nothing but show the corruption of a party that decides votes before they've even heard all the debate. I would think that the Senate Majority leader would know better than that. But the Bush administration hasn't been known for its subtlety. And yet, people still fall for it. This has got to stop.

Other examples of "the plan" include: Allowing the media to get away with asking Democrats how Al Gore lost the election. This is the BIGGEST insult to ALL Americans. Why? Because Al Gore didn't lose the election, it was stolen. We, the American people, did OUR part, despite Republican efforts to stop us and the message was clear by over half a million votes: we chose Gore.

The minute you start debating ANY other point, the Republicans have won because you are admitting that Al Gore is the legitimate loser -- NOT the legitimate winner. He won in the only way we define democracy -- by the majority of the popular vote. So he DIDN'T lose, Bush DIDN'T win. This should be the mantra of EVERY Democrat, whether he be politician or average American.

I guarantee you, a reporter that receives that quote as an answer from every Democrat he talks to either won't ask the question again, or will find another question to ask. Al Gore couldn't even carry his home state of Tennessee so what kind of President would he have been? This statement has NO business coming out of the mouth of any Democrat or progressive and is a deliberate Republican ploy.

I am reminded of the words of the Governor of Tennessee, just days before Bush's inauguration. When asked how he thought he would be treated considering the fact that his state was Gore's home state, he said something along the lines of "No, I'm not worried. I believe the new President will appreciate how we delivered Tennessee for him." When I first read that, I thought it sounded corrupt. Now there is evidence trickling in that suggests even larger civil rights violations occurring in Tennessee than those that occurred in Florida.

Though more will be revealed when Maxine Waters and her panel arrives there, the local newspapers have picked up the story and the evidence is compelling... and heartbreaking. Add what was spoken by the Governor of Tennessee -- a Republican -- and I believe, way before November 7th, it was decided that no matter what, Tennessee would go to Bush -- by any means necessary. It makes a strong psychological statement and Republicans knew it.

So they smiled as they watched some Democrats fall for it, hook, line and sinker. Not I. When I am confronted with that, I tell them exactly what I am telling you, ending with the threat that no matter how the Republicans try to cover it up, the truth ALWAYS comes out. History supports that -- for example with Watergate and Iran Contra, and they usually, especially if they're rabid Republicans, slink quietly away.

We must not allow Republicans to define us. Take the demonization of the word Liberal. I don't even know how this one got started, but we should not be embarrassed by this noble title. The dictionary says: LIBERAL -- suggests openhandedness in the giver and largeness in the thing or amount given. Tolerant.

What is so demonic about that? For Republicans, it is the fact that they know they are the polar opposite of those ideals, and they know the American people will reject them because of that. The solutions are to either reform their party, or stigmatize the word "liberal" while misleading the public as to its meaning within the context of what's being discussed. Republicans, it seems, decided that it made more sense to attack the Dems perceived principles rather than to make real reforms within the Republican Party. It doesn't make more sense -- it's plain cowardice.

Refuting the meaning and not backing down from the inevitable fight would convince even skeptics that you mean business. The word "liberal" isn't blasphemous, it's honorable. If you start to react to that kind of accusation, you essentially prove the Republicans right. These people aren't right... they're wrong and every Dem should be calling them on that.

If you're a good American, then you accept the Supreme Court's decision simply because they are... well... the Supreme Court. Bullshit. You can respect the office -- and should. But the judges themselves? No way in hell. What they did is shameful, and the only comforting fact about this is I know now that Bush v. Gore is going to be their legacy. No matter what came before or will come after, they will be remembered for this decision, even though they are trying like hell to make people forget their role in the situation.

My mom always told me that "two wrongs don't make a right" and it would just be wrong to show the court any mercy when they never considered the American people. They took it upon themselves to choose a president that the majority of Americans didn't vote for. For this, every scrutiny should be applied to this group, and no more judges added to it, until that particular conservative bent is lessened, and there aren't any more hard-righters appointed to their vacancies.

By keeping silent on the issue, you become an enabler. If you're a person of high moral standing, then you must condemn Bill Clinton. Again, why are there NO Democrats asking why the GOP is constantly going after this man and wasting millions of tax payers dollars year after year? Always allowing Republicans to put them on the defensive instead of going on the offensive and calling on Republicans to show REAL proof that any of the investigations they have conducted over the years have been anything else but a paranoid reaction to a fundamental truth. America loves the Clintons. Even those that claim to "hate" him, love him. Why else are reporters and Republicans still following every move the man makes? He was the most popular President since FDR -- something the Republicans can NEVER claim though they are trying to make a hero of Reagan after the fact.

ANY Clinton is a threat to them, you see. Hilary is still in the running for Prez in the future, and Chelsea is quietly living her life and contemplating her future. Republicans know they are toast against a Clinton -- ANY Clinton. This little lull where Bill's numbers are sliding will not be permanent. The longer Bush continues, Americans will start to see what a wonderful man they had in Clinton. A man that worked tirelessly for 60 hours a week, and would veto ANY bill that he saw as being too hard on the American people.

In fact, the very bill that will make slaves out of millions of Americans to the credit card industry, found it's way to Clinton's desk in his second term -- but he vetoed it, saying that the bill was "too hard on the American people." The banks didn't like that and proceeded to fund a candidate that would be more receptive to THEIR best interests, and NOT the American people.

As I have been saying since December 13, 2000, Gore would NEVER have done any of what Bush has done in barely three months time, and now we know that Clinton was the one that protected us from this juggernaut that has just been waiting to be given the chance to roll. Bill Clinton protected the American people and the Democrats in Congress for 8 years, with his veto pen, doing the jobs they didn't have the guts to do, and taking the heat as well, but when it came time to defend him, Democrats couldn't even manage eight weeks.

There are supposedly quite a few Dems with presidential aspirations, but there is no way in hell I'd vote for any of them. They have shown nothing but a lack of spine that's just plain embarrassing. When they start on the campaign trail they are going to be very surprised at the lack of support they will receive, and the anger they will face. That's why I'm glad neither Al Gore nor Bill Clinton have anything to do with this Congress. I believe in the end, the Dems in Congress will have to turn to the two people that they deserted in order to survive.

What Al Gore had against him was an association with Bill Clinton -- this idea is SO my pet peeve. Since when was Al Gore any other grown man's keeper? Remember throughout that witch-hunt called "the Monica Lewinsky scandal", most Americans didn't support the Republicans. Yes, what he did was wrong, but that was no excuse for their bloodlust. Most Americans put the blame for the mockery that occurred squarely on the shoulders of Republicans, NOT Dems or even Clinton himself. I realize now that it wasn't so much to "get Clinton" as it was to "get" the Democratic Party in the Congressional elections. What a surprise it was to them when they actually LOST seats.

This was a great way of showing the Republicans that there are limits to what we will take from them. We need an even stronger assertion of this idea in 2002. Every major scandal that we have had has been at the hands of Republicans. One so heinous, the President had to resign before being impeached. If being associated with a politician that has questionable morals, and shameful ethics, stains you, even though YOU'VE done none of those things, then why vote Republican?

Democrats can't even have AFFAIRS without us finding out about them, but the Republican Party has shown again and again that they are FULLY capable of implementing massive conspiracies against the American people. Just their history alone should push people to use caution and critical thinking before they readily accept everything they say. If choosing a candidate on the basis of their values (or lack thereof) requires you to vote against the entire party, then there are a hell of a lot of Republicans that are talking the talk and not walking the walk. That little rationale seems to only be applicable to Democrats -- at least in the minds of Republicans.

I like to think that it is a miracle and a tribute to Al Gore that despite the fact that he had to fight against candidates on two fronts, the Greens and the Republicans, this man STILL managed to win the popular vote across the country. There might have been a minority of people that voted against him because of a perceived immorality by association, but the majority chose Gore anyway. That's the real bottom line. The GOP wasn't able to win a majority of the vote by their stance on the issues, so they had to damage Gore's lead by ridiculously trying to tie him in to Clinton. But Clinton is a grown man responsible only for his own actions, and Al Gore is a man that should be able to stand in his own right. If the republicans were able to get away with that with Nixon, Reagan, and Daddy Bush, so should Clinton and Gore.

This should be another mantra recited by every Dem -- playing the "race card". Race is not a "card" to be played, it is a reality. This past election should've really emphasized that fact. Look at how the minorities in this country, especially blacks, have been constantly assaulted since Bush took office. Apparently the only thing needed to bring all the bigots out, is for us to have a Republican in the White House. They just come out of the woodwork then. After blacks were marginalized by the press so as to make sure no one takes their claim of intimidation seriously, adding insult to injury is the fact Republicans' defense is that the prime reason they were so disenfranchised was because they were to "stoopid" to fill out a ballot and locked themselves into a corner by always voting Democrat which obviously means that they can't think for themselves.

Another example of an irrational rationalization. Everyone that votes usually votes for the same party every election cycle regardless of the candidate. Do you think that Arnold S. actually compared the two candidates before deciding to vote for Bush? Nope. He votes Republican no matter what. Same with the military, they vote Republican regardless of the candidate. In actuality, blacks have shown that they consider the issues more than anyone else because we, as a group, have switched loyalties more that once. We started out with Lincoln, and stayed Republican until FDR who had an agenda we could more identify with. We changed loyalties again when Jesse Jackson ran for President. This becomes more significant when compared with other groups that never switch. But they aren't accused of not having a mind of their own. Just African Americans.

Running as a "New Deal" Democrat and using a "class warfare" mentality. Come on, this administration is demonstrating how on the mark Al Gore really was. He said he's fight for us and boy, do we need someone like that right now. Who cares if people identify you that way, you are implementing the mandate of the people. That's all that should really matter. Just Bush's tax cut proves that there is most definitely a class warfare battle going on, from the top down, with the last two groups in the pecking order -- the poor and working poor -- not receiving anything at all. The New Deal, populist campaign is the reason that so many were willing to place their votes and confidence in the Dems. They identified and approved of the message the party presented. This worked very well, in fact, because of that strategy, Gore was able to win the popular vote without the swing states. The Midwest and south were lost to Bush, but it made no difference, Gore still won and the populist message was a major reason why he did.

Underlying all of these circumstances is the idea, again, that Al Gore lost, and we all know that's not true. We've got to be smarter than that, if we are going to survive. Reject the "psych plan" and pick Bush's actions apart using the most unethical tactics -- cause I know that's what he's doing. Resist and refute seems to be the order of the day