Let's get real. What do we do now?

[Cyrano]

Even if it was a stolen election, we're not going to be able to overturn it.

If Republicans are in charge, it's going to be hard to challenge this election's huge irregularities (and I use that term "irregularities" with a pound of salt).

The Republicans control all three branches of government and the only weapon we have is the filibuster (which MUST be used against lunatic supreme court nominees).

The Republican congress has a year before they have to start worrying about the 2006 congressional election. In that time, they can wreck social security, Medicare, pass a flat tax and a national sales tax, extend giveaways to the wealthy, drill in whatever is left of Alaska, and maybe even allow the cutting down of 1000 year old redwoods. Is there any limit to what these barbarians are capable of?

So given the fact that they control the White House, the congress and the courts, not to mention the useless fucking media (our supposed fourth estate), what do we do now?

All suggestions are welcome, but if you're thinking about armed revolution, get your head out of your ass. This isn't north against south. This is neighbor against neighbor, and family against family.

So what would you suggest?

[Vincardog]

1. First we have to take the election process back. We have to support

HR2239 and S1980 to get paper trails required for all votes. Then kick every fascist out of government.

[TrustingDog]

2. buy rice and beans. & an ace first aid kit. bicycles for all family.

they are after the unprepared 'it can't happen here'.

[NMDemDist2]

3. support Bev Harris at blackboxvoting.org and hope some programmer

geek finds the code

they are using Fallujah to take our mind off the election questions, so we need to pound the media everytime new questions come up

[Cyrano]

16. I've sent Bev Harris everything I can afford to send.

She's great. But is she enough to save democracy in this country? I hope so, however...

[cthrumatrix]

19. if there is a crime then it is prosecuted....not complicated

[Cyrano]

23. cthurmatrix. Nice theory, but we ain't got a Neo here.

Welcome to the real world. Bush/Cheney/Rove are "the agents" and they're running things. For now, there's not a damn thing we can do about it.

We can fight them, we can block them, we can throw up every road block we can think of, but for the near-term future, we're fucked.

Unless we actually are living in a matrix reality and you are "the one."

(Apologies to those who haven't seen "The Matrix.")

[deminflorida]

4. The Court System and the Constitution.....

It took down Nixon. Better get moving fast however before the Republicans complete wiping their asses with it.

[Cyrano]

8. The Democrats controlled the house and senate at that time.

[nadinbrzezinski]

5. First off what do you think a civl war is all about

Neighbor against neighboor and family against family, that is teh defintion of one

Now what do we do, WE ADRESS BBV or we can run Jesus Christ he will still loose, I hope this is clear enough for you

Win or loose BBV has to be adressed, and we need to get rid of those infernal machines

[Vincardog]

6. S1980 HR2239 Get them voted on Stop the theft

[GregD]

9. Sorry, those bills are dead. Toast. Finished.

With the end of the past Congressional session, they are finished. New bills will need to be submitted, under new numbers, with zero cosponsors.

All that work to gain cosponsors will need to be repeated. Hopefully some old ones will sign back on, but it's a new ballgame regardless.

I got this directly from Holt's office, and from his staff person that wrote the bill.

[Vincardog]

17. Ok what can we do now? I want to take it to the streets.

[GregD]

26. Nothing can be done about the bills until next year

when the new Congressional session is seated. Then an effort needs to be made to regain traction on the issue.

In the mean time, just educate people about why a paper trail is necessary.

[Cyrano]

21. I agree. But the reality is that the Republicans will block

our efforts to get rid of the machines. They've spent the past two years blocking paper trails and they succeeded.

And regarding a civil war, our last one had geographic boundaries. Do you really want to consider one in which you can't even identify the "enemy." What sane human being would want to even consider such a circumstance. It would make today's Iraq look like some semblance of sanity.

[Ardee]

7. The dems are not entirely powerless

There is always the filibuster, and some votes require a 60% total to carry......

What to do if you are a Democrat:
work to install Progressive leadership

What to do if you are not a Democrat:
work to make a third party relevent.

[Cyrano]

13. This is not the time to be thinking about a third party Utopia.

The reality is that fascists are now in control of all three branches of government, and, like it or not, the only realistic opposing force is the Democratic party, assuming they can figure out how to reach into their crotches and find a pair of balls.

[Smarmie Doofus]

10. I suggest consumer boycotting of...

corporate Republican donors and war profiteers. There was a flurry of interest in this leading up to and shortly after the beginning of the war. Then interest in this country died out, but apparently the popularity of American products fell off abroad, possibly in response to calls for boycott.

The Sinclair episode reinforced ( for me, anyway) the belief that even small numbers of disguntled consumers can have an immediate impact on the process if they act intelligently and in concert.

Paul

[GreenPartyVoter]

11. Fix the election system one town and county at a time. Is your area

"secure"? Do you use verifiable ballots? Any chance you can work on your Reps and Sens in the state house to give you Publicly Financed elections and Ranked voting?

-----------------------------------------------------------
Help expose the 2004 election fraud!
http://www.geocities.com/greenpartyvoter/electionreform.htm

[Carl Brennan]

12. Citizen action!!! Stop the fucking electoral count like

those fascist bastards tried to stop the vote count in 2000. Give a dose of their own medicine.

My topic on the electors:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=2644702&mesg_id=2644702

[GregD]

14. state by state BBV legislation

One of the best ideas I saw today is the idea of getting legislation into each state for standardized elections laws.

Here in Marin, a small group of passionate peaceniks just passed Proposition B, which will outlaw GMO crops. They met to decide on what the basic terms of the bill would be, and an attorney took a previously written bill and altered it to suit their vision. Then they got people into the streets to gain the signatures, got it onto the ballot, and got it passed.

Do that for voting... Fix our elections system... But do it right, because we don't want to create more problems than we already have...

[H2O Man]

15. One step at a time .....

I'm not comfortable with the thinking of what we can't do. Americans have a "no" mentality ..... "we can't!" and "they won't let us." Fuck that weak shit. Let's go with this, and let's keep it positive.

[drh]

18. This election is NOT over

This election is not over unless we decide to roll over and give up. So don't. First, support Bev Harris at www.blackboxvoting.org. Second, support Congressmen Conyers and his five colleagues who have called for the GAO (General Accounting Office) to investigate these "irregularities." (See Keith Olberman on MSNBC tonight.)Third, get involved in your local political party. Having done this myself, I can attest to the fact that there is work to be done. Fourth, don't wait for Kerry to rush in and save us. He can't do that and still appear to be impartial in any kind of investigation. If enough "irregularities" are proven, this may provide enough momentum to overturn the "results" of this election. Yes, Kerry condeded but he can unconcede. From what I understand, a concession is not legally binding. Yes, they control all three branches of government. But they can't control the courts of public opinion unless we let them. Do not underestimate your own power. Please.

[Cyrano]

22. drhaupenthal, welcome to DU. I've been behind Bev Harris from day one.

However, all I can say at this point is "Remember the Alamo." We're not going to wrest this election out of the hands of the Huns. And as far as "the court of public opinion," resign yourself to the fact that most people are either not paying attention, or are incredible imbeciles.

Somehow, we have to find a way to regain control of either the house or senate in 2006. But given where we are today, (and given the non-paper trail voting machines), we will need a miracle to once again take control of OUR country.

Damn it, I hate to be negative, but I'm damned if I can see a clear path to beating back the barbarians. Although I'm an agnostic, I'll gladly accept some help from Odin, Jesus, or whoever. If we ever needed such help, it's now.

[Copperred]

20. IT SURE IS THE SOUTH.

I would say though...that this enemy epicenter DOES IN FACT EMINATE FROM THE SOUTH..... all of this is a Southern rivalism cloaked in mainstream politics and they have convinced their northern rural brothers this is not about politics but about religion.....which it is not.

The Power Structure of this is DEFINATELY COMING FROM THE SOUTH.

[CornField]

24. I'm contacting all the Iowa Reps and asking them to sign on the

GAO letter.

Frankly, I'm less concerned about 'overturning' the election results and I'm more concerned about ensuring our right to vote and to make it count. This is as much about 2006 and 2008 as it is about today for me.

[Carolab]

25. Work on fixing the defrauded voting system

it's a COMMON VALUE we share with all voters. Everyone deserves for their vote to count even if they don't vote for the same candidates that we support.

This is the BASIS of democracy. Get organized at the grassroots. Look for DFL meetup in your area and discuss coordinating efforts with other grassroots groups--ones that reach across the aisle too.