Election Day Nov 4th 2008....President Barack Obama

So, today’s the day, and as expected there are numerous reports of shenanigans going on, aimed at stopping the American people from having their say.

From notices sent to students and Hispanic voters informing them that the election has been delayed by a day, to African Americans in Virginia being intimidated by uniformed police who have been menacingly circling their polling stations…nice. To all kinds of problems with the machines, not enough of them, not arriving on time, and/or not working, and/or working but switching a vote for BO to McCain. To robo-calls informing voters to go to the wrong polling station, to polling stations being handed the wrong county’s voter information. Dripping wet ballots no fitting into the machines, to the GOP trying to get a ten day extension for voters that will preference McCain, whilst GOP governors and election officials refuse to allow the polls to stay open for an extra couple of hours in order to deal with the massive demand.

The disenfranchisement of American citizens’ votes is widespread and systematic.

Of course the mainstream media have been all over it, salivating at the latest inferred intimidation, but not one network daring to ask the obvious question; why are these problems effecting a disproportionate number of African Americans, Hispanics and young people? I mean it doesn’t take a political science professor to work out that these are demographics favorable to Barack Obama.

Why is it that Republican pundits can sit on television and jovially tell us that they’d prefer a low turnout? Surely, if a democracy is to truly reflect the wishes of the people, then the people need to have their voices heard, not muffled or silenced. But, the sad truth is that Republicans know they wouldn’t have a hope in hell of getting elected if the American electorate actually voted.

Which is why, during all the wall to wall election coverage on TV today, you’ll not hear that question asked. Republicans have deceived the American people into believing this is a democratic system, when in reality it’s a hotchpotch of undemocratic processes aimed at disenfranchising great tracts of the electorate, and keeping a select few in government. Now, that’s what I call un-American!

If there’s one thing that comes out of this election, other than electing the first intelligent president for a generation, is that we desperately need to create a political system that promotes democracy not runs and hides from it.

I remember watching that idiot ‘W’ after his re-election in 04 he was surrounded by a group of very smug looking Republican officials, as he gave a very different speech to the one 4 years earlier. This time they knew they‘d just scraped through, and Bush wanted to make it clear that he didn‘t give a flying f**k about the opinions of the 49% who’d had the audacity to attempt to dethrone him. He told us that he couldn’t have been given a stronger mandate from the American people, and that now he could really get down to work. You know, dividing the country along ethnic, regional, political and religious lines, getting more Americans killed and maimed, getting more of our allies killed and maimed, losing old peoples’ pensions and destroying their hard-earned retirements, and shitting on the hopes and dreams of America’s youth.

It was horrible to watch, but, it’s over now, and tonight the Democrats led by their true and just President Barack Obama, will be given the greatest mandate for change received by a government in a generation. But, with great mandates come great expectations, and the Obama administration have an opportunity to deliver something fundamental to our future progress - a functioning democracy.

With that mandate they must change the political/electoral system. It has to become inclusive, and involve all Americans. Much to the chagrin of America’s elite, I believe they should even consider compulsory voting. America should be the world’s #1 democracy, but the current non-system is beyond a joke.

Being president of the United States is still the single most powerful position on the planet, so it’s no surprise that US presidential elections galvanize such interest around the world. Decisions made here effect everyone, believe me it’s not only Americans who feel cheated when your elections are stolen.

For Americans not to operate a democracy that involves all Americans is bordering on the criminal. 95% of the world’s population are not Americans, which means that somewhere in the region of 1% of the world’s population actually voted for the person who‘s decisions effect the other 99%. Registered voters in the US are in a uniquely privileged position, and you have a responsibility to all the world’s people to use that privilege.

It is in BO’s power to kick open the doors of democracy, and in doing so allow the American people to speak, and finally put an end to the self-serving, morally and ethically corrupt Republican party.

Apart from the 'Vote' button, the images were all found on republican/christian blogs, I skipped the 'a vote for Obama is a vote for terrorism' sign. But, reading the blogs it dawned on me just how nice these christians are, they're all so tolerant, just like Jesus, and not at all ignorant, you betchya!

Cock The Vote...

According to most sources the latest polls show the race tightening a little. Sure, I know that BO moving from a 12 pt lead to a 9 pt lead in PA isn‘t gonna make a toss of difference, but still, have I missed something? I mean wtf has McGrumpy done over the past week to make anyone more likely to vote for him? He’s been the same stumbling, bumbling old double-talker, and his nudge, nudge, wink, wink running mate has only been slipping in the polls I've been reading, so what‘s with the tightening? Or, is the republican influenced mainstream media blatantly attempting to lower people’s expectations of a BO victory, so it won’t seem like such a shock when the Republicans steal it, again.

Just in case you thought that the world's greatest democracy actually operated as a democracy, it’s worth checking out Muckraker’s list on TPM, which highlights the magnitude of the GOP’s efforts to suppress votes across the country. As you'll see, so far generally they've been failing, but not from lack of trying, they figure if you throw enough shit at a blanket eventually some may stick.

On the one hand you have a massive effort being made by the Obama campaign to get people inspired and involved in their democracy, and on the other you have an equally Herculean effort being expended by McGrumps and the GOP in shadowy court rooms across the country aimed at suppressing those same people. Disenfranchising voters has been the single biggest focus of republican campaigns for the last decade, and in the past it’s worked, so they‘re not gonna be stopping anytime soon. Still, as you can see in Muckraker's TPM piece, this time Democrats have been prepared for the inevitable Republican assault on our democracy, and have been fighting fire with fire. Which, is bad news for the GOP as the last thing republicans want is a functioning democracy, it would mean they‘d have to start adopting policies that actually appeal to people.

All being well, the Democrats should win control of all three branches of government this election, and in the process they'll have fired up millions of new voters, who’ll probably want to vote again in the future. Now, that's just rubbing salt into the GOP’s open wounds.