A lesson from History---In 1964 the GOP lost far more than we did

[Zuni]

But they built momentum (which we already have) and eventually it led to Nixon landslide in 1972, Reagan landslide in 1984 and the GOP takeover of the Congress in 1994 and to the 2002 and 2004 Congressional debacles.
The times are a changin'
When I first got into politics, the Democrats were disorganized, disdained and beaten. I didn't think we had a shot in hell in 2004.
Kerry overcame the media, BBV, right wing shills filling the airwaves, the SBVT smear campaign and just about everything else that they could throw at him and still gave Bush the fight of his life.
Gore beat Bush in 2000.
Kerry came damn close despite the venomous assaults and propaganda aimed at him.
53,000,000 voters said no to Bush (at least). In 4 more years the tide will turn on the momentum we have built.
On C-Span presidential historians were predicting the downfall of the ultra conservative movement as debt piles up, more boys come home in bags, recession sets in etc.
The GOP might have won tonight, but they have not seen the end of the liberal movement.

[OneBlueSky]

1. the big difference is that the winners over Goldwater . . .

weren't fundamentalist neocon theocrats with a fascist agenda and no tolerance for opposing viewpoints . . . should Bush indeed prevail, the damage to what's left of this democracy in the next four years will be incalculable . . . starting with the Supreme Court . . .

[nonconformist]

4. Exactly. This what so many, sadly, fail to realize.

This really WAS the most important election of our lifetime, that wasn't some bullshit line.

[davepc]

6. LBJ just killed 50,000 Americans for no good reason

but, hey he wasn't against gay marriage and was a democrat so lets give him a pass eh?

[neomonkey]

17. Well Dubya is on his way, the

war on terra has just begun.

[Zuni]

19. He will make sure he beats that 'pansy liberal' in body counts

he wouldn't like for a liberal like Johnson to have more body bags shipped home under him.
That is how he measures his effectiveness as CinC---the number of boys under him who die

[Zuni]

10. we are going to fight. It is our duty

we will make them pay every step of the way.

DO NOT GIVE UP NOW

[seraph]

2. Good Perspective. (nt)

[pmbryant]

3. I was hoping taking our country back wouldn't take 20-30 years

But now it is looking that it may.

Damn it. That is the entire prime of my life.

:-(

Peter

[Merlin]

5. Excellent point. We now have no choice but to expect a generation...

of rebuilding will be required to forge a viable, unbeatable liberal juggernaut.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

7. The Dems have been in disarray since 2000.

The party was only starting to pull itself together this year, and as hard as we all worked it didn't come together soon enough. But I don't believe all these thousands and thousands of pissed-off liberals and disenfranchised (again) minorities are just going to give up and go home and forget about what's been started. I don't believe Howard Dean and Wes Clark are going to give up on the organizations they've put together to further progressive causes. Wellstone Action isn't giving up, nor is ACT or MoveOn or any of the other groups. Don't forget that amazing march on NYC this summer.

There will be a backlash, because Bush will keep fucking up but we need to be organized enough to make it work for us. The DNC sucks, and Terry McAuliffe needs to go. Put Dean in charge of it, reorganize the damn party, and work for 2006.

[Zuni]

9. I agree 100%

Good post

[Eye and Monkey]

8. yeah, but in '64 the Dems weren't planning on Armageddon and Rapture

[Zuni]

11. We'll combat their agenda every way possible

[Eye and Monkey]

12. I'd say that by fighting the election counts all the way down the line

- that'd be a good way to start.

[nadinbrzezinski]

13. Hisory also speaks of masive turnouts happening

to change things, not to vote for the status quo

Sorry for saying this, but something stinks in Denmark

[Zuni]

14. I agree----major irregularities in FL and OH

I am not at all convinced that Ohio and Florida were clean, not by any means.

[Eye and Monkey]

15. excellent point

:toast:

[davepc]

16. there wasn't a massive turnout!

only 10 million more people then 2000. and the population of the US has NOT been static since then AND Bush got a big part of the religious right who didn't vote for him in 2000 to come out for him this time around.

the entire GOTV movement was cut off at the knees by an upsurge of religious right coming out of the woodwork for bush in a way that they didn't in 2000.

[Joe Turner]

18. That's the way I see it too

Whatever happens let us not despair and let's keep things in perspective. From defeats come lessons learned, come ultimate victories. The other (dark) side is drunk on power, 100% wrong on most issues and so arrogrant that they will not see their political demise when it comes their way.

I mean Bubble Boy, if he prevails, actually has to "Werk Hard" for a change to fix the many messes of his own making starting with the disaster that is Iraq. Think any of the major european nations are going to work with this nut?

Given his present course, and given that he is in WAY OVER HIS HEAD Bush could very well piss off so many Americans that the democrats will be able to pick up mucho seats in Congress two years from now...then things get real interesting!

[Zuni]

20. Great Post

You think like I do.