To University City Democrats,
Listen to me out there. This isn't over yet.
1. Though it's looking like a Bush victory, that's no reason not to wait for the official count in Ohio and the other 4 states.
2. If Bush is elected, we need to work harder than ever to make him perform. This is no time to go running to Canada. You're needed here, in YOUR COUNTRY. Do you hear me? YOUR COUNTRY, I don't care how many voters caved in to fear.
3. We need to work on creating a political reformation in America. This isn't just about Nov. 2nd, 2004, it's about planning for a whole generation from today. The Republican victory is pyrrhic and futile. They still rule over a bitterly divided America.
4. The world outside the U.S. is both laughing and crying. Those who wish us ill sit back and await the Bush administration and their failed foreign policy. Bush is Al-Quaeda's poster boy for Western intolerance and colonialism. The people of Iraq see a false leader who's perpetuated a bloody war that's seen over 100,000 of their number die in a senseless, baseless war.
5. Constituency - We have to become citizens that pelt our local politicians with our demands. We need to educate as many people around us as possible, our family, friends, neighbors and even complete strangers. We MUST create constituency. We must a make a Republican majority deal with our demands and that means threatening them with the power of a coalesced constituency that can vote them out.
6. The 2006 Congressional Election. We have two years to effect a major change in the Congress. Support your Democratic Congressional candidates now. Don't wait to 2006 to see who we need to put in office, start looking around now to see how we can oust Republicans like Rick Santorum by finding and supporting a better candidate to change the balance of power.
7. Support the minority. We may still have a minority in Congress, but that doesn't mean they can't effect change. We need to the Deomcratic minority that we have their back. That we will muster the vote. We must be a collective voice that backs theirs with results.
8. The 2008 Elections. We need to make sure that the 2008 presidential candidate is given the FULL support of the Democratic constituency. Our base has to come together and stop trying to create a super-candidate. Whoever gets the next nomination in the Spring of '08. But even before the next Democratic Presidential Primary, we the to give them solid, inflinching support. So many Democrats thought that Kerry wasn't a good enough candidate. This lack of party loyalty is proving lethal to Democratic politicians and their campaigns.
9 It kills me to say this, because against my general code of ethics, but we need to become as virilent as the Republican base. They don't care if they're right or ethically correct in the campaigning. All they care about is a check in the win column and they will horrifyingly dehumanize an opponent and pass off a myriad number of half-truths and innuendo to scare or maniluplate voters. It certainly worked in this election. We need to become the bastards they are, if we want to win elections. We must mount equally virilent attacks against Republican candidates. In some sense giving them a taste of their own medicine. Again, this idea is still making me hurl, but we won't win elections trying to do the right thing. We need to punch back, at the very least, to defend ourselves.
We must circle the wagons immediately and get to work now. There's no sense in living in regret. We need to look at the lessons of the past and strategize our political campaigning and voting record. We came out in great numbers this year. We energized the democratic process. We registered hundreds of thousands of new voters and put the Republican campaign machine on alert. We can do this folks. It's about the future and what you want to make it. Be strong. Don't give in to despair or depression. Your voices are still important. Do not go gently into that good night!
Mario Giorno
