Tactics and Substance in the 2004 Elections GoogleNews: Howard Dean

November 3, 2004

by V

Staying reality-based

There are a lot of things I don't quite grok about this result, and which will take a lot of processing...

Why did a motivated, "united" Democratic Party with more money than they ever expected to have produce basically the same result (or worse, when you count the popular vote) as the comparatively poor organization in 2000?

Though the Internet scoff, was Gay Marriage the trump card more than Terror Terror Terror? ?

Was the failure to connect with that 51%: 1) a lack of sufficient backbone and standing strong for liberal principles showing them that Kerry's no wuss (what I call the 'Proclaim' approach), or 2) a failure to Persuade the Reds that Kerry shares enough of their concerns and values while differing with the President on some key stances? This gets you accused of being Red-lite, but on the other hand, the un-Reds sure didn't show up to vote.

You can't govern and implement your ideas if you can't win in the first place. And on that note, here's Donkey Rising:

Exit Polls and Other Woes
Why did Kerry lose the popular vote? Basically this was a rerun of 2000. Almost every state, and every big state, went the same way it did in 2000. It looks like the only switches were New Hampshire for Kerry and probably Iowa and New Mexico for Bush, although those are not certain (and, in fact, New Hampshire is also extremely close). But Kerry got killed in the South and that appears to have also dragged down several Democratic Senate candidates.

I think that Democrats need to think very hard about the lessons of this election, regardless of what happens in Ohio with the provisional ballots. We lost the popular vote and probably the election to a Republican incumbent with a horrible record. It is going to be very difficult to win a presidential election unless the Democratic candidate can do significantly better in the southern and border states. More thoughts to come later.

Posted by V at November 3, 2004 10:08 AM
Comments

You are right not to grok the results. Here are some resources for more information on voting fraud:

Orlando Weekly
11/18/04
Was It Hacked?

University researchers challenge Bush win in Florida

Black Box Voting Website

VoterGate.tv Website

Big Media, Some Nerve!

Posted by: Jennifer at November 21, 2004 09:35 PM

Recommended Reading:

The Politics of Truth: Inside the Lies that Led to War and Betrayed My Wife's CIA Identity: A Diplomat's Memoir
The Politics of Truth... A Diplomat's Memoir


Worse Than Watergate: The Secret Presidency of George W. Bush
Worse Than Watergate: The Secret Presidency of George W. Bush


Against All Enemies by Richard Clarke
Against All Enemies: Inside America's War on Terror


LIES by Al Franken
Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right


The Great Unraveling
The Great Unraveling


The Great Big Book of Tomorrow
The Great Big Book of Tomorrow


Clinton Wars
The Clinton Wars


Blinded by the Right
Blinded by the Right: The Conscience of an Ex-Conservative


Waging Modern War: Bosnia, Kosovo, and the Future of Combat

Subject to Debate: Sense and Dissents on Women, Politics, and Culture

Living History

The Hunting of the President: The Ten-Year Campaign to Destroy Bill and Hillary Clinton

John Adams

Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation

Code and Other Laws of Cyberspace

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