Post Election Blues and Ramblings

Earlier in the day, the big question for me was why did all these new voters come out and vote? The only reason I could see was that they were out as a vote for change. I was wrong. The Republicans did just as a good a job as the Democrats in getting out the vote. Plus, I heard that too many of the young voters are tending to vote conservative.

The scary thing is that the issue that mattered most in their vote was moral issues. The democrats cannot win at this part of the game. It basically came down to abortion and the civil unions. The country is in a conservative dip right now and unless the left is ready to sacrifice some of it's core values (or bend some), it's going to be hard to be elected.

I'm surprised that the war didn't resonate more with voters, but I would say that most people have recognized that there is no going back -- we are there and we have to stay to finish the job.

Also, I must say that I think that the democrats got on the wrong horse. Kerry just didn't have the broad appeal. If you look at where he won -- democratic strongholds and in the north east. You have to have someone like Bill Clinton that would carry a few southern states. I think Edwards would have done a better job with that, but obviously, as VP, he didn't have much pull. People vote for a president, not a vice president.

Here's my suggestion for the democratic party - run Evan Bayh, senator from Indiana. He could get Indiana and, maybe Ohio. He has a moderate record and that is how Clinton won as a centrist. Bayh has been a governor and a senator. So, he has both state and national experience. On the moral issue area, he has a mixed record on abortion -- voting for the ban on partial birth abortions.

If you pair Bayh with the right running mate, then maybe that could garner enough votes to get over this conservation national swing. He would need a Southerner like Edwards and then, maybe they could pull it off.

Speaking of Edwards, what is he going to do for the next four years? He's not a senator anymore. How can he maintain his public identity when he has no spotlight. He doesn't have the political gravitas to do what Reagan did and get syndicated radio time to keep his name in the news. Plus he doesn't have a winning ideology (conservatives) like Reagan did.

On the bright side, had Kerry been elected, then he would have inherited a huge mess with Iraq without a lot of options. I think that Iraq will be the millstone around Bush's neck and if he keep listening to the hawkish neo-cons, the situation will only get worse, The fall out from the next four years will give the democrats enough fodder to fuel insurgent moderates to check their alliances.

On the whole, I'm disappointed, but the country will survive.

Wait, news bulletin -- Country Dead. Bush election kills country. The surgeon general pronounced America dead as of 4:35 AM on November 3 as a result of brain damage.....