1 members
 
Most Popular Choices
Share on Facebook 48 Printer Friendly Page More Sharing Summarizing
OpEdNews Op Eds   

Reflections on the Eve of Another Rigged Election

By       (Page 2 of 2 pages) Become a premium member to see this article and all articles as one long page.   No comments

Ernest Partridge
Message Ernest Partridge
Become a Fan
  (5 fans)
If that "tsunami" strikes on November 7, just as the "fixers" are at work on the presumably "endangered" seats, a strange and suspicious profile will emerge: close "contested" seats will be won overwhelmingly by the Republicans, while many "safe" Republican seats will be lost to the Democrats.

Now suppose that despite the polls and the well-publicized discontent of the voters, the Republicans retain control of both houses of the Congress. Suppose further, that this is the result of numerous allegedly "miraculous upsets," none by Democratic candidates, and all by GOP candidates who overcome fifteen to twenty point polling deficits. (Among these, Ken Blackwell, the Ohio Secretary of State who "administered" the 2004 Ohio election, now a candidate for Governor, is trailing his opponent Ted Strickland by eighteen points).

Should this occur, can the dirty secret of stolen elections still be contained? Or might not, instead, the backbone of public denial and media silence finally be broken?

If, this time, the GOP control of the vote counting once again frustrates the will of a large majority of the voters, the proportion of doubters (half of the population, according to Zogby) will likely increase. Perhaps then much more than half will seriously doubt the validity of the elections, while many more "somewhat" doubt these results. At some point of no-confidence, the public at large will finally come to realize that the government of the United States no longer rules with "the consent of the governed" and thus lacks the legitimacy to govern.

What then? Worst case: Bush imposes the dictatorial powers given him by the Patriot Act and by the Military Commissions Act (of September 28), and the United States becomes in fact what it is now implicitly, a dictatorship. Best case: the people, united, overthrow the illegitimate regime. This has happened recently, in Ukraine in 2004 and in the Soviet Union in 1991. Most significantly, it happened in July, 1776, justified by a document known as "The Declaration of Independence," which proclaimed:

That to secure these Rights [to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness], Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That, whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government...


It is not without justification that some have called the upcoming election of November 7, 2006 the most significant non-presidential election in the history of the United States of America.

Now, at long last, the balance of power might be turning against the Busheviks, as their "establishment" corporate supporters and traditional conservatives seem to be having second thoughts, and as these qualms are reflected in the mainstream media.

Traditional conservatives, such as Richard Viguerie, Paul Weirich, Bruce Fein, and Joe Scarborough, are publicly proclaiming that the Bush administration has abandoned their core principles of limited government and fiscal responsibility, and that a Democratic victory in November, and the resulting divided government, "might not be a bad thing." Dissenting opinions are becoming ever more conspicuous in the media, among them Bob Woodward (at long last!), and the disaffected evangelical Christian and former official of Bush's "Faith Based Initiatives," David Kuo, both of whom appeared in successive appearances in CBS's 60 Minutes.

As I have repeatedly suggested, where the Bush regimes leads, enlightened corporate and media interests should not choose to follow. These interests flourished under the Clinton administration, during unprecedented economic growth when the United States and its political principles were respected throughout the world. Moreover, these same "establishment" interests must appreciate that in the coming collapse of the United States economy, there will be no winners.

Who could have predicted a month ago the present disarray of the GOP and the decline of its prospects in the upcoming election? The Foley scandal and its aftershocks were nowhere in sight, and continuing Republican control of the Congress seemed secure. Likewise, we can only guess at what surprises might suddenly appear in the remaining four weeks of the campaign.

When it is all over, we may discover that this contest will have been won by the side that responded to these developments, promptly, intelligently, and decisively.

This is no time for apathy, despair and surrender.

Copyright 2006 by Ernest Partridge

Next Page  1  |  2

(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).

Rate It | View Ratings

Ernest Partridge Social Media Pages: Facebook page url on login Profile not filled in       Twitter page url on login Profile not filled in       Linkedin page url on login Profile not filled in       Instagram page url on login Profile not filled in

Dr. Ernest Partridge is a consultant, writer and lecturer in the field of Environmental Ethics and Public Policy. Partridge has taught philosophy at the University of California, and in Utah, Colorado and Wisconsin. He publishes the website, "The (more...)
 

Go To Commenting
The views expressed herein are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of this website or its editors.
Writers Guidelines

 
Contact AuthorContact Author Contact EditorContact Editor Author PageView Authors' Articles
Support OpEdNews

OpEdNews depends upon can't survive without your help.

If you value this article and the work of OpEdNews, please either Donate or Purchase a premium membership.

STAY IN THE KNOW
If you've enjoyed this, sign up for our daily or weekly newsletter to get lots of great progressive content.
Daily Weekly     OpEd News Newsletter

Name
Email
   (Opens new browser window)
 

Most Popular Articles by this Author:     (View All Most Popular Articles by this Author)

Debate Creationism vs. Evolution? Why Bother?

Bungling Toward Oblivion -- A Letter to My Friends in Russia

The Fix Is In -- Again!

Can the GOP Steal The Election Again? You Betcha!

"Country First?" – The Question of Loyalty

Let's End the New Cold War Before it Heats Up

To View Comments or Join the Conversation:

Tell A Friend