Let's not dismiss this!

Almost all evidence and analyses show the election was stolen, or at least there was a bit of electoral hanky panky, for example in the state of Illionis, the exit polls and vote tallies were the same, but in states were optical scans and electronic voting machines were used, Bush did better than the exit polls predicted and most experts considered those polls fairly accurate.

As many know, we here at Rising Hegemon were convinced that Kerry would win, and arguably probably did, because of the record number of youth voters, many organized and mobilized on the Internet and voting based organizatons, nationally there was ACT and Move On, locally groups like Peace and Justice Voters.

But there is a larger question of the election, over and above the failures and weekness of the Kerry campaign, namely, how the right wing has so brilliantly used culture, namely religion, morality, values, and God to gain the "willing assent" of so many folks to claim that God is on their side, and that their God hates abortionists, gay men and lesbians esp when married, secularism, and the enlightenment and use of the intellect.

One has to wonder if it is time to take away the tax free status of many of these religious right churches where the clergy are telling people who to vote for and are involved in getting out the vote for the republican party.

Clearly religiously motivated politics has struck a very responsive chord, the GOP promises salvation but the regular voters get job loss, factory closings and either eliminated or privatized government services. But for some paltry consolation they get decreased local government services, a Wal Mart in their town that chases out local run businesses.

So the real issue for progressives, and the Democrats, is the need to frame so many of the issues within a socially conscious morally based framework. The Civil Rights Movement knew how to do it. Dr. King knew how to do it. But currenly elected liberals and the Democrat officeholders offer us no political future that can capture our political imagination. By going along with the right wing, they offered little more than a Bush lite program and their self induced self destruction as a well defined party with solid, meaningful values.

But there is always hope for the future.

1. The Bushies are headed toward economic failure. Raising interest rates, Chinese competition for oil, eventual parity with the dollar, problems with global trading networks, eventual terrorist attacks that disrupt trading routes, and more...

2. Political failure is a'comin' ... Iraq is going to fall apart, oil is going to hit record highs, the religious right is going to demand serious concessions and initiatives from the Bushies because they correctly believe that they helped elect Bush, handouts to the wealthy and corporations are going to increase. Tort reform will give bidness vast protections and not just in the medical and insurance areas. Average people WILL feel this pinch and wonder why the voted for Georgie.

3. Thousands of alienated youth get their news and insight from blogs and other sources on the Internet. They are following the theft of the election, and will not give up! Go out right now and start your own blog! Keep up the pressure on the neo-conservative agenda.

4. Attacks on civil rights will become plentiful and will eventually anger people who care about their right to privacy. This will lead to litigation in the courts and vicious fights over the Supreme Court appointees! Come on Democrats, grow a backbone and fight. Remember Bork!

5. Expanded police powers. The followup to the so-called Patriot Act is just around the corners. Just wait. Its going to get ugly before it gets any better. But people will wake up and smell the danger to their everyday lives.

There is hope, but only if we do something.