The cornerstone of US government is checks and balances. With both houses and the presidency controlled by a party working in lock-step on an agenda, those checks and balances fade.

We are best served by one house controlled by one party, the other by another and the presidency shifting every 4 years. This becomes even more healthy if a large dose of independants are introduced into both houses.

The staggered power is important as it forces compromise, compromise opens dialog and dialog creates cooperation between members of the opposing parties.

Bills take longer to pass, but are generally far more moderate and usually reflect the will of the people rather than special interests.

The time is now to begin campaigning for seats in both houses to restore balance. Now the US is like a bi-polar off their medicine, swinging into a wildly manic state.

Mr. Richards, last time I checked, a “truly leftist government” would be completely socialist. I think it’s a good thing that there would be a faction who would legally obstruct what such a government would want to push down people’s throats.

“Which is also why it is important (this is directed at Dr. Apocalypse) to recognize the reality of the American political spectrum. It DOES matter that Clinton is to the right of centre internationally, because this illustrates just how far to the right America is, and that is very relevant to predicting the evolution of the American political landscape.”

My apologies, but I fail to see why this is important. I feel it’s unfortunate that many other countries have saddled themselves with extreme leftist governments, but that is (at least for some of them) their choice.

If you wish to continue this, please e-mail me.

If it were as simple as our candidate losing, then it would be petulant. However, this election was much more than Bush vs. Kerry… this was the fundamentalists and religious right vs. those who believe freedom is precious and morality can’t be legislated. (And don’t even get me started on the rich getting richer, the war that shouldn’t be, the danger to the environment posed by the current administration, and the lack of foreign diplomacy skills needed for someone who’s put in charge of running the Presidency.)

And yes, it was realitstically a close election (even though the right seems to want to play it up as a sweeping victory) in the Presidential race, the House/Senate races and the 11 amendments that passed overwhelmingly in each of those 11 states made clear the fact that the majority of the country wants the government to control their lives and keep tabs on their morality. Those of us who prefer to live in a free society – warts and all – don’t feel like we belong anymore.

I will say to anyone thinking about moving, please don’t. We need you now more than ever. With a little education (doesn’t anyone else notice that the blue states have higher concentrations of educated folks?) we could still manage to get some ideas through… stay and fight. If all the freethinkers leave, we will definitely be the minority.

And for the record, the Alexander Fraser Tyler quote is most likely bogus. It was widely circulated in 2000 but was attributed to a slightly different piece of writing. Snopes could, of course, have it wrong, but here you go anyway: http://www.snopes.com/politics/quotes/tyler.asp

Don’t make the mistake of thinking that America is very different from other countries with a strong cabal of right-wing extremists. History has shown us time and time again how far people will go, even in democratic countries.

Which is also why it is important (this is directed at Dr. Apocalypse) to recognize the reality of the American political spectrum. It DOES matter that Clinton is to the right of centre internationally, because this illustrates just how far to the right America is, and that is very relevant to predicting the evolution of the American political landscape.

Work to disrupt the Republican majority in Congress. They’ve held it for too long.

If you really do leave, then they win. Face it, life won’t change that much in Bush’s 2nd term. He’ll have to address internal issues and try to get out of Iraq. each paaing month will be hell for his administration.

You won’t see South American style death squads in the streets, or re-education camps.

Even with new justices on the bench many of the Republican’s latest laws are blatantly unconstitutional and will fall when they are finally challenged.

Frankly, Bush’s winning will make him a scape goat for what’s to come. The cows are coming home, and he’s going to have to account for them.

“It is not “petulant and ridiculous” to decide that moving is the best option for one’s own family.”

Leaving the country solely because your chosen canidate lost by a reasonably small number of votes (what was it 3%? 51/49?) sure does make you _look_ petulant and ridiculous. You may have perfectly valid reasons for going, but most of the people I’ve heard talking that way have been, well, whiny at best.

“I remove myself and my children from situations that I see no benefit from, be it school districts or around ignorant people (for example). This is no different.”

I see it differently. To abandon one’s home and exile oneself to a foreign land is a huge step, it can not be compared to moving three streets over to change school districts. C’mon, even moving out of state is a trying experience.

Also, I think everyone is focusing too much on ‘red states vs. blue states’, try to keep in mind that the actual population was fairly evenly split. Losing an election is not the end of the world. There will be another election.

I remove myself and my children from situations that I see no benefit from, be it school districts or around ignorant people (for example). This is no different.

“Bill Clinton was one of the best Republican presidents we’ve ever had.”

The reason Republicans didn’t have to high tail it was because Bill Clinton is no leftist, he’s merely a moderate conservative. In every other post-industrial country in the world he’s right of centre. You better believe Republicans would high tail it (or start a war) if, say, Ralph Nader were elected.

And it makes the runners look petulant and ridiculous. It’s not like Republicans made such statements in the aftermath of Clinton’s second victory, on the contrary, they built up and finally succeeded in winning the election twice in a row.