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Kerry Concedes Election To Bush

Posted by timothy on Wed Nov 03, 2004 11:39 AM
from the now-clean-up-all-these-damn-peanuts dept.
WilliamGeorge points to this MSNBC story "that presidential candidate John Kerry has called George W Bush to concede the election. So it is over, and without a lot of extra fuss and recounts."
+ -
story
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  • by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday November 03 2004, @11:40AM (#10711096)
    And let us move back to our normal bickering of Linux vs. BSD.
  • Oh Canada! (Score:5, Funny)

    by raehl (609729) * <raehl311@nOsPAM.yahoo.com> on Wednesday November 03 2004, @11:40AM (#10711105) Homepage
    I guess I better learn the rest of that.
  • by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday November 03 2004, @11:41AM (#10711110)
    Sheesh, what am I going to do for entertainment between now and Thanksgiving?
    • - Calculate your share of the National Deficit
      - Take up assault weapon collecting as a hobby
      - Figure out how to best invest your $300 annual Bush tax savings to cover the social security benefits you'll never get
      - Become rich, then get all your income from mostly untaxed dividends and capital gains income
      - Join the guard and train for a one year tour of duty in Iraq
      - Move so that the selective service can't find you
      - Take some gay people and a girlfriend (work with me here) to Vegas. Taunt them by getting married and divorced inside of 12 hours.
      - Make a sign saying "The Government should stay out of our lives!" and go protest in front of an abortion clinic.
      - Pick up bow and arrow making to capitalize on the new corporate tax incentives
      - Do something illegal, get arrested, and excercise your right to trial before 4 years of Bush-appointed, Republican confirmed Supreme Court appointees uphold the Patriot Act's elimination of right to trial.
  • by Ishkibble (581826) on Wednesday November 03 2004, @11:41AM (#10711119) Homepage
    what a shame, kerry would of lead the country in a better direction. it is truly a shame we have to wait another 4 years for some improvement to happen to this country
  • by jgaynor (205453) <jon@NOspam.gaynor.org> on Wednesday November 03 2004, @11:41AM (#10711132) Homepage


    Can someone tell me where I can sign-up for the upcoming Civil War?

    • by Jerf (17166) on Wednesday November 03 2004, @12:06PM (#10712042) Journal
      Can someone tell me where I can sign-up for the upcoming Civil War?

      That was it, last night. Every election is a bloodless civil war.

      In all seriousness, continued attempts to start a bloddy one one are going to be met with overwhelming hostility. The solution to losing an election is not to start a war, and anybody who truly acts like it is shouldn't be moving to Canada, they should be moving to central Africa or something where that sort of barbaric behavior really is the expected result.

      I'm not a "love it or leave it" person; I'm a "love it, leave it, work within the system to change it, or shut the hell up" person. But if you really think this is worth killing people because an election didn't go your way, then I offer you two other choices: Shut the hell up about "civil war" and grow up, or yes, get the hell out.

      Good lord. You can demonize conservatives as much as you want, but when Clinton won, nobody talked about civil war.

      Grow up, kiddies. You lose sometimes. Now is a chance to rebuild and refocus. Start a war and I'll be first in line to stop you with all necessary force.
  • by h0mer (181006) on Wednesday November 03 2004, @11:41AM (#10711137)
    4 years closer to Wal-Mart Nation... let's go get some NASCAR shit and go off to church!
    • by the_2nd_coming (444906) on Wednesday November 03 2004, @11:44AM (#10711245) Homepage
      wal-mart nation? surly you mean Born-again nation.

      if you heard the Bush supporters calling up, they voted for him because of religion, no other reason.

      so, now that Bush thinks God wants him to be president and he things God is telling him how to govern, we are in deep shit during his Legacy term.
    • by jayhawk88 (160512) <rockchalk88@yahoo.com> on Wednesday November 03 2004, @11:45AM (#10711311) Homepage
      Yeah, because Big Business was really on the run during the Clinton years.

      I've said it once and I'll say it again: The quicker we all figure out that both Democrats(Liberals) and Republicans(Conservatives) are both in it to fuck over the common man, the better off we'll all be.
      • by Ars-Fartsica (166957) on Wednesday November 03 2004, @11:57AM (#10711735)
        Both parties to quote Gore Vidal have simply become two branches of the Property Party. Both parties are primarily interested in feeding the special interest groups that they rely on for funding (yes, this goes for Democrats too).

        The situation for Americans wanting a real choice is becoming more bleak with each election. We need new parties.

  • by Flaming Halo (66391) on Wednesday November 03 2004, @11:42AM (#10711184)
    ...lets out a resounding "Aw, crap."
  • by applemasker (694059) on Wednesday November 03 2004, @11:42AM (#10711192)
    First the Red Sox win the Series, now this.

    The only question in my mind is what form will the other two Horsemen take?

    At least I don't have to update my .sig

    Some silver lining.

  • Huh? (Score:5, Interesting)

    by Alan (347) <arcterex@@@ufies...org> on Wednesday November 03 2004, @11:43AM (#10711223) Homepage
    I'm confused, the race is really close (252/254) with at least one major swing state still not finished counting and with the race there still at 50%/49% or so. I thought that if it was a tight race you didn't give up.

    *sigh*
  • took the high road (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Ubergrendle (531719) on Wednesday November 03 2004, @11:44AM (#10711254) Homepage Journal
    Looks like Kerry took the high road and decided to avoid a long drawn out affair. New Mexico and Iowa don't mean anything at this point, with Ohio representing the presidency.

    I've seen reports of anywhere from 100,000 to 250,000 provisional votes, plus absentee ballots, plus recounts where necessary, still all hanging in the balance. Its a slim chance, but Kerry could still possibly win it if he pressed ahead with a long, drawn out legal battle. I'm assuming that his concession is a statement that he will not lead the Democrats down that road for the good of the country.

    Ohio still has the responsibility of counting those ballots, though.
  • by evilned (146392) on Wednesday November 03 2004, @11:45AM (#10711308) Homepage
    Terry McAulliff will almost have to be fired as head of the DNC.
  • Here we go...... (Score:5, Insightful)

    by acoustix (123925) on Wednesday November 03 2004, @11:46AM (#10711318) Homepage
    ...with all of the conspiracy theories, about how the country will self-destruct, the world as we know it will end...

    Aren't people tired of predicting the end of the world? Call me crazy, but I think we'll still be around 4 years from now with another successful election taking place.

  • It isn't over (Score:5, Interesting)

    by Bronz (429622) on Wednesday November 03 2004, @11:48AM (#10711395)
    Technically, an election isn't over until the electoral college meets on December 13, 2004 (the Monday after the second Wednesday in December). At which point the electors are not bound to the results of their state as to who to cast their vote towards. Even if Bush won 100% of the popular vote, and Kerry conceeded 1 minute after the first precinct closed, Kerry could still be elected president. Or Nader for that matter.

  • There will be much ranting and raving and cries of how stupid the American people are, but there are some very simple things at work here.

    Bush didn't win, Kerry lost.

    Kerry was a TERRIBLE candidate. He took both sides of every issue. He would tell people whatever they wanted to hear. When people can't get a sense of where a candidate stands on anything, the incumbent wins. Really, it's as simple as that. I don't think many people were enthusiastic Bush supporters, but most people couldn't stomach voting for Kerry.

    Instead of asking why the American people voted for Bush, ask yourself why the Democrats couldn't come up with a better candidate than Kerry.

  • by EnronHaliburton2004 (815366) on Wednesday November 03 2004, @11:49AM (#10711432) Homepage Journal
    Something that wasn't covered very well on the news was the number of Gay Marriage measures in different states.

    Bush won the vote in many of those states because Christians showed up to vote to ban Gay Marriage.

    Very clever on part of the Republican Strategists. It is doubtful that the "Evangellical Christians" would have voted if the anti-gay measures weren't on the ballot.

    Evangellical Christians only show up when they can vote a fool into power or restrict personal liberties. I left my home town because of those fascists...
  • by Junks Jerzey (54586) on Wednesday November 03 2004, @11:51AM (#10711529)
    Seriously, Bush is the worst president in the last 50 years. This is widely accepted and discussed; it's not my simple-minded view. He does things that no one would tolerate in the person running the company they work for, let alone a powerful country, like completely ignoring all the facts presented to him and making calls based on unfounded instinct.

    So how the hell did he get elected? A combination of:

    1. People, especially people over 50, who blindly vote for "their" party candidate.
    2. A bizarre, misguided group who regard Bush as having high morals. I'm as dumbfounded as anyone here, but just watch how often this comes up in analyses.
    3. A similarly bizarre, misguided group who seem to think that Iraq was responsible for the 9/11 attacks and Bush is keeping them from attacking us again.
    4. Voting for the status quo is safer than a new guy.
    5. Nobody really liked Kerry all that much. The anti-Bush people latched onto him because he's all we had.

    This is a good argument for changing how a president is elected. For a good read, see Peter Norvig's Hiring a President [norvig.com].

    A sad day indeed.
  • My generation (Score:5, Insightful)

    by falcon5768 (629591) <Falcon5768@NOsPAM.comcast.net> on Wednesday November 03 2004, @11:56AM (#10711719) Journal
    FUCKING SUCKS....

    Seriously, the youth vote was just as bad this year as it was four years ago..... What do we have to do make it a video game to make you stupid fucks vote? Your lives and the direction the country your going to be in charge of one day doesnt mean jack to you? Im sorry but they should just take away voting for 18 year olds and bring it back to 21 year olds.... if you guys cant use your right to vote, you shouldnt have it.

  • by CtAhBeAbNoAy (827653) on Wednesday November 03 2004, @11:59AM (#10711814)
    WOW - what a difference a day makes. Yesterday was how un-American it would be to vote for Bush and how he divides the country and now with Bush winning, it's "America is going to HELL" and "I'm moving to Canada." Who is really dividing America? I understand having passion for your beliefs, but now it is time to join together!!! America is great because of its individuals and its morals.
  • by rattler14 (459782) on Wednesday November 03 2004, @12:00PM (#10711872)
    So that battle between socialism (nationwide health care, expanded government welfare, progressive income taxes) and facism (patriot act, patriot act II?) will be faught again another day. Each side doing what's "best for america", meanwhile eroding our liberties away.

    And somewhere... my man michael badnarik is crying :)

    T'is a sad day for me indeed. Support instant runoff voting! This 2 party crap has got to go.

    alright, now flame away. But I had to get that off my chest.
  • despair (Score:5, Interesting)

    by CGP314 (672613) <CGPNO@SPAMColinGregoryPalmer.net> on Wednesday November 03 2004, @12:06PM (#10712052) Homepage
    What depresses me the most about this is when GWB was elected, we didn't know what he was going to do. Now, with this election the American people have said "I agree with what you've done and would like more."

    I'm an American in London [colingregorypalmer.net] and used to be able to tell Europeans that I hope most of the American people don't approve of Bush and wouldn't have voted him in if they knew what he was going to do. Now I see that I am wrong and I despair.
    • by pavon (30274) on Wednesday November 03 2004, @11:51AM (#10711528)
      I agree that conceding is a very gentlemanly thing to do, but comming from one of the states who hasn't even finished processing our ballots I am a little annoyed. At this point, the electoral votes in are 254 to 252, with 32 votes out. Even if the exit polls showed that it was likely that Kerry would not win, it is the votes that determine the election not the polls. It wouldn't have divided the country any more to have given those states time to complete their tallies and then concede. But oh well, splitting hairs I guess. I am glad it is over, and here's to hoping the next 4 years will be better than the last.
    • by woodhouse (625329) on Wednesday November 03 2004, @12:05PM (#10712028) Homepage
      Strange. In the UK at least, we count all the votes before working out who has won, and then if the results are close, we count them again. What a warped system you have in the US.
    • Re:disappointment (Score:5, Insightful)

      by Bull999999 (652264) on Wednesday November 03 2004, @11:54AM (#10711628) Journal
      I am disappointed that the younger crowd (18-25 age group), who bitched the loudest, ended up with the piss poor voting record as usual. I'm also disappointed that Kerry was foolish enough to court that group of voters while Bush was busy courting older voters [cbsnews.com] which proven record of voting and won.

      So if any of you out there (of legal voting age) who bitched but didn't vote, please stop bitching, as some other foolish candidate in the future may end up running supporting your cause thinking that you may actually vote.
      • Re:Well, (Score:5, Insightful)

        by cje (33931) on Wednesday November 03 2004, @11:55AM (#10711641) Homepage
        um... actually, most of us DID like it - the plurality of the vote went for Bush, after all. .. I know, I know - 43% to 18% of /. readers apparently like Kerry vs. Bush ..

        I suspect that's what he meant by "us" .. Slashdot readers, not Americans in general.
    • by gamgee5273 (410326) on Wednesday November 03 2004, @12:00PM (#10711876) Homepage Journal
      While you could have been a little more subtle about it, I think you are quite right. At this point there is no one to blame but those who voted for Dubya. He is no longer an unknown commodity... people knew what they were voting for going into this...

      Thus, I agree: I no longer blame Bush for the situation we're in. I blame the American public.

            • Re:Sad sad day (Score:5, Insightful)

              by sjwaste (780063) on Wednesday November 03 2004, @12:05PM (#10712015)
              There's a lot of economists that tend to believe Kerry would be awful for the economy. Six of them are nobel laureates. Have a look at this:

              Economists against Kerrynomics [nationalreview.com]

              Besides, we were already in a recession when Clinton left office. The surplus was dissipating as the tech bubble burst and the market took a dive. The subsequent accounting scandals didn't help. 9/11 didn't help. I'm not saying Bush didn't overspend, he did. What I'm saying is, he's planning to spend less than Kerry. To be quite honest, that's the main issue I voted on.