I now see two potentially viable "alternative" strategies

[0rganism]

They can be used together or separately.

1) Kerry, Edwards, and his team of lawyers build a solid and convincing case for voter fraud in Florida and Ohio. Begin individual and class action lawsuits on behalf of millions of disenfranchised voters. Rather than issue a concession speach, K/E announce that the election has been stolen and American democracy is dead. They urge non-compliance and declare the bush government illegitimate.

2) From the top down, the Democratic party completely dissolves. Former Democratic voters and elected office holders are encouraged to join the republican party to influence policy. Since we are now effectively a 1-party nation, it makes little sense to remain in the minority -- especially in the senate, where seniority is given precedence. Many of the older Democratic senators would be quite powerful as republicans.

The current situation requires a radical rethinking of methods, if we are to rebuild a working system of government.

[TexasSissy]

1. I think we are now a 1-party country. I am re-registering soon.

Whether I'll go Republican or Independent, I don't know.

But that way, no one will be able to tell how I'll vote in the future by looking at my registration. This is very important to me.

[DoYouEverWonder]

3. Your screen name is appropriate

please go back to whatever hole you crawled out of.

[Expat_Kristen]

2. Wow...

those are interesting and - I agree - both viable.

Let's see how much spine K/E come up with over the next couple days.

[tjdee]

4. The majority of people don't vote--how is that a one party majority??

That's a bit hysterical.

What we NEED to do is somehow interest the nonvoting public to vote, which is going to be a huge problem because everyone is going to look at 2000 and 2004 and be like what's the point.

So we'll have 25% of the country running it all.

[0rganism]

8. The majority don't care enough to vote

and if they did, you probably wouldn't see anything very different from what we already have.

Don't be fooled by the "high turnout means liberal victories" myth. I've seen what happens when turnout spikes. Since going to vote-by-mail in Oregon, we regularly get 70%+ turnout, and the results are not significantly more liberal than before -- in some ways, they are more conservative!

The non-voting masses are as easily persuaded to vote against their own best interests, especially when nominally tied to their preferred religion or bigotry. That is the strength of the republican base.

What I suggest in #2 is complicating the republican party. Make it impossible for the republicans to use partisan distinctions against "Demonrats" or whatever it is they call us these days. Their own party machinery will be operating on our behalf. Furthermore, partisanship is used, via caucusing, to set agendas and establish committee membership in Congress. By dissolving the Democratic caucus and joining the republicans, our more liberal reps could be involved in the actual decision-making process instead of being bitch-slapped by procedural rules.

Look, we tried GOTV. It didn't work any better this year than it has in the past. We can either learn from this and adopt better strategies, or suffer the whims of Dominion Theocracy until we do.

[mike_c]

5. a third possiblility....

Build a real liberal opposition-- from the grass roots, and outside the constraints imposed by the entrenched Democratic Party power structure-- and use it EDUCATE people about where their best interests lie.

Ultimately, however, I think this election should be the demise of the Democratic Party, at least as it now stands and as John Kerry represents it. Your first possibility would lead to an ungovernable nation. Dems need to realize that they no longer have effective political representation and that Amerika has become a stinking cesspool of religious fanatics, blind conservativism, xenophobes, and fearmongering. We CANNOT work within that framework-- we CANNOT credibly "out trick" the repig ponies. We MUST provide alternatives and make them appealing to Amerikans.

Yesterday Amerika voted for perpetual war, for the illegal occupation of Iraq, for the destruction of the Bill of Rights, for hatred and bigotry, against affordable health care, and for corporate profits instead of the good of the people. They voted to destroy their own economy and their environment. This is the Amerika that the left has to work with somehow.

[KittyWampus]

11. No, America Most Certainly Did NOT Vote For That. FRAUD OCCURED

but apparently it's more important for you to blather on and make yourself feel superior.

There already IS a liberal grassroots and it just won the election.

[0rganism]

13. Do you really WANT a governable nation under these crooks?

> Your first possibility would lead to an ungovernable nation.

Exactly. It minimizes the actual damage.

What I fear most is that we will simply throw in the towel, play along, in the interests of "good sportsmanship" or some other such bullshit. As long as we do that, we'll get robbed again and again and again...

> We MUST provide alternatives and make them appealing to Amerikans.

I am increasingly of the opinion that any such alternatives will have to spring from the republican party if they are going to be treated credibly by the mainstream media. Hence, my second suggestion.

[shimmergal]

15. Here are possibilities #4 and #5.

#4 Encourage the resurrection of a radical center party along the lines of Perot's and Ventura's Reform Party movement. This would separate the true fiscal conservatives and the social-issue moderates from the fundie wingnuts. Democrats need to stay together; as the problems rain down on a second *Bush "presidency" let the Repubs be the ones torn apart by the inevitable internecine conflict.

#5 This is more of a long shot, but look seriously into secession by the blue states and adjacent areas (as a Las Vegas resident I sure hope we'd get included in this group). No, we don't want an new, actual civil war but there must be some levers that could be pulled to accomplish this (mostly) peacefully. We could learn from Czechoslovakia! Then let the remaining states simmer in their own poverty--the "new" nation would have the lion's share of the economic resources and the brainpower.

[in_cog_ni_to]

6. I like #1.

Do or die.Either fight it with everything he has, or screw it. This country is fucked.

[0rganism]

14. Well, Kerry does have a reputation as a brave tactician.

If anyone can turn the boat prow-first against the attackers in this situation, it's him.

But the prosecutorial case for fraud must be clear, and it must be damning. It must name names and describe details, and do so in a simple and effective manner. Furthermore, it must be assembled very quickly.

Otherwise? Forget it. People are upset right now, and pretty soon that discontent will turn into a seething rage, but it will dissipate without a solid body of evidence. Sens. Kerry and Edwards will have to convince a jury of 50 million voters that their superficial allegiance to bush should be withheld.

[okieinpain]

7. well like it or not this country is going backwards. I believe bush

got more black votes because of the gay amendments. next time I'm voting for nader, fuck it. if my vote is not going to count, then I'm at least going to speak my mind.

[0rganism]

10. bush got no more black votes than he did in 2000: 10% then and now

Whether or not the black voters approved the ballot measures was an entirely separate issue. However, a larger portion of the WASP vote may well have turned out to gay-bash, and voted for bush in the process.

[Typecast Modulator]

9. If the Democrats give this one up and lose, forget them

EVERYONE should jump that ship as soon as possible if the Democrats tuck their tail between their legs and concede defeat. Expect every single one of our elected Democratic leaders to stand together strong - and if they don't...fuck 'em. Dissolve the Party. Was there ever more than one anyway?

[SammyWinstonJack]

12. They should have stood strong in 2000.