That’s what all the French talking heads have been saying for the last 48 hours, and it cracks me up every time I hear it. Urnes are ballot boxes, and most of them said “Sarko” on Sunday (as I thought they would). But when I hear “urn,” I just think ancient Greece, coffee, and cremation. So I experience this little mental twitch whenever I hear it.
What name will the ballot boxes in the US utter in 2008? I read a lot of political analysis every day and I’m very aware of social currents in the US, and I must say there’s something that’s really bothering me. Everything I read seems to suggest that liberals/progressives (whatever the label of the day is) in the US just assume that they’ll take over next year. That it’s a done deal. They seem to be basing this on a few things. One, because they won a majority in the Congressional elections in 2006, two, because Giuliani is a scumbag and McCain is absurd and three, because the polls say about 70% of Americans don’t approve of Bush.
Hang on a minute. First of all, that Congressional win was so narrow that it’s been useless where it’s most needed, which is in ending the war. Second of all, the Republican candidate next year doesn’t have to be viable, he just needs a pulse (remember who the President is). And don’t be fooled because some conservatives might finally, grudgingly be admitting that they’re not thrilled with Bush’s war. That in no way suggests that they’ll tolerate faggots getting married and abortion clinics popping up on every corner next to the 7/11…
I don’t think the American left and center in the US quite grasp the power of prayer… You should all be very afraid. There is absolutely no guarantee you won’t have another Republican in office next year. The right is still fired up and delusional and riding high on visions of the imminent Rapture. That’ll drive them to the polls in droves! Religion is a MUCH more powerful motivator than your plain ol’ righteous (yet secular) indignation…
Dems went straight from despair to smugness after their narrow win in the Congressional elections last year. Democrats, and I mean you and me as well as the politicians, need to spend the next year and a half getting absolutely RABID about changing the political climate in the US. The Democratic party has its work cut out for it. It’s competing against God who, face it folks, appears to be better at getting out the vote than Hollywood…
And more people need to start voting! Only about 72% of American adults are even registered to vote. (90% of adults are registered to vote in France.) If getting more Democrats registered means you have to stand out in front of Target with a save the whales petition, well, maybe you should… Maybe try combining it with your Girl Scout cookie stand… Maybe dress up like a Girl Scout yourself… Whatever works.
For voters to show up, they have to be motivated. The Democratic party needs a candidate who can do that. Our last two candidates were perfectly qualified, highly intelligent, and worldly, but they came across as too cerebral and they lacked the passion (or at least the ability to show it) that’s needed to get people to the polls. (To be honest, I don’t think Hillary can generate the enthusiasm you need.)
On Sunday, the right-wing candidate won the presidential election in France. His party had been in power for 12 years (of increasing violence and economic decline) and everybody thought they’d be shown the door. But no. If the right can win here, it can win there.
So, my advice is pick your candidate wisely. Then do what you can to get people to understand how desperately their votes are needed, even though left-leaning Americans don’t seem to have a clue about just how desperate their situation is…
You touched on a raw nerve: the center/left-leaning Americans really don’t seem to have a clue about just how desperate their situation is. The US has made a shocking turn to the far right, while the whole country should have raided Washington while the Bush admin slashed the constitution. But nothing happened. Well, only the colors on the “The U.S. threat level” are changing like the lights in a Christmas tree.
Along with many others, I’ve given up on th US (even with the democrats returning to power, an ever more unlikely event)
With 80 million religious fanatics in the US South, expect the worst.
And in case “God” comes up with a miracle, will a democrat (any democrat) really make that much of a difference?
Will anyone really restore the constitutional liberties that were so easily eroded under the Bush admin?
Related: Are you a terrorist? “Fascist America, in 10 easy steps”: available and commented at
http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2007/04/24/708/
(author: Naomi Wolf)
Thanks Peter. I do expect the worst, I hate to say, because I’m pretty optimistic by nature. I don’t know how I can still be such an idealist. I just wish people in that country would wake up. I have spent so much time trying to figure out why the religious fanaticism in the world seems to be increasing. It seems that as access to information becomes easier, the religious nutjobs get more fanatical and try harder to deny reality. It’s like these people are playing tug of war. The Internet and instant access to global info and communication just make them more determined to deny any reality but the one they’ve constructed. I think it might be a case of future shock. People just can’t process or keep up with the rapid changes in the world and so retreat into this comfortable fantasy land. I know people are resistant to change, but come on already!! It’s the fucking 21st century, not the dark ages… I think… A democrat will only make a difference if he/she has a strong majority in congress too, which isn’t likely to happen as long as there are so many ignorant godlies in the US…
Am as sorry and worried as you are (i am French). I wonder why my countrymen chose this right-wing,Bush and Thatcher lover, at the precise time when countries when they ruled or rule show end-of-cycle signs.
TechBee: I know! People talk about those signs but I guess most people are in denial about that too. Maybe the French just want a piece of that capitalist pie before it’s gone… Maybe they want the to make the American dream to work hard and get rich work for themselves. I don’t know. I’m a foreigner, so I can’t figure out what it is that motivated the French to vote this way. Maybe people all over the world are just feeling threatened by globalization and all it represents; mixing us all up into one big bag. It’ll be a fascinating experiment to watch, that’s for sure.
I was depressed for days after the French election, and I’m not even French. And here in NYC, I learned to keep my politics-related comments to myself among French ex-pats, who mostly adore Sarkozy, or so it seems. However, I don’t think the U.S. media and the conservative pundits understand that their new buddy in France holds many views that would put him to the left of Hillary Clinton (only in the U.S. could Hillary Clinton actually be considered “left-wing”). Argh. If the Democrats manage to lose in 2008, they really should give up. Bring Bayrou over here!