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2004 U.S. National Elections
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The U.S. Elections of 2004
With the March 9th primary elections, Sen. John Kerry gathered 2,162 pledged delegates, and so became the official Democratic Party candidate-to-be against George Dubya Bush in the United States election for President. On July 6th, Kerry announced his choice of Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina as his running mate.
For latest info & after-election coverage, visit
The four debates in late September and early October were managed by The President's Plan to Change Social Security I have read several times about a supposedly Republican mandate because Bush received more votes than any other presidential candidate in history.
Pulse of the Nation? Or Blind to the Truth? There are two things I know for sure: (1) Those who voted for Bush will live to regret it, and (2) when historians chronicle the decline and fall of the United States, they will cite the 2000 selection of Bush as the beginning of the end, the invasion of Iraq as furthering our decline and the 2004 election as taking us beyond the point of no return.
Religion's Big Role in U.S. Political Life I am baffled by the faux Christians of this country who believe that they are upholding their morals by supporting a pro-war, pro-death penalty, pro-corporation, anti-environment and anti-social programs administration. The Republican Party is so clearly against the values of true Christians and so blazingly indifferent to the lives of average Americans that I have to believe that Christians are trying to ensure more people get into heaven by assuring greater poverty and suffering for the people.
Bush Victory Leaves a Split Electorate The Bush administration, through its abject failures on every front – the economy, the environment, public services and foreign affairs – has proved itself to be appallingly ignorant, arrogant and incompetent as it goes about doing whatever it perceives to best serve its special interests, to the extreme detriment of the American people, our neighbors and all of our children on this rapidly shrinking and beleaguered Earth.
Sen. John F. Kerry 2004
Sen. John Edwards Howard Dean - dropped out 18 February: old site new site
Rep. Dennis J. Kucinich: {site updated in July}
Ralph Nader announced 22 February 2004
"If Dubya wins, America loses." Vote Online to Impeach George Dubya Bush
Politics Aside, Voting Counts More Disturbing CIA Information on 9/11 Re "The 9/11 Secret in the CIA's Back Pocket," Commentary, Oct. 19: I am sickened by the continuing arrogance and hypocrisy of the Bush administration. Now we learn that a CIA report that was mandated almost two years ago is being suppressed by the administration until after the election because "it is potentially very embarrassing for the administration." It is belittling to me as a U.S. citizen to have the truth withheld. It is even worse than "managing" the war in Iraq until after the elections.
Polls in the Political Horse Race Re "No Matter Who Wins, Half of America Will Be Unhappy", Oct 18: Come the morning of Nov. 3 I have no doubt (along with [author] Ronald Brownstein) that half of America will be unhappy, but if the current incumbent is allowed to remain in office, in 2008 we shall all be sorry.
'Must' Reading Not Everyone is Laughing at Bush's 'Fun' I would be more inclined to overlook the president's history of alleged drug use if he did not support the so-called war on drugs. If Bush's past drug use is not a big deal, then why have so many suffered for offenses similar to his? Countless lives have been ruined by mandatory minimum sentencing.
I don't condemn Bush for trying drugs or doing some drinking in his (long-lived) youth – though his and Vice President Dick Cheney's DUIs are harder to forgive. My problem is that they have all this fun, call it youthful indiscretion, then turn around and jump on their high horse and trumpet a conservative position of family values and the war on drugs. It's the utter hypocrisy that is so galling, not the behavior.
Convention Stirs Political Passions A Confusing Tale President and His Friends Have a Lot to Answer For It is so great to see Vice President Dick Cheney emerge from his undisclosed bunker for his typically precise and accurate assessment of Sen. John Kerry's leadership skills ("Clash Deepens Over Wartime Leadership," March 18). The vice president usually comes out of his hole only to do a little part-time work for Halliburton or to shoot farmed birds with his pals from the highest court of the land. This time Cheney appeared, issued his warning and saw his shadow: four more years of war.
Sen. Kennedy Points to Bush's Iraq Statements Suffrage Suffers in the Land of Rights You have to admire President Bush's willingness to amend the Constitution over an issue of basic principles. But before we forever deny millions of Americans the chance to marry the persons they love, shouldn't we first pass an amendment guaranteeing all of us the right to vote and the right to have those votes counted?
Jamin Raskin is a professor of constitutional law at American University and the author, most recently, of "Overruling Democracy" (Routledge, 2003).
Given what President Bush is doing to the separation of church and state, a prayer is about all [that] our Constitution is going to have left.
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Selected Books on the Subject of U.S. Politics & Elections
C.N.N. Post-Election Coverage
New York Times Election Coverage
Time Magazine Election Coverage
the Commission on Presidential Debates [est. 1987].
Bummer !!
Dubya squeaked by with a 51% popular vote and 286 electoral votes vs. Kerry's 262.
Kerry's concession speech the next day was tearful; the feeling for many was of betrayal of the Constitution and of Reason.
America may yet survive four more years of rule by a Republican Congress and a fascist neo-con White House, while the battle for the soul of America continues...
Los Angeles Times
Monday 8 November 2004
California Section / Letters [page B-10]
Well, the presidential candidate who holds second place for the most votes of anyone in history is Sen. John F. Kerry with 56 million. This also means that Bush holds the dubious record of being the president with more votes cast against him than any other president in history. Is this a mandate of satisfied or dissatisfied voters?
If Bush insists on spending his "political capital" to ram his tax and Social Security programs down our throats, all he will do is further divide an already greatly divided country.
Steve Amsden
Rialto, California
I can't help feeling that justice was served with Bush winning another four years. This way the Republicans cannot put the blame on a Kerry administration when the Iraq war worsens, which it surely will given that no plausible solution is in sight. Bush now has the "mandate" to fix the problems he himself created. Kerry won't be the scapegoat. That's justice and that will be Bush's legacy.
Vivencio Valdez, Jr.
Victorville, California
Methinks that before the president "spends his political capital", he should first pay back the deficit.
Owen R. Husney
Marina del Rey, California
Los Angeles Times
Friday 5 November 2004
California Section / Letters [page B-12]
Tama Winograd
Studio City, California
America should be ashamed. How, in 44 years, did we ever go from Camelot to Crawford?
Rick Trenholme
Tujunga, California
Los Angeles Times
Thursday 4 November 2004
California Section / Letters [page B-14]
The principled and decent people of this country have a long road ahead to try to prevent the collapse of America's infrastructure, educational system, parks and wilderness areas. I hope that we are up to the task.
Barbara Alfors
Santa Monica, California
I am a bleeding-heart liberal and proud of it. I weep unashamedly over the loss of 3,000 lives on 9/11. I weep over the loss of more than 1,000 American lives and the crippling of thousands more in Iraq. I weep over the death of 100,000 Iraqis – many women and children – in a needless war. My heart aches over the erosion of our civil liberties and degradation of U.S. morality in the treatment of terrorist suspects both in Guantanamo and Iraq.
My heart bleeds because I don't understand how a president claiming to be Christian can neglect the vast numbers of impoverished people and children without healthcare in this country. Under four more years of Bush, I unashamedly will lean on the crutch of Christianity as I know it to help me cope with this grief.
Jacqueline Knowles
Sierra Madre, California
America is moving toward becoming a theocracy, with evangelical Christians dominating. Mel Gibson trumps Michael Moore.
Werner S. Haas
West Hollywood, California
Los Angeles Times
Thursday 4 November 2004
California Section / Letters [page B-14]
The rest of the world, apparently a lot more aware of what is happening here than many of us are, has watched the unfolding policies, actions and inactions of this administration with increasing dismay and disgust, but hasn't blamed the American people individually. Now that over half of the American voters have convincingly demonstrated their own ignorance, arrogance and incompetence, America – and individual Americans too – will complete the transition from being the most admired nation and people on Earth to being the most despised.
And we will truly deserve it, for we have buried our heads in the sand.
Edward Fisher
Los Angeles, California
It is my absolute conviction that the "reelection" of George W. Bush will ultimately come to be considered the greatest man-made disaster of our generation.
Rob Newman
Bel-Air, California
Congratulations, America! You've succeeded in electing someone the entire civilized world thinks is a menace and a moron. I am profoundly ashamed.
Pamela Lamont
Los Angeles, California
I have seriously mixed emotions about the result of this presidential election; great sadness for our country and tremendous relief that I don't have a draft-age child.
Shel Willens
Los Angeles, California
Chinese-language John Kerry 2004 website
"A Call to Service: My Vision for a Better America" [2003] by John Kerry
Viking 9.3x6¼ hardcover [10/2003] for $14.97
"The New War: The Web of Crime That Threatens America's Security" [1997]
by Sen. John Kerry
Touchstone 9x6 pb [6/98] for $15.95
S&S hardcover [6/97] out of print/used
dropped out 2 March; announced as veep candidate 6 July
{site updated in March}
"Howard Dean: A Citizen's Guide to the Man Who Would Be President" [2003]
by a team of reporters for Vermont's Rutland Herald & Times Argus
Steerforth Press pb [11/2003] for $10.36
"Winning Back America" [2003]
by Howard Dean
S&S 8.4x5¾ pb [12/2003] for $9.56
S&S Adobe Reader ebook [12/2003] for $9.99
S&S M/S Reader ebook [12/2003] for $9.99
Wesley K. Clark - dropped out 11 February: {site updated in June}
Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman - dropped out 4 February: [ dead/broken site ]
Dick Gephardt - dropped out 20 January: [ dead site ]
"The Good Fight: Declare Your Independence & Close the Democracy Gap" [2004]
by Ralph Nader
Regan Books hardcover [7/2004] for $17.65
G.E. Nordell (September 2004)
anti-Dubya bumper stickers, t-shirts, etc
Stop Bush in 2004
"The Lies of George W. Bush" by David Corns: website &
book
'Topple Bush' website
Anti-Dubya webring on RingSurf
Punk Voter Presents: 'Rock Against Bush' concert tour
Dump Dubya website
'Stopping George Dubya Bush' Page
Los Angeles Times
Thursday 21 October 2004
California Section / Letters [page B-12]
I think Ronald Brownstein has it wrong in his article ("No Matter Who Wins, Half of America Will Be Unhappy," Oct. 18). Because only 50% of Americans care enough to vote in the first place, that means it's only going to be a quarter of America who will be unhappy after the elections.
R.V. Breor
Van Nuys, California
Karl Strandberg
Long Beach, California
Re Robert Scheer's column about the CIA being forced to withhold more damning evidence about top Bush administration people sleeping during the 9/11 threats: Didn't we already get this from former Bush official Paul O'Neill? What could be worse than O'Neill's assertion that the Bush administration wouldn't take the terrorist attack threat seriously? Can it be worse? Considering the polls favoring Bush for the upcoming election, Bush could kiss Osama bin Laden on national television and Karl Rove could spin it into a punch in the face.
Jim Hoover
Huntington Beach, California
Los Angeles Times
Wednesday 20 October 2004
California Section / Letters [page B-10]
Stephen Tully
Pasadena, California
It is so disturbing to realize that 50% of Americans, if the polls are right, support a president who has lied to us about every important issue and continues to lie about his own 'successes' and about the record and proposals of Kerry. What has happened to the ethical standards in this country? Have we become so jaded that truthfulness no longer matters? Are we so saturated by television 'reality' that we think [that] spin is the truth?
Jaycie Ingersoll
Beverly Hills, California
Los Angeles Times
Thursday 14 October 2004
California Section / Letters [page B-10]
The article by Antonia Juhasz ("A Nice Little War to Fill the Coffers", Commentary, Oct. 14) should have been published on the front page instead of the editorial section. It gives figures and facts and does not seem to be an opinion.
It is frightening to think that we will have another four years of this unbelievable immoral and evil behavior if President Bush wins. It should be mandatory reading for all.
Elinor G. Crawford
Venice, California
Los Angeles Times
Sunday 19 September 2004
Opinion Section / Letters [page M-4]
Sterling Harris
Long Beach, California
James Underdown
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles Times
Wednesday 28 August 2004
California Section / Letters [page B-12]
After his speech at the Democratic National Convention, all I can say is, let's repeal the 22nd Amendment and elect Bill Clinton president!
Jimmy Gow
Torrance, California
Los Angeles Times
Saturday 17 July 2004
California Section / Letters [page B-18]
America is safer, but if Al Qaeda attacks around Nov. 2 we may have to postpone the election (especially if President Bush trails in the polls).
All the intelligence on Iraq was wrong, but the war was right.
Sen. John Kerry doesn't have the combat experience to be commander in chief, but Bush's National Guard records were inadvertently destroyed.
Millionaires Kerry and John Edwards cannot speak for the common man, but millionaires Bush and Dick Cheney can.
We have given Iraq freedom from oppression, but not from getting its people killed by the dozen.
Are Lewis Carroll and George Orwell alive and kicking, writing the history of our day?
Fred Bauman
Riverside, California
Los Angeles Times
Sunday 21 March 2004
California Section / Opinion / Letters [page M-4]
Marty Trujillo
Westminster, California
Politics seems to be the only place where a draft dodger from Wyoming and an AWOL guardsman from Texas can question the loyalty of an authentic war hero from Massachusetts.
Jerry Buck
Sherman Oaks, California
Los Angeles Times
Monday 15 March 2004
California Section / Letters [page B-10]
In "The Fringe Fires at Bush on Iraq" (Commentary, March 11), Max Boot conveniently ignores the fact that my case against the decision to go to war was based on President Bush's own statements misrepresenting the threat posed by Saddam Hussein and the intelligence community's specific dissents from those statements.
On Oct. 2, 2002, as Congress was preparing to vote on authorizing the war, Bush called the Iraqi regime "a threat of unique urgency". In a speech in Cincinnati, he said, "Facing clear evidence of peril, we cannot wait for the final proof the smoking gun that could come in the form of a mushroom cloud." In his 2003 State of the Union address, he said: "Evidence from intelligence sources, secret communications and statements by people now in custody reveal that Saddam Hussein aids and protects terrorists, including members of Al Qaeda."
A mushroom cloud. An urgent and unique threat. Close links to Al Qaeda. These were the administration's rallying cries for war. None of that was true. The intelligence community was far from unified. The administration concealed that fact by classifying the dissents in the intelligence community until after the war and continuing to make false claims about the immediacy of the danger. Iraqi exiles are bragging about how they misled us so effectively. The truth was there, but those in the Bush administration refused to see it. They wanted to go to war in the worst way, and they did.
Sen. Ted Kennedy
D-Massachusetts
Los Angeles Times
Monday 15 March 2004
California Section / Op-Ed Page [page B-11]
by Jamin Raskin
You may think such a right already exists, but it doesn't. In fact, among 119 electoral democracies in the world, the United States is one of only 11 whose constitutions do not include the right to vote and to be represented. This embarrassing national secret reflects our origins as a slave republic in which votes were cast only by white male property owners over 21. Universal suffrage was never on the agenda in Philadelphia, and the founders left the tricky issue of voter qualifications to state legislatures. Only gradually was the electorate broadened in the years that followed, with anti-discrimination amendments that prevent disenfranchisement based on race (the 15th), gender (the 19th) and failure to pay a poll tax (the 24th).
But these incremental stabs at voting rights fall way short of international standards requiring universal suffrage. Florida 2000 was not a fluke but a vivid glimpse behind the scenes of a fragmented and politically compromised system that, according to a Caltech and MIT study, managed to lose the votes of more than 4 million Americans in that election.
Florida highlighted several things: We have no uniform ballot for national elections, but a free-for-all of local butterfly and caterpillar ballots spawning confusion. We have no inde- pendent, nonpartisan federal commission overseeing national elections, as Mexico has, but rather partisan state officials doing the job, like Florida Secretary of State Katharine Harris, who doubled as state chair of the Bush campaign. We have no national voter registration system, as more than 100 nations do, but rather state-based systems subject to manipulation. So under the guise of centralizing Florida's voter list, Harris contracted with a private company that proceeded, under her direction, to wrongly purge more than 18,000 voters, most of them minorities, on the false grounds that they were ex-felons. We don't even have a national ballot count or tally.
Florida laid bare the undemocratic structures that constrain our politics. When the Florida Supreme Court ordered the counting of 175,000 ballots that did not register on the punch-card machines, Republican legislative leaders threatened to disregard the popular vote and choose their own electors. This threat startled much of the nation. But, in Bush vs. Gore, the Supreme Court quickly recorded that they were acting within their powers under Article II ("Each state shall appoint, such manner as the legislature thereof may direct, a number of electors
").
The court emphasized that the "individual citizen has no federal constitutional right to vote for electors for the president of the United States."
By defining voting as a state-conferred privilege rather than the people's inalienable right, the Constitution leaves millions outside the representative structure.
In Washington, D.C., for instance, 570,898 citizens have no representative in the Senate or the House with voting privileges even though they pay, proportionately, more federal taxes than people in every state but Connecticut and even though Washington residents have fought in every war since the Revolution. Their disenfranchisement is unique among the world's capital city residents. But the Supreme Court rejected a district voting rights challenge in 2000 on the grounds that Washingtonians are not state residents.
In all, there are more than 8 million disenfranchised U.S. citizens, a population larger than the populations of Wyoming, Vermont, Alaska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Delaware, Maine and Nebraska combined.
About 4.1 million of these people live in the territories mostly Puerto Rico, but also Guam, American Samoa and the U.S. Virgin Islands. These citizens have no voting representation in Congress and cannot vote for president, which, in the case of Puerto Rico, according to the U.S. 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals, "is the cause of immense resentment."
On the mainland, especially in the Deep South, many states supervise an increasingly controversial internal political colony. More than 3.9 million citizens, 2% of the country's eligible voting population, are disenfranchised because of felony convictions. More than one-third of these people have done their time but have nonetheless lost their right to vote forever. The policy is not uniform; different states handle it in different ways.
Such political punishment is a tactic not of individual rehabilitation but of mass electoral suppression. The ex-felon group is disproportionately poor, minority and, probably, Demo- cratic. In the 2000 election, which was clinched by a little more than 500 votes, Florida had disenfranchised more than 600,000 citizens for their felony convictions. Florida takes the position that ex-felons can never get their voting rights back. Other national supreme courts, such as Canada's, have overturned similar laws, invoking universal suffrage provisions in their constitutions.
Around the world, almost all electoral democracies have written positive suffrage guarantees into their constitutions. What about us, the super-democracy that spends billions promoting elections abroad? Before we take up the idea of "one man, one woman," how about dusting off "one person, one vote"?
Los Angeles Times
Sunday 4 February 2001
Opinion Section / Letters / Little Box In The Left-hand Corner [page M-4]
Gary Garshfield
Irvine, California
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