This is my first ever diary on any website whatsoever, so please be nice. I hope this isn't a redundant diary. If it is, I am sorry.
We are at the endgame now as far as I can tell. It is one week before the elction, the polls are coming fast and furious, the venom is spraying far and wide from the ReThugs, and Dumbya is out on the campaign calling Democrats American hating terrorist supporters. So I have two simple questions: What do I do now? What happens if we lose?
Let's start from the beginning. I am a married teacher with a 15 month old son. I live in WA (the state), and have already voted. I am VERY broke, and just cannot afford to contribute to any more campaigns. My son and grading papers take up all of my "free" time. I am the youngest of 14 children, most of whom still live back in KY and IN. I have called, e-mailed, harassed, and begged all of them many times to get out and vote the Dem. ticket. I read the polls everyday here, and I want to help people like Tammy Duckworth, John Tester, Ned Lamont, and just about anyone running a tight race against a ReThug RubberStamper.
But what can I do? Right now I feel so F-ing powerless. I don't trust this administration to sit back and lose control without some kind of shenanigans. This brings me to my second question. What happens if we do, in fact (or fiction), lose?
This is the thought that truly scares the bajezzus out of me. I remember being in college when the ReThugs took congress in '94. We were having a political discussion in my meteorology class. The prof busted out this poll that showed that almost 60% of Americans considered themselves democrats or backed the democrats views. This led to the question, "Then how in the hell did the ReThugs take the congress?" Well Dr. Dave broke out another poll showing that (forgive these numbers, I'm trying to remember, but it was 12 years ago!) something like 30% of Democrats said they voted regularly and 60% of ReThugs voted regularly. If someone out there can update thes numbers, that would be great. It could have been that they voted regularly in non-presidential elections.
I am afraid that if we lose, and by lose I mean we don't take back either the Senate or the House, it will mean the end of the democratic party as we know it. The Bushies will take this as an affirmation of their way of runing the country. They will continue the destruction of the constitution. They will go hard after the "liberal" courts and "activist" judges. They will contiue to erode our rights.
I am afraid this will lead to greater voter apathy than has ever exsisted before in our party. I think about this, and I see records set in '08. Not in voter turnout, but in lack of voter turnout. How do we fight this? I know blogs and sites like this are a start, but are they enough? Somebody, please help me get a grip here.
What do I do now, and what can I do then?