Time for some real discourse on Bushland part 2

[iamthewalrus109]

As the Jr. Bushie heads to the hills of Maryland for a nice long weekend, what per sae do the cellar dwellars think is going to go down these next four years. This includes commentary on deficeit spending, further escalation of current conflicts, new armed conflicts, new apointees, and the future of Social Security. And please some serious conjecture please.

-Walrus

[Happy Monkey]

This is what I expect:

Having restored decency to the White House, President Bush now has a mandate to affect policy that will promote a more decent society, through both politics and law. His supporters want that, and have given him a mandate in their popular and electoral votes to see to it. Now is the time to begin our long, national cultural renewal ("The Great Relearning," as novelist Tom Wolfe calls it) — no less in legislation than in federal court appointments. It is, after all, the main reason George W. Bush was reelected.

[vsp]

Culture war. The Constitution Restoration Act (passing this time) signifying the turning point for creeping theocracy. The end of Roe vs. Wade, potshots taken at Lawrence vs. Texas and Griswold vs. Connecticut (possibly taking both down). Rehnquist and either Stevens, Ginsberg or both replaced by conservobots, Specter's bluster notwithstanding. Lots of fun conservobot judicial appointments in lesser courts. A variety of restrictive religion-themed morals laws, primarily in Southern states. An increased role for the FCC, clamping down on "indecency" on television and radio.

Massive, massive, massive increases in the deficit.

Increased tension between the US and the rest of the world, allies and enemies alike.

Christian doctrine creeping into public schools. "Intelligent design" and straight creationism inserted by many school boards across the heartland into curriculums. Relaxations of the wall between church and school mirroring what'll go on between church and state.

War in Iran.

New terrorist attacks in the US, on a smaller scale than 9/11 but still effective in keeping America fearful.

Blue flight; Democrats living in the south and midwest will start moving to more receptive states, once the repercussions of all of the above start sinking in.

Long knives being drawn and pointed at moderate Republicans who do not toe the party line.

Democrats, liberals, Hollywood, the media, homosexuals and atheists, of course, will be blamed for whatever goes wrong.

Book it. It will be a slow, incremental process, so as not to jar Joe America into waking up until the judicial framework has already been laid, but they have all the time in the world, as it would take an unbelievable turnaround for the Democrats to retake the House or Senate in 2006 no matter what happens.

All of the above are why I've basically been curled up into a ball for the last two days. I don't expect to uncurl any time soon.

[OnyxCougar]

Remember that time travel guy that there was a link to from the Cellar somewhere? He said that after the 2004 election in HIS timeline, there was a civil war within 2 years. I found it fascinating reading. Where is that link?

[Yelof]

John Titor
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Titor

Not that I believe his claims for a second

[Beestie]

Originally Posted by Happy Monkey

This is what I expect:

I think that article is very accurate.

Personally, I hope that Bush fires Ashcroft, Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz. The three of them have, to say the least, misused their power and authority. I think their "retirement" would go a long way towards putting some ugly things from the first term behind us. Depending, of course, on their replacements.

And I would hope that W reaches out to some of the alienated foreign governments. Maybe appoint Kerry ambassador to France (when his Senate term is up) and support Clinton's interest in a UN position.

And lastly, the Supreme Court needs some judges who don't think they know better than the authors of the Constitution.

And hopefully, get us the hell out of Iraq.

I see little good coming out of the next 4 years. I agree with the poster who predicted that the religous right will infiltrate both our schools and our courts. I see continued clashes with the Mid East and further terrorism - possibly even another attack on the scale of 9/11. The disparity between the wealthiest 1 or 2% in the US and those living in poverty will continue to grow. One million Americans will lose their housing and end up in institutions, homeless shelters, or on the streets. I think future historians will trace the beginning of the decline and fall of the American Empire to the regime of George Jr. A nation which does not take care of its own people can only fall. I think I'm going to go be sick now.

PS Just checked the spot gold prices - up $5.00/oz today with 27 minutes to go until market close! Gold now stands at $429.00/oz - up $45.00 from what it was just a few months ago. Historically, when people begin to loose faith in global and national stability and in times of economic downturn, they begin to buy gold. I've been following the gold prices for a while now and a $5.00/oz price jump in one day is pretty remarkable - even for the volatile gold spot market. It would seem that I am not alone in my pessimism.

[Radar]

It's funny Yelof brought up John Titor, because that's the first thing I thought of when I heard the results. This is exactly what he was talking about that might cause a civil war.

[Griff]

I don't see the next four years as being all that explosive (unless you live in the mid-east). The real problem lies with the office as much as with the obvious poor quality of candidates. The power of the office will expand the character flaws of whoever gets the Oval. Kerry would have been awful as well, but at least an opposition Congress would have occasionally restrained him. Every new Caesar will have his pathology, keeping socio-paths out of elected office is pretty hard work. We may as well get used to it and enjoy the slide. It will be amusing listening to Bush talk about restoring the Constitution while wiping his ass on it. The Romans had their leaders who spoke lovingly of the Republic while burying it, we deserve no less.

[richlevy]

Originally Posted by Griff

I don't see the next four years as being all that explosive (unless you live in the mid-east). The real problem lies with the office as much as with the obvious poor quality of candidates. The power of the office will expand the character flaws of whoever gets the Oval. Kerry would have been awful as well, but at least an opposition Congress would have occasionally restrained him. Every new Caesar will have his pathology, keeping socio-paths out of elected office is pretty hard work. We may as well get used to it and enjoy the slide. It will be amusing listening to Bush talk about restoring the Constitution while wiping his ass on it. The Romans had their leaders who spoke lovingly of the Republic while burying it, we deserve no less.

What I'm going to hate is watching the barrel of pork disguised as an energy bill slide its way through congress. The few honest congress members left are appalled by this monster. Unfortunately, it will provide an instant payback to Bush's contributors. I'm sure some Democrats got to hang their stockings in it also.

[tw]

Deja Vue 1972.

[jaguar]

Titor came to my mind too, with this kind of mandate there is a far chance america really will get the government it deserves, Shrubs comment to hacks along the lines of "we're gonna have some fun" gave me shivers. On the upside he'll be so busy giving US debt to friends and family the deficit should help slowly strangle the US and history will write off another little empire gone to seed.

[ashke]

Originally Posted by vsp

Culture war. The Constitution Restoration Act (passing this time) signifying the turning point for creeping theocracy. The end of Roe vs. Wade, potshots taken at Lawrence vs. Texas and Griswold vs. Connecticut (possibly taking both down). Rehnquist and either Stevens, Ginsberg or both replaced by conservobots, Specter's bluster notwithstanding. Lots of fun conservobot judicial appointments in lesser courts. A variety of restrictive religion-themed morals laws, primarily in Southern states. An increased role for the FCC, clamping down on "indecency" on television and radio.

Massive, massive, massive increases in the deficit.

Increased tension between the US and the rest of the world, allies and enemies alike.

Christian doctrine creeping into public schools. "Intelligent design" and straight creationism inserted by many school boards across the heartland into curriculums. Relaxations of the wall between church and school mirroring what'll go on between church and state.

War in Iran.

New terrorist attacks in the US, on a smaller scale than 9/11 but still effective in keeping America fearful.

Blue flight; Democrats living in the south and midwest will start moving to more receptive states, once the repercussions of all of the above start sinking in.

Long knives being drawn and pointed at moderate Republicans who do not toe the party line.

Democrats, liberals, Hollywood, the media, homosexuals and atheists, of course, will be blamed for whatever goes wrong.

Book it. It will be a slow, incremental process, so as not to jar Joe America into waking up until the judicial framework has already been laid, but they have all the time in the world, as it would take an unbelievable turnaround for the Democrats to retake the House or Senate in 2006 no matter what happens.

All of the above are why I've basically been curled up into a ball for the last two days. I don't expect to uncurl any time soon.

That sounds something like McCarthy's [choice of colour] Scare (Part II)...

[Undertoad]

Why vsp is wrong (sorry dude): Andrew Coyne debunks the (lefty media) notion that Bush won with evangelicals

True, it found the largest single block of voters identified "moral values" as the "most important election issue" -- a much cited factoid -- and that 80% of these respondents voted for Bush. But that hardly makes this election a triumph of theocracy. In the first place, "largest single block" turns out to mean 22%, meaning 78% of voters -- including two-thirds of Bush voters -- named some other issue.

via Michael Totten who notes:

[Coyne] asks "When a candidate draws increased numbers of votes from groups not traditionally identified with his party, we usually call that 'broadening the base.' So why the fascination with zombie hordes of theo-cons? "

That’s real easy. It’s emotionally satisfying. "The crazies are taking over" is a lot easier to swallow than "we fucked up and lost".

...
45 percent of the people who voted for Bush are self-described liberals or moderates. (Earth to Democrats: That’s why he beat you.) Only 55 percent of the people who voted for Bush are conservatives. (See Andrew’s piece for the details.) And, as most of us know, there are many different kinds of conservatives. There are neocons and paleocons, Wall Street conservatives and religious conservatives. Not to mention plain old run-of-the-mill conservatives. It’s a fractious group of people who have little in common but, oddly enough, happen to wear the same useless label.

Zeroing in on only one of those factions and blowing it all out proportion will get the Democrats nowhere. It makes as much sense as Ann Coulter accusing every leftie in the land of being pro-terrorist. It’s not only dumb but exceptionally counterproductive.

If Kerry won the election I wouldn’t say it was because of Michael Moore and his stupid-ass movie. If it went that way it would have done so despite him.

[Yelof]

Originally Posted by jaguar

Titor came to my mind too, with this kind of mandate there is a far chance america really will get the government it deserves, Shrubs comment to hacks along the lines of "we're gonna have some fun" gave me shivers. On the upside he'll be so busy giving US debt to friends and family the deficit should help slowly strangle the US and history will write off another little empire gone to seed.

Yeah there is a good chance this is going to happen.. the only problem is that the world economy is totally tied to the US dollar because oil is priced and paid for in dollars that if the US were to hit another great depression, the world would go too. There is no escaping the coming collapse.

I am quite convinced by the Peak oil theory and think that the world is going soon to be faced with some difficult choices that will make the stupid "war on terror" seem irrelevent..Bush in office means few constructive things can happen in this area for at least the next 4 years and yet strangely enought I am more at peace now...why?

While there was hope I was more agitated, I would be checking endlessly to see if there was any possibility that news would break and what implication it could have on the US election etc..now I feel free of that. I don't hold any hope now of world leaders achieving anything regarding renewable energy AIDS or Poverty, as anyone who was encouraged by exit polls on Nov 2 can tell you, there is nothing worse then false hope and I am glad it is gone.
I now must put my hope into things local, my family my community..I find it odd that it took Bush's reelection to make me come to such an obvious conclusion.