Post-election selection trauma

At the time I thought the reaction of liberals to the 2002 election was pretty funny. When Michael Moore took down his predictions of the vast gains in the congress that turned out to be partially true – just not for his party. How many pundits has said that the midterm election would be a referendum on "selected not elected" President Bush and how the Democratic base would turn out in record numbers. The excuse given for the losses was that their message was not adequately communicated to the American people. The message that their message was and continues to be the problem is the reality that is still denied.

Now the 2004 election fallout has reached strange heights that surprised even me. The story about people seeking therapy for "post-election selection trauma" reported by The Boca Raton News is just another indicator. This time we have even more mentions of people wanting to leave the Country rather then to be in a Country governed by President Bush. They had my hopes up before, though I didn’t fall for it this time. It reminds me of the lyrics from Metal Church CD The Human Factor and the song The Final Word. Being a head banging conservative I was surprised at the many conservative themes on this CD.

Why don’t you find a worthwhile cause to channel your energies?
Like finding a solution to starvation and disease
I know that you’re concerned about your First Amendment rights
But don’t you burn our flag to make your point, that’s just not right
If you think you’re better off in a different country
Why don’t you pack your bags right now
Here’s your ticket
It’s on me

I’ve been around this whole wide world and found no better place
And no one’s gonna start a fire in my homeland’s face
We have a tendency to take our freedom for granted
We have some problems, yes I know
Look at the seed you’ve planted

I know that you’re aching to be heard
What gives you the famous final word?
To think that your opinion is preferred
What gives you the famous final word?

Here’s your ticket, it’s on me is a theme that conservative answer to this threat. I have been following politics for a while and I remember first my disbelief in Presidents Clinton’s first election and then his reelection. For his second election I remember disbelieving the poll and thinking there is just no way after all of these scandals that they could be true. I was in denial by projecting my thoughts onto the electorate. I as at sea on work ups and I watched attentively what little election coverage we were able to get. The election result angered me and many of my shipmates. We had just gone through four years where the military was cold-shouldled in the White House and yet our missions and time at sea were increasing because of cut back in both ships and personnel. I can’t remember ever hearing or reading one reaction by a conservative that they intended to leave the country rather then to live or serve under a Clinton Presidency. I must admit on my last reenlistment during Clinton’s second term that the part where I swore "I will obey the orders of the President of the United States" came out at little harder then in previous reenlistment, but the oath was just as true.

In the past efforts by some Libertarians to move to New Hampshire and to change the size and scope of government there has be roundly mocked in the MSM. The same goes for efforts by some Christian groups to do something similar in the state of South Carolina. Yet now we have MS-NBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell call for secession. The idea of a Democratic succession is fertile ground for comedy and parody. In fact I have long wished that there was a state that totally ran on principles set forth by the modern liberal. Where concepts of running the government were applied to every facet of life. Where a job flipping burgers at McDonalds entitled you to 40k a year with full medical insurance. Where when you buy a burger the price is based on your ability to pay. Upper one percent Big Mac only $10,000 while most others get their burgers for free. There would be free healthcare for everybody though all the doctors would either leave the state or retire due to all the malpractice lawyers living in one state. But hey if you can find a doctor your covered. Medicines would be free also. The only problem is because of price controls all the pharmaceutical in their state went belly up or they gave up on expensive research and development into new drugs. As they slowly abort and contracept themselves into oblivion they develop city limit signs that slowly count down the population – kind of like those prevalent rain forest countdown signs. But then again this is a plus for their attitude since it is messy humans who destroy the environment so the perfect liberal state would only have endangered species and other animal and insects.

Another fun exercise is to imagine a liberal succession along the lines of the Civil War.

Liberal Battle Flag

The positive thing is that we would not have the loss of lives like what occurred at Gettysburg. Unarmed pacifists would certainly provide some good laughs to our marines. Though they will have to have some new classes at the War College to come up with adequate tactics in the face of such threats as coordinated chanting of "Hey, Hey, Ho Ho …." People chaining themselves to buildings. People threatening to dialog with you. The constant barrage day and night of ambassors trying to appease you. Kumbaya played through speakers demoralizing the troops. Or the ultimate threat of them parading around naked spelling out intimidating phrases – oh the horror. We could even call it the Civil-Union War.

Captain Ed of Captain’s Quarters also had some interesting thoughts on this subject.

I have a theory that Democrats are secretly thrilled to have lost this election to George Bush, and this report confirms it. Nothing makes a Leftist happier than to belong to a victim class, and now they have created one that may exceed any that came before. It makes them feel more complete than even an official apology would. Next up, of course, is forcing employers and health-care providers to recognize it as a disability under ADA.