The coverage will be anchored by Deepa Fernandes (FSRN),
Davey D (KPFA), and Larry Bensky (KPFA) in Berkeley, CA,
with live listener call ins and email feedback.
Includes call ins from reporters in Ohio (Evan Davis),
New York (Rosa Clemente), and more.
Some of the email sent to us live while broadcasting (some
of these emails where read on the air, some where not)
I feel we are pissing in the wind if progressives do
not gain a media presence that can compete with the Fox's
of the world. I agree with the George Lakoff view trhat
we need to take back language stress out moral view, but
this is going nowhere if it is allowed to be ping-ponged
through Fox news and the like.
Keith
My daughter is in Cleveland with a documentary film crew.
She has been there for over a week following several people,
getting familliar with the community. This morning she
was crying as she wondered why Kerry had conceded so early."You
have no idea what these people went through in order to
vote. They stood in lines in the rain for hours to be
able to complete the provisional ballots and now they
aren't even going to be counted? It is a bigger kick in
the teeth than Bush winning. I don't even live here and
I'm crying. These people are broken."
What was the rush?
Large mobilization of the left for this election failed
to bring about a change. The amount of videos and books
that have been published have been phenomenal, but all
to no avail. We had all different media forms from Comedy
Central to Howard Stern to the internet and it didn't
change anything from 4 years ago. If nothing else, this
election was much worse than 2000. At some point we have
to stop thinking that for some reason it's the fault of
the left for not getting more votes and we have to realize
that what we're dealing with here is an ignorant dark
side of human nature that is widespread in this country.
People want to be ignorant and they don't want to know
the truth. Many alternatives are available to them and
they refuse to pay attention to them. It's time to look
at the disfunctionality of the humans in that we are a
violent, tribal species that is bent on war and destruction
as a hard wired component of who we are. Many people want
war.
Many people want fascism. Many people want religion
in government. Many people want a father figure to save
them. They have not grown up. We are a backward nation
that is a primitive form of what is possible for us as
a species. It's time to start evaluating human nature
and who we are as a component to the political figures
we elect.
Mike
Progressives have to become much better at naming, and
at refusing to accept the pseudo-names given by the right
wing.
Crimes (cooking the books of a public company, impeding
citizens' rights to vot, etc.) are NOT "dirty tricks"
- they are crimes.
We also have to use the language of moral values - the
torture at Abu Ghraib was not consistent with American
'values or morality."
Letting some mothers' children go without health care
is not moral.
We need to discuss taxes in terms of "fair shares"
instead of "burdens." We need to discuss health
care in terms of "care for all of us," not "government-run"
health care.
Lets reclaim the language as a starting point.
Cheers,
Peggy
We are obviously all very disappointed and to some extent
demoralized because of the election results. What amazes
me is how the evening seemed to magically change in Bush's
favor as if someone pushed some magical button somewhere,
ohhh, let's say in Florida and Ohio. Exit polling in the
begining of the night was showing Kerry ahead by several
percentage points in FL and OH. Exist polling tends to
be very accurate and it's interesting how different the
exit polling results were compared to the actual vote
results in these two states. Something smells rotten.
We may never find out, but there is a way to fight back
and it's very simple. Demonstrations, emailing and phoning
politicians will not do it. What will do it is a chnage
in the media. If the media had covered the war fairly,
Bush would not be President. The media companies respect
one thing and only one thing: Their bottom line! The ONLY
way to bring these companies to their knees is if millions
of progressives inf! ormed all the major companies that
advertise on CNN, Fox, MSNBC, CBS, ABC, and NBC that they
would no longer buy their products if these comanies contiued
to advertise on these channels. And the only way that
we would buy their products is if they insist on truely
fair and balanced reporting! Then we will see change.
The $ is the only thing that these bastards respect and
that's the only way that we can bring about quick change
by truely carrying a shock and awe campaign of our own.
Khaliq
As an African American woman, the way I see is its either
one of three facts:
- We in the US live in a country where the majority
of Americans are elitist, racist and/or bigots
- The Republicans stole the election with those voting
machines plus various other malicious tactics
- A combination of the two
We know that the republicans would have continued to
do ANYTHING to keep the power. Have they earned the benefit
of the doubt? I think not.
I would wager everything that they stole the election.
They are capable of anything.
Shame on John Kerry. Shame on the democratic party.
Not fear, or religion or hatred for gays could have resulted
in 3 million additional votes.
jameela
greetings to the pacifica team--
the republican strategy of a 'cultural war' in america
has taken many forms.
having been in the family of a southern fundamentalist
preacher, many of bush's phrases in his acceptance speech
were very recognizable. he said something about living
in accord with our ideals--this is a clear signal that
the assault on women's reproductive rights and civil rights
for same sex couples will be under attack.
his appeal to kerry voters had the sound of a repentance
and appeal for a 'clean slate.'
and he reminded his christian base that 'a great day
is coming.' as a recovering southern fundamentalist, i
know that this phrase is a euphemism for armageddon.
we do not have time to regroup. this group will not
slow down in their march to a theocratic amerikan empire.
thanks for your great work
stephen
As a Christian and a Democrat, I have to disagree that
President Bush really holds the high ground on moral values.
Gay marriage, abortion, stem cell research and the like
should not define the spectrum of moral issues. The last
time I checked honesty was an issue of integrity and morals.
Christians who claim to support life by fighting abortion
and stem cell research ought to be bound to cringe at
the thought of not only 1000+ American soldiers dying
but around 100,000 Iraqi citizens dying as well. What
message does this send about our "Christian values?"
Where is the moral high ground in perpetrating such violence
in the name of peace?
In supporting John Kerry, I held out hope that integrity
might return to the process; that I might be able to consider
the United States a leader in morals again. We'll have
to wait and see how things turn out now.
Peace,
Jim
