Ted, ya wanna know what I think's gonna happen if Bush wins?
Sure you do--LOL!
The Green Party:
The Green Party will get stronger as a result of bad Bush's policies coupled with the now known dirty secret about the 31 percent unreliability of our voting machine system (punch-cards used in 31 percent of the nation and primarily in poorer communities). Yes, folks will be pissed off when they discover in large numbers their votes didn't count!
No doubt about it. The left will have a tremendous opportunity to grow stronger as a consequence of a forced Bush presidency.
I predict Greens will begin showing well in state and local races, maybe even knocking off some GOPwingers in the process. Not from a funding point of view, but certainly from a public relations point of view, Nader greatly succeeded in giving The Green Party this prominence.
Don't forget the performance of the greens in this election won't be lost on young folk either. They'll be geared up, more ready next election. Watch out! This ole' folksinger hopes to get a gig at one of their rallies--LOL!
More seriously, what if Gore who might not get another DEM chance in '04 (poor guy coulda got screwed all around) or Jesse Jackson (sensing blacks moving to the GOP due to Powell and maybe some early-on Bush lip service) ... what if the two of them, other heavies maybe, decide there might be some future for the Green Party, given it'll fight harder on more determined principles?
Go back and watch the tapes, if you don't believe me--Nader made a lot of sense! Too bad America wasn't free enough to let him debate nationally. He wasn't as lucky as Jesse Ventura who 'they' let debate in his state when he only polled nine percent. But he became governor! What if nodded with the Greens?
Libertarian Party:
As always, this party's always in a tough position. I always thought Libertarians would do better if they'd align with Democrats than Republicans, but they never do. Anyway, 'cause of the misbehavior of Republicans stealing this election, some GOP members will drift Libertarian. The Libertarian Party will grow a little bit.
Alternatively, perhaps Libertarians should find a way to align with The Green Party. That'd prove interesting. Wouldn't it?
Reform Party:
Pretty much a boat dead in the water, a plane with no wings a train with no tracks and a truck on no road. Sure, they'll be some frill participants and some GOP drift-offs, but not enough of 'em. But don't fret. Perot will always manage to land a government contract--LOL!
Democratic Party:
Once it becomes commonly known Bush 'took' rather than won the Year 2000 Presidential Election, the MuleTrain'll get boatloads of seriously sobered and disenfranchised Republicans wanting to be Democrats. And much of the mainstay of the party will stay intact.
Call it sympathy, call it logic, whatever you will. Once it's proven Gore got more votes than Bush in Florida, this sympathy and GOP countertransference WILL happen. The Democratic Party will get stronger. The Gephardts, Kerreys, Kerrys and Kennedys, with Hillary, et. al. will stay. Yup. They'll do pretty good too!
Republican Party:
Well, given it'll become known not just now by some, but throughout ALL of American history once the Freedom of Information Act gives the nod, the 'Grand Old Party' will be known as the party that stole the Floridian election in order to crookedly fix the electoral college election, after losing the national popular vote.
The thin-scaled lifeblood of the Republican Party will be ruled with lizardscale hardlinism, the goblin-orc GOPwinger side, the party's more activist side. Bush will be hard-pressed.
I think, down the near road, the Republican Party could come close to diminishing itself out of existence, or become prey to takeover from the Patty Robinson, Davey Duke and Johnny Bircher-like fringes.
If Colin Powell accepts and stays a bit within a Bush Administration some blacks will drift into party, but they won't stick around long 'cause pressures will become too great for them to go somewhere elsewhere politically, particularly if those hard right elements make gains in the Republican Party.
Think. Who will Bush appeal to in the next election?
So where will the capitalists go, Ted? A bunch of 'em will stay stubborn and cozy to Bush's dad and Dicky Cheney. I can only hope though that some of 'em, enough of 'em, would help to formulate a more progessive society. Perhaps the glorious capitalists will sprinkle into several parties. Many of them won't wanna stay around in the party Bush stained. But, look at it this way: Were the great American capitalists to drift into other parties it'd probably be good for American politics, good for the world even. And I ain't talkin' just money--LOL!
So, in summary, the Bush win in Florida could cause Democrats and to become Greens; Republicans to become Democrats and Libertarians and Reformers betwixt. A Bush win today will reshape the national political map. The Republican Party will become a different kind of Repubulican Party, one more different than it's ever been. Its fringe will fill it for support.
I think, on balance, the Year 2000 presidential winner should be the one who gets the most votes. Right now, my gut instinct and my intelligence tells me Gore won. But you konw what? I'd almost prefer to see some of the scenarios I described above play out.
Maybe I'll start rooting for Bush in Florida! I mean we are playing all of this out so we can get Ambassador-elect Harris on the national and international stage, are we not? Maybe we all should help her by rooting for Bush in this one! (LOL) |
