So, if * wins, what do we do?

[Ladyhawk]

If he wins fairly?

If he wins unfairly?

Seriously, what do we do?

[smiley_glad_hands]

1. Not crossing that bridge until I have to. eom

[Ladyhawk]

3. OK...I guess that's fair enough.

I guess part of me thinks that if * wins, DU will be immediately shut down and we'll all be carted off to Guantanamo. That's silly, of course, but emotions often are silly.

You know, I think I need to stay away from this place for awhile again. The ups and downs are killing me.


LH

[Javaman]

58. DLF!!! Democratic Liberation Front will swing into action....

[Zorra]

67. Got it.

[belle]

62. I hear you.

[swag]

2. George Soros is planning on hiring Superman to fly counter-rotationally

around the world at the speed of light so as to reverse time, make the election turn out nice, save Margot Kidder, etc.

It's all figured out. Seriously.

[jeff30997]

5. I'm so relieved !

:)

[Erika]

4. Fight Against His Radical Agenda!

Everyday, every thought, every action. Bush got (s)elected by running as a moderate backing the common American family. He then took a Taliban right to the extremists and left the concerns of the common American behind.

[sambird90]

6. four years

of peaceful protests ala GHANDI?

[7th_Sephiroth]

12. four days

of rather "unpeacefull" protest

[sambird90]

41. Hmmm!!!!

Interesting very interesting. Let us keep the path to peace open. To me to think of the other alternative would be sinking to there level.:hippie:

[7th_Sephiroth]

44. thier level has no depth

low enough to sink,trust me, if boosh gets re-selected it wont be a long presidency

[sambird90]

46. A man of peace

for all my life. If they try to steal the election again is something that I can't even think of. For them to truly win would be perverse, but something I could accept. To think otherwise would make the next six weeks or so unbearable.

[7th_Sephiroth]

47. i'm only a man of peace for as far as i am not too threatened

remember, even the buddah only forgives 3 times

[sambird90]

48. I will agree

that steps should be taken if the election is stolen again. :nuke: What truly gets to me is gwb's N.Korean disaster. When will the country wake up? He is so caught up in Iraq that the rest of the countries problems are ignored.

[7th_Sephiroth]

49. its more than disturbing

and it proves incompitence

[sambird90]

51. repukes

will be burning in hell still believing this man does no wrong.:smoke: }(

[7th_Sephiroth]

52. even republicans

are distanceing themselves from him, its only the jerry fallwell hypnotised and big oil that sticks by him

[sambird90]

53. I've noticed

a small amount of rats abandoning the ship as of late. George Will writes about 3 or 4 negative gwb columns for every positive one. The fattest rat of all rush will go down with the ship.:toast:

[7th_Sephiroth]

54. rush wont even be on the ship

hopefully he will be in prison for being the drug fiend he is

[sambird90]

57. as a person

that believes that no matter what time I get off a work its always 420.I don't believe in prison for addiction,but in that he's a neo-nazi I could make an exception.:hippie:

[Proud liberal Kat]

7. hmmm

If he wins fairly?

suck it up, know that I have not done as much as I could before the election was close. Inform anyone who cares to listen. Teach my daughter that dissent is patriotism, Capitalism doesn't not equate to America, that you can love your country and be a radical. And fight tooth and nail to make the country as close to somewhat globally responsible as I can.

If he wins unfairly?

Scream it from the rooftops! Be unyielding in my putting forth of any evidence there is to any woman, man, child, or beast I meet in any portion of my life. Be all consumed with overturning the farce until I find I am screaming into the wind with no one in residence in 1000 miles.

Seriously, what do we do?


Cry. Love each other. Work harder. And Pray. and raise culturally aware souls from babies on up. Refuse to have the next generation have any stigma to the word liberal, or peace, or hope.

[belle]

63. Sounds about right. Except I have a *really* hard time believing that

he can win "fairly" in any real sense. I guess I'd say: if he wins in a manner that is not easily proven to have been cheating.

we'll see i guess.

[The Traveler]

8. Interesting discussion

If he wins unfairly, as I see it, the possible choices are these:

1) Submit. Unacceptable to myself, but many will.

2) Protest against the emerging fascism. Keep digging. Keep speaking truth. Keep educating others. Martin shows the way we can build the Democratic Party. Draw in all those people who don't vote because they think it is all bullshit anyway. Probably my first choice, and also what we should do if we wins fairly.

3) Passive/agressive resistance. The "average guy's form of rebellion". Productivity drops. Work is disrupted. The rich bleed slowly. Not my style.

4) Flight. Canada is a real nice place, one of the last bastions of freedom in a world gone mad. Probably my second choice.

5) Guerilla action. Play that card and there is no turning back. Last resort. Keep it close to your chest.

Regardless, if Bush wins we are in for dark times. Keep the faith. Love your friends, your lover(s), the neighborhood stray cats and dogs. Love your god if you have one, or love all those big unanswered questions if ya don't, or both if you are especially perceptive. Keep the faith. Live. Love. Fight the darkness in any way you can, according to your nature.

Ambrose Redmoon once wrote something like this: "Courage is just the realization that something else is more important than your fear."

Stay brave. Stay strong. And may the brightest blessings find you all in the dark.

[Eloriel]

60. That's a good quote

"Courage is just the realization that something else is more important than your fear."


Thanks.

[tedoll78]

9. If he wins..

and if there's no real concrete evidence of him winning unfairly, I make a few phone calls.

My first set of phone calls will go to Democrats in the Senate. My message? "If you let another Scalia-type onto the court, I sit at home on Election Day for the rest of my life. I hope that this is crystal clear."

My second phone call would go to the ACLU. I'd give what I could afford as a donation, as they'd definitely need it in the following years.

[alittlelark]

10. I posed that ? to members of my LARGE Roman

Catholic family. I found, to my delight, that NONE would accept a stolen election!

SOOOO ....I guess it's up to our "Fair and balanced media" to tell them if it was stolen or not,


I will be spending $$$ on long-distance charges in the next 50 days or so.

[swag]

11. Really, though, after a short grieving period, fight harder

keep up the media efforts, get your friends informed, focus on the 2006 Congressional elections, get more involved at the local and state levels, actively oppose Bush's judicial nominees, actively oppose Bush's wars.

But for now, we've got to stay focused on winning big in November, which is within reach.

[Comadreja]

13. Never submit

I think there has to be another huge terror event to really let Ashcroft declare Bill of Rights null and declare full Martial law. Otherwise, the NeoCons will just go right on with the next invasion. Protests are not so effective except for those in the immediate area due to Corporate media blackouts. I download anti-Bush flyers and tape them to car windows in large parking lots and at campus. I think this is more effective than trying to hand them out, and you remain anonymous. 5 or ten at a time, spread out, folded in to look like a private note. No blanketing. I have also started doing this at the high school with counter-recruitment flyers.

In a semi-serious vein, invent a virus that will render oil useless.

[althecat]

14. Form a state militia... and secede from the union

[Andy_Stephenson]

15. The Civil War took care of that option

No longer is an option.

[Inulro]

16. Hey -first post.

If Bush somehow wins it will not be fairly. Even if he truly wins the votes it will only be because the media has brainwashed most of the public. Which is horribly unfair to say the least.

If B*** does win. Beware. He will be ruthless this time. If the people rise up then we will see the police state nightmare unfold. They are ready for it.


Yet, I think we are OK. Just judging by the last race we know this one is going to be close too. A lot of people who don't normally vote will be voting this year for the sole purpose of defeating Bush. Let's see... we have the truth on our side,web sites,radio,TV shows, movies, tons of books, a huge movement of people - all informing the public what kind of monsters we have in office. This should make all the difference in what would already be a close race. Kerry is going to win.

[Satchel]

17. I'll agree with that

I don't see how he can win fairly, and if he does win, I'll assume the election was rigged, I don't really trust our electoral system as it is. But I'm optimistic, let's face it, many people hate Bush.

[UNION.JACK]

20. No done deal this time around?

At least little brother Jeb wont be able to fix him up with a done deal. This guy will be so closely watched this time round he could end up permanently encapsulated in a microscope slide? ;)

U.J.

[Ladyhawk]

27. Welcome to DU, my friend.

And I seriously hope you are right!

[Eloriel]

61. Welcome, Inulro!

Glad you joined us.

[fujiyama]

18. It will be difficult at first

DU will be here to help us out.

What I will do is quit following all politics for a few months. I will focus on finishing my degree and seriously consider finding a job in a different country. Though I do admit that might be difficult.

That's if he wins fairly. I will not feel very comfortable being in a country where a majority (or even a plurality) believe what is happening right now is alright.

Eiter way, regardless of whether it's "fair" or almost blatantly stolen, it will be a time to fight by all non violent means available. As another poster said, the pressure would have to be put on democrats in the House and Senate that it would be unacceptable to go along with Bush's agenda in any way - especially on more wars, worsening civil liberties situation, and supreme court justices.

[Cronus Protagonist]

19. Suck up, buck up, and move to impeach right away

America is not a country of quitters.

You might be a Republican if...
http://cronus.com/quiz

Commentary by a Republican...
http://cronus.com/republican

The REAL Republican Platform...
http://cronus.com/platform

Bush's Illustrated Resume
http://cronus.com/bushresume

Isn't That Strange?
http://cronus.com/oil

:)


In Memorium
http://brainscream.com/MP3/wtc-Roger_Waters_and_Waking_Born-World_Trade_Center_Tribute.mpg

[Seeker30]

21. The country will cease to exist as we know it

There will be another terror attack whether its Bush or Kerry, and it very well could be on a much larger scale than 9/11. The problem is if Bush is at the helm you can be sure we will no longer have a constitution and it will resemble Nazi Germany. This is not far fetched and I truly believe that this is whats going to happen.

[Pachamama]

22. Not far fetched...at all....

This is why Kerry has to win....Otherwise, I am sorry to say that what you say is 100% right on....that is why I am doing everything I can over the next 8 weeks to help make sure that Kerry wins...I need to look my children in the eyes and tell them I did everything I could to save our country and their future....

I'm focused on that, but also on the sidelines preparing for worse case scenario....Canada or Europe are options....its not that I would be giving up on my country, but I would be doing what the smart "resistance" did when fighting the Nazi's....they did it from abroad....until it was safe to return....I actually believe that it could be unsafe for many of us in a 2nd term of Bu$h....They have already been chiseling away at the Constitution....being declared an Enemy Combatant is an option they can use tommorrow if they choose to. My family escaped Nazi Germany....I remember the stories from my Grandmother.....I will heed her warnings.....

[Ladyhawk]

28. Welcome to DU, Seeker30.

What you describe has been heavily on my mind. I woke up very scared this morning because I don't have resources or places to turn for help. My family is quite OK with the Bush* agenda...and it makes me want to puke.

[G_j]

24. IMPEACH

[sportcat]

31. On what grounds?

really...

[Cronus Protagonist]

35. Treason, conspiracy, money laundering, etc.

I don't think I need to go into the details. Bush and his cabale have ignored several Federal laws, and comitted a few war crimes to boot.

[ima_sinnic]

66. hello? you really don't know??

hmmm...

[Pushed To The Left]

23. What I would do

If Bush wins, I will give $100 (a lot for me) to the ACLU and become a monthly donor to People For the American Way. I think we should all support civil liberties groups with the same passion we support our candidates should this happen. These groups have a habit of smacking around the right wing in court. Why do you think the right-wing hates them so much? Maybe they could smash some right-wing laws and win some progressive cases before Bush has a chance to stack the courts.

I think it would then be a good idea for us to contact the moderate-to-liberal Supreme Court members and urge them to hang in there for a few more years. We could tell them their country needs them! A truely progressive SC member probably wouldn't like the idea of Bush choosing his or her replacement.

Finally, if the moderate-to-liberal court members can hang on for even two years, it would be time for another election. We can work hard to get a strong Democratic majority in Congress. Then, no right-wing appointee will stand a chance!

[belle]

64. I'm doing this in either case.

[Kahuna]

25. I'm going to sit back and enjoy how he screws over everybody who

thinks he's not that bad, and didn't vote.

[Hippo_Tron]

39. I can't wait to see what my Republican friends think when...

They get their draft notice.

[CrispyQ]

56. I hate to say it, but I have a bit of that --

watch them get what they deserve too! I think there will be millions of stunned people who will be whining, "We didn't think he'd do THAT!"

[Mr_Spock]

26. Assuming fair election - we regroup like the Republicans had to

when they were out of power for so long (congress). We still aren't doing a great job overall anyway. The party in power tends to get complacent and run out of ideas, we need to keep coalescing into a stronger and more focused group if we lose. I'd love to do it now, but Kerry seems unreachable - kind of esoteric. We have to use any and every defeat as an opportunity. In presidential politics it usually is the person who loses, but in Congress it is becomming the message - we may need more meat on the bones.

Also, don't forget that we can also use the power of the people in the interim. I for one am itching to be involved in massive protests against this war criminal - if he is around after November I will not hesitate.

[Waverley_Hills_Hiker]

40. Good post about long-term thinkings.

Recall, aslo, that during the Democratic era in Congress the GOP did manage to elect some presidents, so..not impossible for the Dems to do that too.

[Yuna]

29. This is why

more resources should be given to congressional campaigns.

If he is in for another 4 we will have no choice but to impeach. If that does not happen he will literally destroy the nation.

[Seeker30]

30. Bush will never be impeached

If he can lie in order to invade another country and not get impeached I doubt there's anything he can do that will cause impeachment. And the scary thing is he knows it.

[Yuna]

32. Not true

While the republicans in congress are on his side even they have a breaking point.

If bush gets another term he will screw the nation over so royally voting NOT to impeach him would cost a congressperson his/her seat. The more democratic seats we get the more likely it is enough republicans will be forced to come over for no other reason than to save their jobs.

[salin]

33. It's Mourning again in America....

the pretender replays reagan's theme for his second term.. but this time it is grieving (for America as we have known it) rather than a purported "sunrise" (the reaganesque imagery). Hell these folks don't even try to project a sunshiney image of america... they just project fear! fear! fear! Repressive religious beliefs to be legislated on all!!! Ashcroft instituting more patriot act policies and folks just start "disappearing" in the night... funny thing is how some fundies take the disappearing thing to be the rapture and start questioning their own behaviors and beliefs since they are still around and their liberal friends are the ones who have been disappeared...

{dramatic license taken...}

[jeepster]

34. Be Very Afraid

With all the right-wing radicalism, the sewer of the controlled media, the "Patriot" Act, jingoism, machine guns on every corner, ect. I have no doubt that anyone who believes in progressive ideals will have to think seriously about leaving the country. This neo-facism is reaching the point where lives will be endangered. These gun-nuts have me very scared, the right-wing is preparing for a vigilante militia of the sort that was prevalent in El Salvador, Colombia, Croatia. Another 9/11 type incident and with all these assault weapons which are about flood the streets, and all manner of demogogery could break loose. You know Ashcroft wouldn't care if death-squads started to operate here. And this thing with Diebold, they will be able to have database where voting records, financial records, travel patterns, motor vehicle registrations are all available. The Gestapo could only dream of such powers.

[agincourt]

36. Keep yourself healthy,

Keep yourself informed, Watch your back especially if you work with freeper-pigs. Get off the grid if possible. Learn survival tactics. Form a militia so that you're prepared to fight back when the new brown-shirts come. Get over the childish fear of guns and weapons. Watch your debt, cause they'll probably try to bring back debtors prisons. Keep quiet around conservatives. Read good books, forget mainstream news. Stay angry but have faith in yourself that you can outlast the neo-con generation of swine. Read stuff by Hunter S. Thompson.

[Piperay]

37. Watch him crash and burn

when all the shit from the last 4 yrs. comes to light and hits the fan. :evilfrown:

[Waverley_Hills_Hiker]

38. I plan on totally tuning out politics.

Internal emigation...wont follow the news or politics, might not even bother voting anymore.

Im not one of those saying we wont have elections again or similar stuff....just that the country would have moved so far to the right, and the courts will have become so conservative, there would be no recourse to political action to make a change.

So, just tune it out and get on with other things.

[porphyrian]

42. Bush will not win the 2004 election. - n/t

[Cleita]

43. Metaphorically, we have to "lock and load".

It means we are compromised for sure and need to get ourselves into a "take our country back" mode of thinking. It also means we won't be able to operate out in the open like we have. DU will have to go underground for sure.

However, I am confident that Bush won't win. The problem is keeping everyone focused on bringing us back to normal. None of this, oh well I'll go back to what I was doing because they aren't in office anymore. Remember what they did to Carter.

[number6]

45. move to another Planet

nt...

[bvar22]

50. Find an Opposition Party

and pledge my time, blood, and money!

[Rex]

55. How will we know if he wins fairly or unfairly?

nt

[goodhue]

59. personally, I'm probably out of here

would be better places to live

[belle]

65. All of the above!

Thanks for asking this in a productive, non-doomful way, though: I appreciate the responses here.