Did Someone Say Civil War??

Indeed. John Dean wrote a compelling piece (here) last week, explaining how it will be nearly impossible to avoid a long, drawn-out legal battle following a close election on November 2nd. The Democrats aren’t about to cave in after the slap in the face in 2000 and the Republicans, well, they’ve got I-will-bully-and-fight-'til-the-bitter-end-Karl Rove calling the shots. Consider these closing paragraphs from John Dean:

The Nightmare Scenario: An Election up in the Air for Months

It may be days or weeks, if not months, before we know the final results of this presidential election. And given the Republican control of the government, if Karl Rove is on the losing side, it could be years: He will take every issue (if he is losing) to its ultimate appeal in every state he can.

The cost of such litigation will be great - with the capital of citizens' trust in their government, and its election processes, sinking along with the nation's (if not the world') financial markets, which loathe uncertainty. After Bush v. Gore, is there any doubt how the high Court would resolve another round? This time, though, the Court, too, will pay more dearly. With persuasive power as its only source of authority, the Court's power will diminish as the American people's cynicism skyrockets.

It does not seem to trouble either Rove or Bush that they are moving us toward a Twenty-first Century civil war - and that, once again, Southern conservatism is at its core. Only a miracle, it strikes me, can prevent this election from descending into post-election chaos. But given the alternatives, a miracle is what I am hoping for.

What would Bush ads be like if this were Britain?

According to a recent CNN poll (here), the British fear spiders more than terrorism. Imagine, then, Bush campaign ads, focusing not on the fight to stamp out terrorists, but to stamp out spiders. In his words (though with my spiders):

GWB: America should lead with strength and confidence. Our great nation has to be strong. And safe. From spiders. We must lead in the march toward freedom. From spiders. Sadam knows and harbors spiders. He had the capability of attracting more spiders. The world is a better place without spiders. My opponent would have you believe that there are no spiders in Iraq. My opponent would cut funds for spider smashing. My opponent would enter multilateral negotiations about spiders. We need a strong America. We stand for a culture of life. Without spiders.

Sounds as credible as anything else we're hearing. Silly? Well, one person's fear is another person's malarkey. I'm sure the British are wondering why we're not attuned to the real dangers before us either (spiders, nuclear weapons).

Eighth street pre-election diary*

8th: reflecting distortions 

Eight days remaining now. Jaroslav Seifert, a Czech writer and winner of the Nobel Prize for literature, wrote a poem entitled “Eight Days.” Seifert once said “If a writer is silent, he is lying.”

And a boo to you, too

Who needs Halloween this year? There are enough authentic devils and goblins floating around to scare the daylights out of you. But if I were to dress up as something spooky, I’d make a newspaper dress out of today’s Washington Post article on the nuclear threats that have not been adequately addressed by the Bush administration (here). Pretty scary stuff. On my forehead, I’d paste these excerpts:

"The big gorilla in the basement is the material from Russia and Pakistan," said Robert L. Gallucci, dean of the Georgetown School of Foreign Service and a classified consultant to the CIA and Energy Department laboratories. "This is the principal, major national security threat to the United States in the next decade or more. I don't know what's in second place."

…"If tomorrow morning we lost a city, who of us could have said we didn't know how this could happen?" [Gallucci] said. "I haven't felt like this in all the years I've been in government or the nine since I've been [out]. I am -- I don't want to say scared, because that's not what I want to project, but I am deeply concerned for my family and for all Americans."

Madeline Albright said last night on the Daily Show: "..what is scariest is that they [the current administration] believe it’s going well."

Good bye Good Humor (on the campaign trail?) man, hello Mud (slinging on the campaign trail?) guy

One more viewing of a commercial that aims to scare the voter right into the GOP lap and I am giving up TV for at least 8 days.

I am not in NYC at the moment, but I recall seeing a new fixture on the streets of the East Village this past week-end – something called a Mud Truck, selling gourmet coffee to us mortals who are seeking an alternative to Starbucks but winding up at Starbucks places for lack of decent other choices. [I have no real objection to Starbucks and in fact, while in NY, I rely on the chain for my wireless service, but I appreciate opportunities to spend my life’s savings – they must sprinkle gold dust on lattes in NY – on something more local every once in a while.] Well, now we have a Mud Truck, standing right there, to the side of 8th street. With a peaceful political statement. I’ll drink to that.

(*see “forty-second street pre-election diary” post, September 22, for explanation of post title)

from the Mud guys: let's keep the peace