John Kerry may not have been reading Larry Lessig’s advice, but conceding the election makes the point moot.
I’m no more saddened or depressed today than I was when I woke up in Reagan’s America in 1980 or 1984. I’m angrier, though. I’m angered by the failure of the Clinton/McCauliffe wing of the Democratic party to build a real organization during the eight “cult of personality” years of the Clinton presidency. I’m angered by the failure of the party to recognize the fact that its Mondale/Dukakis wing has no future at the national level. I’m angered by the ignorance and gullibility of a public that dismisses knowledge yet seeks truth. I’m angered that the American public looked closely at a man who has done nothing but the right thing all of his life — and rejected him in favor of a man who never apologized for the many, many things that he’s done wrong. I’m angered by the fact that the Administration’s imperialist ambitions seem likely to mean the end of the American empire, as well as the end of who-knows-how-many-more American lives.
We didn’t elect an American President yesterday; we elected a Student Body President. And the jocks and the cheerleaders get to lord it over the geeks and the nerds for four more years.
2 responses so far ↓
1 No Need for a Name // Nov 3, 2004 at 6:59 pm
Interesting. While I voted for Kerry, I do believe that President Bush did win fair and square (unlike the prior election). I am glad that Kerry conceded early. I have no doubt that this is due to his Senatorial hat and his holding out would only paint him as a fool.
While I have never met Kerry, I would imagine that his holding out in vain, just for an ideal that ‘every vote should count’ would create undue angst. Also, I can understand why he would have a need to save face.
Politics are everywhere - there is even injustice in the way law schools are run and the administration works. I heard from a fairly angry classmate recently. Law school politics may be a microcosm compared to national politics, but they do happen. The question (I think) is whether justice is ever served in any aspect of society.
2 will gerda // Nov 5, 2004 at 2:53 pm
Very well said.
In the next four years, the consequences of this election may very well act, both unfortunately (to America) but maybe hopefully and possibly fortunately (to those who failed to vote or failed to truly consider the consequences of their vote) as a wake-up call regarding the current “fork in the road” America is at. I hope that a decade from now, America will be able to look back and see this more of an experience that we have successfully learned from, rather than as something that had led to such devastating consequences regarding America’s nature and culture, consequences rising to such an extent that will not be easily correctable by those seeking reason, compassion, and wisdom in their government.