Conspiracy or marginalization?

Friends, I am honestly sad to have George Bush reelected. This is due at least in part to my participation in the Leave No Voter Behind campaign conducted by MoveOn PAC. For the first time in my life I committed myself to actively working for the election of a candidate. Unfortunately, my habit is to support a losing candidate: Mondale in '84, Dukakis in '88, Clinton in '92 (OK, so I got lucky once.), Perot in '96, Gore in 2000, and Kerry in '04. In fact, I supported two losers this year; I was a Dean supporter until the media killed his candidacy over his raw yell in Iowa. It was at that point that I knew the media was going to be absolutely no help in maintaining an even keel during the campaign season. That's when I decided that I had better become part of the solution rather than remain a lone voter exercising no voice. MoveOn PAC allowed me to be a part of the process while appealing to my populist, grassroots instincts. The experience of being a precinct leader for LNVB has given me hope for the future of political representation, even in the face of defeat.

My voice finally seemed to find company when Ed Schultz and the Air America group began making it big on radio. At last! The left (progressive, if you prefer) movement was being heard nationwide. In the lead up to the election, I found them almost rabid in their attack on Bush and the neo-conservatives. I was a bit disturbed by this, honestly. The tactic of painting the opposition as practically evil reminded me of war propaganda during World War II. Have you ever seen the pictures of "the Huns" or "the Japs" painted for American consumption during the war? They were made to appear sub-human or inhuman. I was chilled to find any similarity to such brutal tactics, but I found them.

Now in the wake of the election, we are talking about the possibility of conspiracy in the election process. We witnessed the long lines throughout the country. We have been worrying for years about the electronic machines with no paper trail. Could the right really have managed to arrange for conditions and manipulate the electorate so as to weight the process toward President Bush? It is reminiscent of the grassy knoll and the Zapruder film. It is not in my nature to want to believe that such a thing could happen. But politics has left me cynical. Certainly in a weak moment most candidates and their staffs would admit that they would do an awful lot to arrange a win for their side. So how far could it go?

My history tells me that I am merely a part of the minority in the United States. Fortunately, it is not yet a crime for a citizen to disagree with the government. There certainly are those who think it ought to be, though. Someday we may find ourselves in the position of Paul of Tarsus from the Bible, who was subjected to beatings and stonings for his views and his efforts until he exercised his rights as a citizen of the Roman empire. Someday beyond that, citizenship may no longer afford any protection, either. God help us in our unbelief! Save us from ourselves!