Be honest: how have you handled the past two months on a personal level?

[ShinerTX]

I said this in another thread: I haven't slept well for nearly two months now because of this election. I can barely eat, and I've lost ten pounds. I'm tense all the time, I move rapidly between depression and anger, and I feel like I'm isolated.

Is anyone out there feeling like this? Or am I just taking this too hard? How has everyone else been since the election? What is helping you through it?

[Patsy Stone]

1. Add smoking too much, please :) n/t

[glitch]

142. You'll probably appreciate this: I quit smoking in January 2000.

Looks like I picked the wrong millenium to quit smoking.

[Newsjock]

2. I know where your pounds went

I haven't slept well for nearly two months now because of this election. I eat all the time, and I've gained ten pounds. I'm tense all the time, I move rapidly between depression and anger, and I feel like I'm isolated.

[KaliTracy]

4. disjointed, distracted,

eating too much and not sleeping enough. BUT -- since I've found people who were liked minded (starting at bradblog, and now here), i do feel a bit more in control. Still not enough hours in the day.... but what else is new...

[SharonRB]

81. No, I know where her pounds went

I've been the same way. All I want to do is eat and I've gained 12 pounds since the week before the election.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

93. The last couple of weeks I've been gaining those 10 pounds too.

I don't feel isolated as I have an excellent network of like-minded friends that I met on AOL message boards over the last 3 years, and the posts of DUers have also been reassuring, letting me know that I am not alone. Yet the thought of what lies ahead of us if Bush takes the oath has me in a state of confusion as what to personally do. I believe that our country will overtly become fascist and to live in a society like that is not in my vocabulary. I have two teenaged sons, a business and a very comfortable home, and am torn about shedding my "stuff" and relocating, resisting (and possibly spend my years meditating in a camp somewhere), or will I not have the courage and become like those in Nazi Germany just accepting? There will be many challenges ahead for all of us if this election is allowed to stand, and I am humbly sending my thoughts out there into the Universe that the choices we all make will be for the highest good.

Have to light another cigarette right now.......

[mahina]

122. In solidarity,

imagine if the Germans who saw how things were going stayed and resisted.
That is right where we are.

We are strong, we will resist, we will hold them to account, we will bring back the greatness that our country promised the world and * is defaulting on.


Please watch the video "A Force More Powerful" and understand that we can resist and make huge change. Netflix doesn't carry it yet, though it is an older PBS documentary. I am working on them. Your library might have it, University library certainly will. Powerful! Resist!

If we all just convert ONE compliant person each we will change the course of history.


Just had to jump in here...back to reading this most necessary thread..

[electropop]

128. I've got a couple of those pounds too

I am continually nervous and frightened. I grew up in a democracy, and living under a dictatorship is something I never mentally prepared for. My heart races, my hands shake, my feet sweat, and I wake up many times in the night. It doesn't seem to get better over time, although the depression is gradually replaced by anger and fear.

[Clark2008]

172. Are the pounds gained fat or muscle?

The reason I ask is something that was, well...

Someone told me I looked like Linda Hamilton tonight. I hadn't thought about the Terminator as a MOVIE since dickweed got elected gov. Remember in the second Terminator how she'd buffed herself up to prepare for the fight?

We should be building muscle and strength for a fight - whether it's physical or mental, a strong body leads to good mental health and vice versa. Hell, look at Karl Rove - a whole shit load of us with strong minds and bodies should take that fat fuck in two seconds.

Take that nervous energy and build it - be healthy. Not everyone can be skinny or buff or whatever - just take that nervous energy and MOVE ON... MOVE IT OUT.

[madison2000]

3. DU and Air America Radio

If I didn't keep reminding myself all day every day that there are plenty of people out there who think and feel as I do, I would be much worse off. I had a delayed reaction- stayed in bed and cried all day on Nov 9 and 10. I heard a therapist who called in on AAR during a local (Saturday) show a couple weeks ago, and she said that the cure for "soulsickness" is activism.

That's what our condition is called, and I'm pretty sure its the cure.

Edit: I've been dealing with unemployment/no health insurance for the last few months... those issues motivated me to volunteer for the Kerry campaign, and that made me feel hopeful. I finally got a job today and will have insurance again in 3 months. I could still be in bad shape if Kerry were elected, but at least I would feel like he "gets" that ordinary people are hurting. I don't understand at all why some people say that Kerry is elitist and aloof while Bush is a "regular guy" so they voted for him. Unemployed, unisured idiots who vote for someone as dumb as they are because they'd rather have a beer with him than his opponent. Problem is their poor judgment hurts everyone.

[electropop]

130. yeah, thanks Air America and DU!

I'm in bad shape, but I know I'd be worse without hearing/reading sane thoughts on a daily basis.

[glitch]

5. Added 10 lbs I did not need. You take mine. You are not alone. nt

:hug:

[Alisa]

6. It has hit me hard too

I did isolate for about a month, started reading DU and listening to Air America. I am coming out of it a little bit but I'm still not grounded. I want to fight - but don't have a way that seems effective. I feel like a German of the '30's. I wince and grimly look around me and feel... very uncomfortable. It's hard to focus on work, I feel like our whole paradigm is about to change.

[SharonRB]

83. I feel like that, too

I've been spending way too much time on DU at work. Luckily, I've been pretty slow at work and have had the time to kill. Once I get busy again, starting next week, I know I won't be able to be out here as much. Without the information I pick up out here, though, I'd feel totally isolated and feel like they were things going on that I didn't know about. Thanks everyone for being here for all of us! A special thanks to Will Pitt for his updates and insider information.

[electropop]

131. that's an exact description of my situation

It's so hard to concentrate, and I spend a lot of time here searching for some tiny morsel of hope. Lucky my office is slow lately too. Though I'm ready for a speedup so I don't become part of the Bushit economy (unemployed).

[understandinglife]

7. Totally fulfilled; nothing like participating in saving a democracy...

...to keep you healthy, challenged, agile, and aware of how wonderful it is to care about something, totally, that you do not own or possess but that you share and nurture along with every other committed citizen.

Peace.

"Its 7 Jan 2005: do you know who your president is?"

[Zan_of_Texas]

8. Good question.

I've been like this for 3 years. I first started asking questions about the voting stuff nearly two years ago. Before that, I was deeply immersed in researching the Enron collapse, for a solid year.

At first, I'll admit, it's physically difficult. To take in the new information that everything is FUBAR, it takes some serious realignment of one's sense of the world. It's like that island that moved because of the earthquake -- your sense of stability, that all's right with the world, is set off balance.

When you really get into it and realize that many corporations, many of the wealthy, most of Congress, the White House, most of the media, and some religious and other leaders are in this deal to destroy, rape and pillage, it is not a fun realization.

So, anyway, I remember how long it took to free the slaves, to win the vote for women, to bring gay rights out of invisibility. I want instant results, but I remember that grass roots efforts take a long time to build.

[glitch]

10. Well, if you want to go back to 2000, then I guess we're talking 20 lbs.

Patience is one of the hardest lessons I've learned in the past four years. Well, still learning.

[SammyWinstonJack]

70. Same here.

A good twenty pounds since the first sElection and depressed most of the time. I had HOPE but no more.

[latteromden]

9. I'm fine, now - it's difficult sometimes, and certainly, the next four

years will be the hardest thing I've ever faced, but I can't ever quit. There's too much at stake to rest.

[loudsue]

11. Not worth a damn, Shiner... haven't handled it well at all.

I'm obsessed, unfortunately. I read every thread here or website that I can on fraud that was perpetrated on our country. I had seen it coming since 2000....I even told my neighbors after the Supremes ruled for bush in 2000 that "this is the end of our country as we've known it".

But deep inside, I kept HOPING that the BBV movement had shed enough light on the voting machines that it would be really hard to steal this election.

When I saw the election turn during the night of Nov 2 & 3, I kind of went into shock. When I woke up the next morning and my husband told me Kerry just conceded, I felt like my guts had been ripped out. I'm NOT OVER IT!! And I never will be.

But I know it's going to get a whole lot worse for our country before this nightmare is over.

I feel like I've always been "married" to America, and then find out this "spouse" is a serial killer/rapist, on hard drugs, with a huge gambling problem that just wiped us out, before he ran off with my children into hiding, and his brother, the judge, just stuck me with child support payments that I can't pay, and I may go to jail if I don't come up with the money, which I can't, because I lost my job. << I know that sounds pretty melodramatic; but all those feelings of betrayal, desperation, injustice, hopelessness, outrage, insanity, loss, grief.... I feel them all at the same time.

:cry: It's been a rough full moon, no? I'm glad there's DU.

:kick:



It's like "the death of hope" sometimes.

[mahina]

123. On a hopeful note,

it feels to me that our country's hypocrisy is now fully revealed. The bulls*t we were pulling in Central America and around the world for 30+ years has come around to bite us in the ass because we went along saying "well that doesn't affect me."

So NOW we have a chance to wake this country up and be reborn to our founders' ideals and our own freedom.

Some friends tell me I am naive. I still believe in the lighthouse of American freedom, just that it was abandoned and occupied by pirates for a while. But the light still works, we just have to reclaim it, starting by understanding as a society who is running it now.


Pirate metaphors! Arrgh mateys!

[Firespirit]

12. Major changes.

I lost 15 pounds, not good b/c I only weighed 105 before the election. Managed to put about 8 back on after Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Consuming upwards of 6 cups of coffee and 4 glasses of tea a day. I'm thoroughly addicted now, but it has helped.

And emotionally... totally bipolar. I'm on the rollercoaster that people here mention. I'll read a good piece of news and go sky-high, only to be taken down later. Talk of addictions... I'm almost afraid to go to DU these days because I don't know whether it'll be a lift, a downer, a flame-fest, a grumble-fest, some of all, or what. But I still would rather know than not.

Hmm... That last sentence pretty well sums up my feelings on the whole sorry business.

:grouphug: for DU.

[insane_cratic_gal]

13. Resolute and Determined

I still think there is work to be done.

Jan 6th make a showing in DC (on my top to do list)

Federal level election reform is also on the top of my agenda.

Educating Americans about voting machines (amazingly they still know little about it, or believe fraud is impossible, unless it's their candidate who benefits)

We can't allow this to happen again, ever.

It's one thing when it's fair, it's another when wide spread manipulation and suppression happens.
Not in my Country, not ever again.

[sepia_steel]

18. Thankfully -

I did not pick up smoking again. I quit in June. I have gained 8 pounds recently. I can't stand to get up in the morning without checking DU. I abandon my own message board to wait here for news. My fingernails - GONE. I forego make-up to check DU before I leave the house. Dishes tend to pile up for a couple of days now. I feel hopeless, disgusted, angry, motivated all at once. I email politicians and media people all friggin' day. My online friends are sick of hearing me talk about this stuff. I sleep until I can't sleep anymore, but still wake up too early. I am frustrated because people don't understand the magnitude of this or its importance. They don't know, and they don't want to know. I finally crumbled and cried (can't remember what development set me off; it was about 2 weeks ago).

I am hopeful, but a mess. Not giving up.

[Mister Ed]

89. Me too. n/t

[Barney Rocks]

14. for a while, I was so depressed

that I couldn't get out of bed at all. I have been sleeping most of the time--and I have been overeating.

I can barely stand the news--even DU. I feel very very low.

And I am angry. I am angry that we are not taking to the streets like they did in Russia. I am angry that we do idiotic things--like standing in front on an empty house--when we should be taking our country back. Why are our leaders so ineffective?

[Eye_on_prize]

62. "leaders" don't leave people wondering this..face it. we don't have

leaders, we have a comfortable 2-party charade calling itself 'democracy'...while the whole freekin world laughs and knows better.
yuk. we deserve better. we R better than this.

[Barney Rocks]

138. I agree with you 100%. n/t

[Withywindle]

15. Nervous, irritable....

a bit withdrawn, smoking too much, weird sleep patterns. I think I've lost weight; I know I'm vitamin-deficient in all sorts of ways, not much appetite. I know I don't laugh as easily as I did before the election. I know I'm not taking as much pleasure in fun silly things as I used to.

Likeminded people help. The 'Return of the King' EE helps; oddly enough, so does exquisitely depressing music like Leonard Cohen and Nick Drake and Richard Thompson. (And sometimes 'Dr. Strangelove...' and Sabbath's 'War Pigs') Drafting endless letters to various political figures (two of which have actually gotten e-mailed) seems to briefly alleviate the symptoms.

[saracat]

16. I am still furious. I don't sleep well, and I am filled with hatred for

the pos squatting again in the WH.. I have developed a medical condition that makeds it almost impossible to work, my hubby is working at a shit job and all our money is going into private medical insurance because his company let him go 2 years short of being vested . I am working to move the party left and have cut all Republicans out of my life.That lessens the stress.

[noclonyofthechimp]

87. I hate all this hate I feel inside when I see someone speak from the

WH. It isn't healthy. I am sorry to hear that you are physically ill from this mess.:hug:

[Corey_Baker08]

17. I think it hit me way to hard for being 15

The past couple of months have really hit me hard. I am only 15 but I wanted this elction as much as anybody. I find myself keep looking back and remembering the Kerry rally in Dayton on Oct 19 where all of those people where there showing unity and support for Kerry. After I left that rally that night was completely optimistic that Americas future was bright and that John kerry was gonna be our next President.

I was really active in my school and there wasnt a single person in the school that didnt know that I believed passionately that Kerry was gonna be our next President. Since then my grades have seriously bgan failing and I dont concentrate in any class and whenever I get a chance I still bring up the election. Most people would question Y I took it so hard being only 15 but I know first hand about the policies of Bush.

Both of my parents lost their Ohio manufacturing jobs and I am now without healthcare.It just suprises me how ignorant some ppl can be. I actually had this one girl tell m that if John Kerry ere President she believed he would close down all the churches. AHHHHHHH PPL R Stupid.

Neways just thought Id share.

Happy New Years

[Corey_Baker08]

19. O Yea And I find myself drinking more...

yea how many of U didnt occasionally drink when ur my age but its all good.Stress sucks ecspecially when its over something we all wanted so bad.

Lets take It Back In 2008
Ill Be able 2 vote!

[Sly]

58. Corey

Stop drinking, dude. Channel your energy into something positive...like bringing up your grades. Trust me, everything you're doing right now is going to be interpreted by someone on a college admissions board. Get it together, son -- and get it together quickly. You can take time out to get depressed and drink when you're (way) older...this is not the time for that.

In 2008, I expect you to be in college...excelling in something that will help make a difference in our world. I'm counting on you for that.

[BamaBecky]

74. And

if you can't stop by yourself, seek some "good" help. Life is short. We care.

[Corey_Baker08]

113. Ya I Know

I only drink occasionally and i dont need help. I fully intend to b in college when im 18 and am really thinking of a career in Politics. My great Uncle was a lower level offical on the Nixon and Kennedy Admn. so its in my blood. The only thing is I am a true Democrat and could never see myself turning Republican.

Thanks 4 your support

[SmokingJacket]

127. I'm a fine one to talk, I'm sure, but...

Corey, alcohol can do really bad things to your mood-regulation system. I shudder to think of your young and growing brain (and liver) having to deal with that stuff.

You sound like an awesome kid.

I hope my sons grow up to be like you.

[sepia_steel]

21. My god.

You are such a bright person. I wish I had been more like you at 15. Your posts make me so happy.

Keep yer chin up, we're in this together.

[Left coast liberal]

29. You got a head on your shoulders, kid!

You'll go far! Plenty of idiots out there like the clueless gal, just blow right on past them.

Maybe you should think about running for office some day! Just a suggestion...

High five to you.

:hi:

[Turn CO Blue]

30. Bless your heart...

Be proud of yourself that you are so aware and active at your age. Amazing!

Hang in there. And absorb everything you can in school because we'll need you to be a well-educated activist now and in a few years after school or college!

[loudsue]

49. Corey, you're a remarkable young man.

I understand your disenchantment, completely! But there's something REALLY important about where you are in your life that is VERY important to the future for all of us!

You said your grades are slipping as a result of you being down. And that is understandable: it's really hard to concentrate and move toward a better future when all you see is hopelessness and injustice.

BUT!! :) The grades you make in school NOW, and the things you might get out of your studies, are going to help you in your future, more than you can currently imagine. If I had ever believed, as a sophomore in high school, how OFTEN I was going to have to use geometry in my line of work when I got older, you can bet your bottom dollar I would have stayed up late studying more often! It never occurred to me that geometry was important, because I was interested in social sciences and biology back then.

Life is FULL of twists and turns....some of them un-BELIEVE-able! Things you'd never guess in a million years can happen! Opportunities you'll find you REALLY want can land in your lap quicker, and more unexpectedly, than you can fathom.

And in another 20 or 25 years, I may want to vote for you for office -- even for President! OR, you may be the one leading the revolution! I may need you to operate on my heart! Or, you could end up being the one who sleuths a stolen election! Who knows? Either way, you need to have more determination now than ever, because what you do NOW either opens or closes doors for you down the road: and at least ONE of those doors you VERY LIKELY will want to have opened.

But what you do NOW determines what you're ALLOWED to do, or qualified to do, LATER! The price you pay in your studies NOW, buys you LOTS of freedom down the road...freedom to choose. Freedom to be the one who KNOWS STUFF!

Those of us, who are over 50, really need those of you who have great insight (like you obviously do), and who will be stronger as we get older and weaker. Right now, you're looking to the ones who are older and in government, and you're as disappointed as many of us are. But at a certain point in your life, there is a magical turn-around, where YOU'LL be in charge, and us older ones will be looking back at you -- and the younger ones, like you are now, will be looking up to you for the answers. You can BE the answer, not the problem (like the bush mafia is the problem to us).

You don't have to be famous to be the answer to a problem! But your good grades in school now will lead to opportunities, sooner than you think, and that will prepare you for when your "moments of truth" are ripe, and you're ready to act. It may not look important to you right now, but I promise you, stuff like "good grades", and learning in your courses, turns out to be bigger than you think down the road. Just do your best, and the rest will follow.

Don't let the republicans steal your future, and get you down. Just get determined, more than ever, to be the best you can be right now.

:hug: I think you're great, and I'm really glad you're on DU!!

:kick::kick:

[Corey_Baker08]

52. Thank-You All so Much

I am really new to this but you guys are making this a great experience I am finally starting to feel welcomed on DU. Anyways Thank-You all for your kind words.

I remember my parents telling me a month b4 the election at the rally that if Kerry wins the election they are gonna make sure I go to his inaguration. I thought that was a kind thought by them seeing as it would be financially straining with them both losing their jobs(thanks bush). I just cant help but think it should be me excited about my trip to DC on the 20th not the rich republicans.

Ever1 tells me I should get into politics bcause I absolutely love debating and giving speeches. Most kids like sports and hate giving speechs my age but I get an electric charge off speaking to a crowd. My Great uncle served as a low office level offical for the Nixon and Kennedy Admn. so politics in my blood.

Well see what happens in the future right.

Thank-You all much

[madison2000]

108. Corey, you are young and life is long

You could be one of our future leaders... don't give up!

[SharonRB]

86. Well said, loudsue n/t

[SharonRB]

84. You're learning early

Good for you -- keep up the interest and try to make a difference with other young people for the next election when you can all help us turn it around. And, as for your next post, alcohol isn't the answer. Please, take care of yourself and stop drinking.

[mahina]

124. Aloha Corey

My 15 year old son is in the same boat here, sending you much aloha
He volunteered all week in a camp for kids whose parents are deployed; he had to focus on not blasting the POS in the WH for sending their folks for nothing.

:hug:

Hang in there baby, education will set us free. You did more than you will know. Those kids will figure it out eventually. (Except that girl...)

[bunny planet]

168. Wow, you are inspiring. My 15 year old is not interested in politics that

much yet, I guess because her mom (me) talks about them incessantly since the 2000 election. She might need a break. She does understand why I feel so strongly though.

[StoryTeller]

20. Well, I haven't gained/lost weight at least...

But I have a novel that's due to my editor by the middle of January and I've only done about 12 pages so far. It's a comedy, and I just haven't felt very amused lately. And spending time reading DU doesn't exactly help my daily page count... :)

And I got in an argument with my brother this evening over... well, the whole Iraq/pre-emptive thing. He thinks invading countries just because they have bad rulers is a good thing. Maybe he'd like to invite China or somebody to invade us because they think our ruler is bad... I mentioned the torture of Iraqi prisoners and he shrugged his shoulders and said, "Well, they're evil." And so we proceeded to get into an argument that resulted in him storming out to his car and peeling out of our driveway. So very mature for a 27 year old. I should have just dropped it, I guess. But this afternoon, my mom was talking on the phone with me about the tsunami and death toll, etc. And I mentioned to her about how some people were criticizing Bush for continuing his vacation and not addressing the situation publicly. She responded with "What do they expect him to do? I'm so tired of how everyone expects the US to solve all the world's problems."

So I've spent most of the evening in tears. I love my family, and in many ways they are kind, caring people. It just tears me apart inside to see that they've given their mindless allegiance to a president who has done nothing positive to earn that allegiance. It robs them of the compassion they should have. And I see that sort of thing happening all around me. And I hate it. Not them. IT. That attitude -- that arrogant, selfish, why-shouldn't-we-do-anything-we-want, we're-infallible attitude that the president seems to have infected a large part of the country with. Well, that's not quite fair. The attitude existed before he was president. He's just made it trendy and acceptable.

I do feel a bit isolated. My husband shares my views, but I don't know of anyone else locally who does. I am sure they're around, just haven't met them yet.

What helps me through it? Well, at the risk of bringing my faith into this post, I find myself praying more -- which is a good thing. I ask God not only to work in these situations, but also to help me not to be bitter and resentful. And for peace, in my own heart as well as in the world. After tonight, I'll probably have to ask Him to put a lock on my mouth when in the vicinity of my family members. :)

Posting here makes me feel a bit better...

But I also like what some other people have said -- that being soulsick leads to activism. Taking some sort of positive action always makes me feel better, too.

[Left coast liberal]

173. Storyteller, I don't think you should shut up around your fam

You are part of the family too and you should be able to say what you feel. Sometimes it's like hitting your head against the wall but how else will they ever hear it?

As for your bro, he sounds about 27. Give him some time.

Hang in there.

:)

[shelley806]

178. Your post makes me feel better, and if it's any consolation to you, i'm

sure that you are a great story teller and I wish you success. I have been soulsick for years, and Kerry added hope, now dashed.
I am so worried about the future of this great country that has sullied her garments and still pretends to wear the cloak.

That attitude -- that arrogant, selfish, why-shouldn't-we-do-anything-we-want, we're-infallible attitude...

I just realized that I had to look up in my 'post election notebook' that I've not used much in the past few weeks, for the rules of italics, bold writing etc., and was astounded by all of the energy spent there, trying to figure out why this election was such a horrid fraud, and how they so cleverly covered it up, and how WE THE PEOPLE couldn't see it, but the rest of the world so clearly could. My notebook is just a tiny mirror of the energy expended. I have downloaded so many DU files and links since the election that I've worried about that 'last straw' that might just break the computer's back! I can't believe that it is all for naught. But I know that as a Lover of Truth, I can't live in a country governed by deceit and fraud.

What a proud example of a shining hill of light, a beacon of truth, of freedom, of democracy. Past tense. But I agree with you that Prayer might help.

[rwenos]

22. Anger, Depression, Belligerence

It's been hard, frankly. I get a white hot surge of rage sometimes. What the hell is wrong with this country anyway? I live in Southern California. People in the red states hate us. They've got political power, thanks to the effing Electoral College. I've got relatives in Texas who are laughing up their effing sleeves.

Where the hell are all the Democratic leaders?

We gotta DO something about this. This sucks.

[zann725]

23. A real roller-coaster. Wish I could just 'move on'...

but as someone said on another thread, 'When I think of 4 more years of Shrub, it's just NOT an option.'

The lack of media coverage, and 'spin' on the little coverage there IS, gets discouraging.

I'm determined to 'hang in there,' but the Hoffmeier statement this week really knocked the wind out of things.

I need to spend a little less time blogging, but for now it's how I cope.

[Turn CO Blue]

24. Okay. Here goes...

I cannot focus at all at work, which is awful because we implement a huge cutover in about another month.

I have often found my mind wandering since about a month before the election. Each day I will spend an hour or so surfing DU (not good at work) or just doodling or staring out the window. This may not sound so bad, but I am usually a workaholic devoting 9-10 full hours each day.

I often sit on DU (or other sites) for 2-3 hours each evening, way past my bedtime. I spend most of my time here in the 2004 Election Results Forum.

I have gained at least 11 pounds since November 3rd, and have been actively overeating, obviously as a means of self-medication.

I have argued with my spouse (a few times in an irrational manner) about this election and the evils of BushCo. He has twice advised me that I am venturing into extremist realms (although I daresay on DU, I'd be nearly a moderate) and that I should just "calm down and get over it like everybody else". I threatened to divorce him if he even considered voting for *. When he told me he would not vote for Kerry, I didn't speak to him for four days. Aside: He wound up writing in a candidate - Stephen Hawking (the physicist). It didn't show up on the SOS tallies.

I simply refuse to take my K/E bumpersticker or my "Regime Change Begins at Home" sign off my car -- which my husband says will get my windshield bashed in someday.

On the drive to/from work - I try to tune in to Democracy Now or NPR just hoping for election coverage. Otherwise, I argue with God for justice, and that this cannot possibly be His plan.

In short, I'm rather a mess and am going through the classic stages of grief. My mother died last year of lung cancer (only living 17 days from diagnosis to her passing) and so I was already distracted and "off" enough...

I come here for the sense of not being the only one who feels cheated, angry, lost, bewildered and righteously indignant.


________________________________________
Edited to add that I do feel a little better and more empowered each day, as it dawns on me that I am the government, and that I can make a difference.

[Patsy Stone]

26. Big Kiss.

You are not alone. :)

[sepia_steel]

33. I have to visit Oklahoma soon...

and I am literally worried that someone will damage my car if I leave it in a parking lot with my stickers on it. I'm talking SMALLLLLLLLLLLLLL TOWN Oklahoma. My relatives don't understand me, so I shudder to think what some stranger would do to it...

[fooj]

35. YES!

Cheers! Nothing wrong with righteous indignation!:toast:

[Left Brain]

154. TCB. I hear ya

loud and clear, and I can completely relate. My husband likes to point out how many hours I spend surfing DU or listening to AAR since 11/3. I've abandoned alot of my other interests. Some days I feel as though I'm just holding on for some shred of hope for our country.

I was stopped at a red traffic light on my way home from work today, waiting behind a big, shiny Escalade plastered with "Bush/Cheney," "W04" and "One Man/One Woman" bumper stickers. The biggest and most obnoxious of these graphic eyesores read, "I'm PROUD that BUSH is our President." I wanted to ram my car right up the driver's ass, get out and call her an ignorant, arrogant, self-blindfolded follower of the biggest failure of a President this country has seen in my lifetime (along with a few other choice words I can't print here). I didn't, of course, but the point is that what I would have laughed off two months ago now makes me want to shake the living sh** out of the perpetrators.

This election -- and the frustration of the accompanying fraud -- has changed me. I'm sure of it.

[Turn CO Blue]

165. OMG ROTFLMAO! The full "Collector's Pack" of stickers!

Did they have the obligatory 4x8" yellow Support Our Troops ribbon, as well? And on a gluzzling, gi-normous Escalade too; how f'ing grand for them! Good night, these f'ers have no originality whatsoever.

I totally feel you on your impulse to shake the living sh** out of some of these people. I've lost any tolerance I ever had for rednecks and Nascar or the latte' swilling, sweatervest-wearing WWJD crowd -- (not that I had much patience with either type, but I at least used to be able to pretend).

I honestly despise * and what he and his neo-con puppet masters stand for -- with a flaming neon purple passion!

Note to DU'ers: it's the grief that's making us schizo
- one moment full of inspiration, hope, brotherly love, full of the best of humankind
-the next moment, just feeling obnoxiously smug, intolerant, impatient, depressed, and outraged.

Peace. Truth. Beauty. Love. Honor.

[Left coast liberal]

174. Bingo! Exactly! nt

[pauldp]

25. I feel like I'm in the f*cking Twilight Zone.

There is this big smelly Elephant sitting in the corner of my house but I can only talk about it with a few people. I think realizing the major media outlets have completely gone to the dark side is what really hit me hardest. I was a basket case for the first couple of weeks after the election - little sleep, distracted and feeling like I was going nuts, but since then I've learned to deal with this new bizarre reality I find myself in. Thank god I found DU. My wife has also helped calm me down a bit. I've never been one for conspiracy theories and this election fraud issue has always just seemed like elementary connect the dots - which is why seeing so many people in denial of it just boggles my mind.

Anyway, thank you for your post. I needed that.

[Left coast liberal]

27. Hell yes. Me too. Bleek days.

No more NPR, I have had it with them. Air America, Buzzflash, Truthout and my beloved DU.

I've got little kids so I kinda have to keep my face off the table. Believe me if I could nap all day I would. But, yes, a hugely depressing time right now. I'm probably drinking too much and getting totally obsessed about following the fraud story.

It ain't a pretty sight over here but I can't help feeling like I am living through historically significant times and it will be remembered and spoke of for many years to come.

Sure, not much solace but powerlessness is a state of mind. And, I'm not going to let those F#$%&*ers do that to me.

Don't let them do that to you either.

Hang in there. Hugs from me :pals:

[missouri dem 2]

28. Nope not over it. Started smoking again. Nope not likely to get over it

till the chimp is behind bars where he belongs. In the hoosegow, the pokey, sleeping with his butt to the wall, wishing his lawyer would call.

[Corey_Baker08]

31. O yea I already ordered my...

john Kerry for president 2008 bumper sticker thats gonna fit great on my parents car.

Anybody wanna know the website just post.

Thanks

[Left coast liberal]

34. I honestly can't think forward to '08 yet.

It would feel like quitting.

But, you'll be able to vote for the 1st time? Now that is great. Pass on the interest. Any other teens know what the hell is going on?

[Corey_Baker08]

37. I dunno like I said earlier some ppl my age r just stupid

Ill be abl to vote in 08 for the first time and will definately do my part to get my friends to vote democrat. Some ppl r just stupid right now though hopefully they'l grow out of it. But this one girl said if kerry were President hed close down all churches. Hed take in god we trust off of our money, and the errorsit r afraid of Bush so they wont attack us now but they'll attack if kerry were Preident

[davidgmills]

67. People My Age too -- Where Have all the Flower Children Gone

Yes, I am having a hard time getting over it. In fact, I have had a hard time getting over everything political since three or four months before the war began. My work suffers a great deal because I can't concentrate on anything but politics now.

I went off to college in 1968. I was in college during the height of Vietnam. My generation protested all the time. Many of my genertaion were far left of me at the time. And since then, most all have taken a hard right turn while I have slowely drifted more and more to the left. I often comment that it has been like standing on the beach and watching the tide take all the people you know out with them and you are just left (no pun intended)there.

I have lived my whole adult life in one southern red state or another and believe me it just gets lonlier and lonlier. I want to move but I can't stand the cold and I can't change professions (lawyer) and I can't get reciprocity some place where it is liberal.

[elizm]

92. Someone else feels your pain...

I too have lived in one southern red state or another my whole life (I've been around about the same length of time as you) and it does get lonlier and lonlier. If it wasn't for DU and Air America Radio (which just recently came here and SAVED MY LIFE) I would go nuts. I come from a pretty large family and I am the ONLY one that is not Republican...which made for a very rough going Thanksgiving right after the election. Sometimes I wonder if I AM already nuts...but then quickly dismiss the thought and recognize that OUR values can't be wrong...And I keep marching on!!:hi:

[Turn CO Blue]

39. Oh, heck yes! You will be able to vote by then!

and so will my daughter (she's 14) and my son was able to vote this year with me!

[Corey_Baker08]

40. Cool least we know 08 could be bright

[fooj]

32. dazed and confused...

starved for the truth...angry, passionate, patriotic, fearful,determined, anxious and ready to fight like hell for the dignity and integrity of our vote! So much to deal with...it has truly been one hell of a ride...:crazy: YOU ARE NOT ALONE!!!!! PEACE!!

[Left coast liberal]

36. Shiner, you still there?

I also tried some Mood Elevating Vitamin suppliments too. They seem to really help.

Levity by Geneva Health

:hi:

[ShinerTX]

95. Good idea

I had another person tell me about those this week. I'm going to check them out.

[ginnyinWI]

38. It started when Gore was robbed.

Was angry and appalled at what took office instead.
Have always, from first glance, hated the sight of him.
Had a slow, simmering anger from Dec. 2000 until Sept. 2003,
when the Dem candidates started having their debates.
Hope born again--someone would emerge and take us out of this mess.

John Kerry wins primary--I voted for him. He's great! He's my kind of guy--a guy I would love to have a beer with!! More than Gore. America wants him, and wants Bush out. But the GOP has other plans.

I volunteer, I knock on doors, I'm a ward captain. I work the phone bank. Hours and hours.
Crash. Disbelief. Followed by tears, agony, dread.
So sad--he loves America so much--give him his chance, goddammit!!!

The Kerry blog is gone--nobody to talk to--how can this be real. Find other blogs, find DU.
Then Greg Palast says the election was stolen!
Yes, it all makes sense now.

It's almost two months later, but seems like yesterday--
he stood before us and said, "we can not win this election."
Time stands still. Going through the motions. Have to find my hope again. Nothing seems right. Up one day, down the next. Grief takes time--you can't just wish it away. We lost a beautiful dream.

These things I know:

We are right and they are wrong. Nothing can take that away.
They will be brought down--all evil empires are eventually.
They will rot from the inside.
America will come out of its dark cloud again and the world will be glad again.
We have to keep working for it. We have to be ready to grab it.
Never give up.

[dogindia]

117. yes. we are right..because honor is right

we are asking for truth.

Evil will destroy itself. It is just hard to watch it winning for a while.

I too started this depression with the Gore steal.
Shocked but not surprised at the * steal. On Nov 2 I watched the exit polls all day. To saw the vote turn was just too much. I have not left DU since. Many of the bloggers who posted the exit polls fell into the MSM denial camp.

I have never known such a time of stain and complex outrage.

Thank you for this post.

[Miami Liberal]

41. I hate rethuglicans more

than ever, if that's possible.

[housewolf]

42. Two Years Hanging in the Underworld

For me it started with the Iraq vote in 2002, the death of Paul Wellstone and the stolen elections of 2002. I've been a wreck since then, told someone Nov 3 that I thought I'd been mentally ill since Nov 2002. I am obsessed with the news. First it was trying to find out what was behind the Iraq war, then morphed into general horror at the administration and into the election of 2004, starting in the summer of 2003.

I REALLY needed Kerry to win the elction, for me personally as well as for the country and the world. I hoped that getting GWB out of office would free me so that I could move on with my life. I live alone and have isolated myself terribly.

I have been utterly unable to work or do anything to either be productive or make any money for over 2 years now. I have been hanging out in places where I sometimes/often see no hope for myself.

I just found you guys around the time of the election, and hanging out here has helped. I don't feel so alone now. You guys are teriffic - I actually laughed, a good, hard belly laugh the other night at some of the stuff going on here. It felt like a breakthrough.

[Left coast liberal]

171. Hang in there, housewolf

I can relate to this obsession. I resemble that remark. Can't seem to break it. And, I can also relate to the isolation. Sometimes it seems like there are so many jerks out there, I tend to homebody alot too.

But, you've got pals here.

Don't know what I did before DU. I guess I tried to have informed conversations about politics with people. Those situations usually ended with me, very frustrated and them with blank looks on there faces.

I really like hanging with you guys!

:toast:

[me b zola]

43. My mother in law no longer comes to our house

:evilgrin:

She is fundie-lite.
I taped comments from the newspaper on the refrigerator that were about election fraud. In the past (before the last election), I always tried to avoid controversy over politics so that she would feel comfortable. But when she called a few days, quite perky, after the election theft, all bets were off. I engaged her at every turn about the illegitimacy of the chimp, his policies, and told her what I thought about the crimes committed against Pres.Clinton!!
She comes to town once a month on business, but she has now elected to stay at the Hilton.

So in answer to your question, my outrage at the death of democracy has given me back my home.:headbang:

[Patsy Stone]

45. A Silver Lining!

I knew there had to be one!

Go, all of you, to the I BELIEVE thread. Cheap psychotherapy. :)

[tritsofme]

44. I've been through a lot of election losses in my life

and this one was hardly the worst.

1972 hit me the hardest, mostly because I was still young and idealistic. McGovern didn't even get 40% of the vote, and I was crushed, I was convinced he would pull it out.

A 49 state defeat by more than 20 points pales in comparison to 2004 where the idiot barely squeaked by is like nothing to me.

If anything I think our organization is in much better shape than I can remember.

I think we're in good shape to make gains in 2006, and if we run a centrist like Mark Warner in 2008, we can take the White House decisively.

[davidgmills]

69. I'm sick of centrists

What I am really sick of is corporatists. I am sick of corporate America running everything.

I believe that most people feel like me.

That our message should be corporatism is fascism, like Mussolini said.

The centrists are corporatists.

The corporatists have bastardized capitalism. It has been a fight since the dawn of our country to keep corporatists from power.

I want mom and pop businesses to be able to compete again. That is what I call capitalism. Hitler used to deride the British by calling them a nation of shopkeepers. That is my dream, to be a nation of shopkeepers again.

The democrats who won this election mostly had anti-corporatism messages. I would like the Democratic party to become the party of the anti-corporatists. It also frames the issue. If the Democrats call themselves the anti-corporatists, what does that make the Republicans?

[Truman01]

75. So your hero is Mussolini? And you think that represents

most of America? This is why we lose elections. Mussolini was a murdering Facist who's own people strung him up with piano wire.

Let me tell you, most people don't think like you, and because we think like that and talk like we do, we alienate the centrist who would help us win elections.

Let me ask you, do you really think, in your wildest dreams that ANYONE is going to take us back to a "nation of shopkeepers?"

Have you been to Walmart in the last 30 days? I'll bet you have. You drive a car? You shop at a chain grocery store? How would you do without these things? You are using the telephone or cable lines now, without these evil corporations you wouldn't be able to do that either.

This whole idea that corporations are somehow evil is crazy. People are good and bad, corporations are not good or bad. We need corporations run by people with good morals.

We need a democratic party that doesn't kick out anyone who doesn't believe like they do so we can win. Losing on principle is still losing. My rant for the day, nothing personal....


TC

[saracat]

114. More people think like that than you are aware. And even Abraham Lincoln

warned about corporatism. I wouldn't vote for another centrist. Too much work needs to be done and we can't afford to compromise.

[Truman01]

151. More people may think that way, but it is FAR from a majority. nt

[davidgmills]

119. Mussolini is definitely not my hero but he must be yours

I am a lawyer and have been fighting large corporations daily for 25 years. I have some idea of what vast amounts of economic power can do. I am also a small businessman (solo practitioner) and face all the same things small businesses face.

I am not against corporations per se, but I am against the way they use their vast economic power to monopolize and to take over our governmental functions. Having privately held corporations count 80% of our vote is just one good example.

We need corporate reform in the worst kind of way. We need to control their vast economic power. That's what many of the governmental agencies were designed to do, but of course now they are being run by ex-ceo's.

I would start by making public corporations give voting rights to their employes as well as their shareholders. I would also require public corporations to give voting rights to persons charged with defending the public good. I'm still at a loss as to what to do about the many privately held corporations that wield so much economic power.

You show a real naievte about corporations, my friend. Under existing law, the shareholders, officers and directors are charged with one obligation and one obligation only -- to maximize profits for the shareholders. The officers and directors have a fiduciary duty to the shareholders to do this. So how can you say we need people with good morals running corporations? That is not what they are duty bound to do. They are duty bound to make profit -- not to be moral citizens of the universe. Until the law requires corporations to put people on their boards who are duty bound to take care of the corporations' employees and others who are duty bound to defend the public good, nothing will change.

I refuse to go to Walmart -- haven't been in ages.

I shop at the smallest chain grocery store I can find, and get much better service by the way.

I own Saabs -- a small company, that has unfortunately (for the most part) been taken over by GM 100%.

My phone service is with XO, a small phone company, and again I get much better prices and service with them.

And unfortunately, I use cable for my intenet because I have no choice yet. But as soon as I do, I will change.

I shop whenever I can at a local store.

[Truman01]

152. First I applaud your consistancy, few go that far. The

rhetoric is far easier if it doesn't affect their lives.

I have to tell you though that what you call niave I call self-evident. People, even those who are maximizing profits, are either good or bad, moral or not. No law in the world can force morality. First we would have to agree upon the definition of morality.

More later.

TC

[RevCheesehead]

46. I was majorly depressed the week after the election.

But I'll be honest. I'm probably doing better now than I have in years.

After the 1-week mourning period (or just getting over the shock of yet another theft), a sense of peace settled on me. Just total calm, and a sense that "this isn't over yet."

I still feel that way. Peaceful. Calm. Waiting and watching, and helping out wherever I can. I am so grateful for DU, for I have met some truly AMAZING people here. You make me laugh, and you give me hope.

And you ALWAYS have to have HOPE!

[art3]

47. I got angry-YOU dont want to read this...

Hi
My reaction to the election was simple:rage. total anger. as I watched the election results I kept saying "no way." couldnt believe that the moment I worked so hard for was being destroyed. during the day it looked like it was over for bush. zogby said kerry-311 elector votes at 4pm. then hell happened. no one has yet to fully explain what occured. every exit poll of this nation showed a strong kerry win. kerry cleared the hurdles:great convention, 3 kick ass debates, bush's poor job numbers, disasterous moments in Iraq etc. I thought surely the people will not return this weak, unpopular man to dc! what a fool I was. a young 25 yr old fool who keeps believing that the people would not re elect this president who lied to his nation for a war not supported by the majority! surely the people had some great wisdom.
The election was personal-I have severe chronic health issues. I need medical insurance fo the rest of my life. kerry offered a plan so everyone could get good inexpensive helath insurance. my heart was linked to a kerry win. his election would mean an end to my personal nightmare. so now Im mad: mad at the GOP lawyers who cheated our blacks brothers at the polls in Ohio. Mad at the insane lines which blacks were forced to endure. Many left the polls out of exhaustion. my heart is broken. Im also mad at not just the GOP, not just at the Americans who voted Bush and denied people like me health insurance, not just the Ohio disenfranchisement and fraud, Im mad at Kerry and mad at my Democratic party. Kerry has either grossly lied to millions by saying "I got your back" and then left the poor Greens to try and fight for all the votes, for all the wrongs done. Where is the justice here? My party is failing her key voting block-african americans. I say BETRAYL. Also-Im mad at this candidate and party because ultimately they failed the "other" America. What do ordinary people like me do? WHere do we go if we are sick and have lost insurance? Who will fight for us anymore? Four more years of a nighmare that never seems to end for so many of us. there's no work even for the educated. there's less and less benefits at work-even if you get them.
The party as a whole has failed people like me in two ways: 1.) it should be vigorously fighting all intimidation and fraud in Ohio. Dr. King certainly did not die for this. 2.)it should have run a better campaign. both party and kerry failed here. for weeks kerry's military honor was deligitimized by complete lies. kerry did not fight until doubts were sown. then he had a message-no like 100 of them. one a day. why on earth, with the way the media is, did a smart man like kerry not run a sound-bite , message oriented campaign all the way. kerry came across as an aloof guy who appeared to not connect well with average folks. folks in the unions. folks working 60 hours a week for nothing. kerry was an appealing man-bright, had ideas. he carried a immense grace with him, but he had way too many advisors and things got cluttered.
John edwards however was a guy like me, a guy like you. he didnt go to ivy leagues. he father slaved in a mill for little pay. I felt that he understood the "other" america better than anyone else. he really did. where are the john edwardses in our party? john edwards was unfortunate-one more day in Iowa and he would have won the caucuses and been our nominee. instead he was vp, but the kerry camp failed to use this brilliant talent. he disappeared it seemed for weeks at the end. Im angry at my party but sad for me and my country. what does the "other" america do now? what do we do? God save us...
Art

[politicasista]

50. I am sorry you are mad at Kerry

I haven't been able to have a lot of fun down here. I sometimes have trouble focusing on other things. Our Tennessee Titans have had a rough season, then the election (hearing about the exit polls being in Kerry's favor makes me cry because I had seen several pics on Yahoo of a confident, presidental looking man, with his family that Black Tuesday). We African-Americans turned out so heavily down here, I was hoping we could get Smirky out. I guess God had other plans. I have found myself praying everynight for something good to come out of this.

I don't want to give up on Kerry, but where is all this fighting behind the scenes stuff at? I wish someone could help me with this. He doesn't have anything to lose by letting us know what's up. I feel like sometimes screaming at Cahill and Shurum for the p@*s-poor handling of the campaign, but that wouldn't do any good.

I sometimes get discouraged over here at all the Kerry bashing, but I feel he will be respected by us he would just honor the Congressional Black Caucus by supporting the election challenge (privately). I get happy when I see good news and sad when I see that no progress is being made. The DNC and DLC is a joke period.

[L. Coyote]

48. Here is just the solution you need: A 'Screaming Epithets' Party

I found this news story, the perfect addition to a Bush humor page:

"Group Therapy 'Screaming Epithets' at Bush

A group therapy session for those still having angst that the democratic process selected George Bush and not John Kerry this past Nov. 2 has turned into a hate fest aimed at President Bush. ....."

http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2004/12/5/113802.shtml

I friend had similiar complaints. I recommended a 'Screaming Epithets Party' with spin the bottle. The bottle points at you, you get to scream your epithet. Prizes for best wit, etc. You get the idea. Why pay a therapist when you can throw a party!!!

She's much better now. Let us know how it goes for you.

[Vektor]

51. Not real well...

Depression, preoccupation, nightmares, distraction, apathy, misery, hopelessness, insomnia, poor eating habits, social avoidance, repeated thoughts of expatriation and various and sundry other personal upsets.

I feel like shit.

[dogindia]

135. me too. but since Gore steal.

[KnowerOfLogic]

53. Developed some gastro-intestinal problems, but they seem to be gone

now. I had a lot of other stress, so it has definitely been a hard time; now i am just trying to find the best course of action for the future. Try not to focus on the situation and constantly go through all the horrible possible future scenarios all the time; it won't help you any. it will only make things worse.

[Amaryllis]

54. I am completely obsessed with the issue and would be very depressed except

that I have connected with two groups here that are very active in working on election fraud, and we are hooking up with even more groups which feels very empowering. If not for this, I would be feeling very depressed and isolated, as I was before hooking up with these groups. I had been feeling that way since last summer when I learned and really understood how corrupt things were and that this election would be hacked again and the implications of that. Had no one to talk to who got it. A few days after the election I hooked up with a newly formed group in Portland, and then with another. This is keeping me from feeling isolated but I sure did in those months before the election when I knew it would be hacked and had no one to talk to who understood it.

I am acting like a junkie spending way too much time online which was not my MO before last summer when I realized it was going to be stolen again.

[Helga Scow Stern]

55. DU is helping me through--because it is a place that stokes activism....

after 2000, I just went into silent angry resignation--tried not to think about it too much. I know many people who were made chronically sick, depressed and angry by it.

This time I knew the office would be stolen, but that didn't lessen the shock. The widespread denial of what we saw on election night was really crazy making for me. For 2 days I fantasized about the red states getting blown up by terrorist attacks (sorry!), then one morning it dawned on me that of course it was stolen. I felt immense sorrow at all of those people standing in line in the rain, some as late as 3:15 am. I looked back on the days before the election-- I knew Kerry had won.

Now I spend hours writing to media and anyone who might make a difference. I am open and aware, watching for any and all opportunities to make a difference. I feel committed to this rising tide of outrage. The possibility of real change fuels my passion.

I can no longer pretend. If I see someone in town and they ask how I am, I say, Fine, except for the election being stolen.

Friends and family say I am obsessed, and I say, you would be too if you understood like I do what is at stake.

I do not feel moody or sick or unstable. Somehow I feel as if all of my life has prepared me for this time. I am aware, however, that this time is still in "high gear," filled with excitement and anticipation as it is. I know that there may be times when my persistence will have to be fueled by more than this.

I do not have the luxury of giving up, unless I move to another country. If I stay here, I must fight or I would quickly die, I am pretty sure. I can no longer abide by the evil that has become the law of our land.

[livvy]

56. Frustrated, but still determined for the most part.

I also feel a sense of loss on several levels. My mom passed away in October, a huge loss, obviously. Also this year, two of my beloved pets passed away; my first dog, and my beloved "Damnit bird", an African gray parrot. Coupled with these losses, my teaching colleagues and I are fighting for a new contract, without much success. Then came Nov. 2, and this loss/theft has sort of brought everything to a boil. Deep down, I'm angry. Angry about all these losses. I feel frustrated because I want things to be so different on all these levels. Fortunately, my mother was a bit of a bulldog, and has passed these characteristics on to me,along with a good sense of humor, so I'm not ready or willing to give up. From my father, I received the blessings of patience and tolerance, and a healthy dose of imagination.
I'm hanging in there, but I'm not the same as I was before all these events came to be. I'm pretty preoccupied with what's going on in this country amd damned worried. I have to keep telling myself to keep plugging along, grab anyone else I can convince to become aware, and try to get them to plug along with me. I also have to remind myself to lighten up from time to time. I just don't see the humor in things like I used to.
DU has been a great help both from an informational standpoint and a personal one. I know I'm not alone. I know others are working hard to change things too, and I've also learned that tinfoil hats come in all shapes and sizes, and that at least here, it's ok to wear one with pride!
My old principal used to have a favorite saying; "Together we can make a difference". It pretty much drove me nuts when she'd say it, but for some reason now, it seems to sound ok.

:yourock:

[Vektor]

57. I feel the same...

...except I think I am turning into a little porker.

[thatcoloredfella]

59. Super! Thanks For Asking!

On Election night, I was distraught, furious, saddened and vengeful. I got a lot of it out by staying up all night with the TV playing in the background, pouring it all into a blog post.

Starting here:

http://thatcoloredfellasweblog.bloghorn.com/293

It's entitled Divided We Stand, and I posted it in 4 parts over the next couple of days. For those couple of days, I was fed up and pissed, and hated waking up to feel that way again.

Over the following weeks, I coped by posting in Comment threads shooting down every notion and whiny suggestion that there was something wrong with our message and candidate. I reserved my harshest condemnation for anyone suggesting we somehow 'compromise' or attempt to better attract Red State voters.

I perpetuated the Fox News Gospel that 'moral values' and 'security' won the elections, because the Conservative 'True Believers' were pissed to accept 'intolerance' and 'fear' won out over their 'principles'.

A part of me wanted Bush to win, because it would validate everything I hated about the American people - not our country. I prefer that Bush remain President, because the wake up call this country desperately needs will only come about that way.

I posted in a comment recently that this country needs to be f**ked, and f**ked good, if there is any chance of real change. Replacing Bush, will not solve anything.

[RadicalMom]

60. Not handling it well at all. DU helps a lot. If the unemployed,

or uninsured would have voted against Bush we wouldn't be in this situation. Even just fraction would do.

[LittleClarkie]

61. I'm weepy

And I wish I could claim a weight loss. With me it's turning into a weight gain. Not good when you're only 5 foot nuthin' I shall be quite circular before long.

And does the fact that I'm posting at 4am tell you anything? Sleep? What's that?

Mostly I've made a hobby of supporting the candidate. It helps me to think I can still have him for president some day, those there are several posters who are pissing on my Wheaties at the moment.

Buspar has been helping a bit too, I'm sure.

[roenyc]

63. its been the same since July nothing has changed

my sleep patterns are a mess, i am smoking more then ever and i cant stand Robert Novak.

I am not really depressed anymore by the election. it was a joke we all know that.

i am pissed though at being called idiotic yesterday on TV by Novak. if you missed crossfire, he called "us" in other words believers idiots. and said the recount is over and so it the election - and we are all looking for Kerry to come to our rescue. its things like that that bother me.

that make me think every word we type is being looked at. all of this will be repeated by some moron on a freeper board. and taken out of context. makes me crazy. what bothers me is that conservatives are liars and they are the ones who are dangerous. why is it necessary for them to slam us when they have it all? because they know they have much to hide.

now Will said remember Watergate. i do. but i also remember most Americans knew nothing about Watergate. so we went about our business and protested the war or whatever. When Watergate broke it was a wonderful surprise. not something we all were waiting for with baited breath.

i woke up this morning jolted out of bed with that Novak in my dream. god he is ugly. and remembering Watergate. this isn't Watergate. this is fraud that we are all aware of and cant do anything about. because not even the people on our on side are listening.

So i guess this morning i was thinking Novak is trying to get into my damn head. forget this silly shit. its over. no one cares except us silly people at DU. and a few Black congressmen. no one listened to them last time. no one will listen this time. but but Mr. Novak remember Watergate!! we will get you and yours my ugly. just wait.

OK, I will see what happens on Jan 6th then i guess we will have to put our energies elsewhere or my head will explode.

OMG I AM DREAMING ABOUT ROBERT NOVAK - thats how i am doing!!!!

[mahina]

132. I dreamt that we were in a Ukraine style huge resistance action

for KERRY!

My heart was just singing. We would not be moved.

[Vinca]

64. I've lost my country.

That's how I feel. My husband is a Canadian-American and we'll be looking at real estate north of the border in the spring. America has turned into the old Soviet Union - invading countries, killing innocents and ignoring the needs of its own people. The whole thing is very upsetting.

[tngledwebb]

65. Yes, all symptoms of shock.

It will pass soon, as will the evil regime that thinks it has fooled the public a second time.

[dalloway]

66. THIS is why Kerry and the MSM have had to keep quiet

I, like all of you, have been very depressed about this state of affairs. I've become addicted to DU, hanging on to each glimmer of news as it comes with ups and downs like the Rockies.

That, my dear DUers, is why I honestly believe that the silence is there. Look at how this has worn on us, the activists. I personally don't think the US people could have sustained the momentum to get from Nov. 2 to Jan. 6th. THEY needed a break so that, when the evidence is together documented and vetted, they can get it all together and say, AHA! We, on the other hand, following each twist and turn have found the process (and especially the lack of widespread coverage) to be exhausting. People cannot remain so much in a limbo state of uncertainty for so long without feeling the effects. That is what made the tide against Gore turn in 2000, causing him eventually to ask his fellow Democrats to pull together for the sake of the country and NOT challenge the election in the House and Senate. The public fight was what did Gore in in 2000. We needed, this time, to be fighting a smarter way. I believe we are, but we need to keep refreshing our own spirits so that we can be there to lead.

Hang in there, DUers. We own this democracy and we are taking it back just like the Ukrainians.

[BamaBecky]

77. Thanks, I needed that........ n/t

[FreeCajun]

146. I pray you're right, and its not Germany '33 part 2

[Chimpanzee]

68. I've seen myself in a lot of your comments...

It started when my 12 yr old daughter called me on November 3rd. I was still sleeping in the early afternoon after staying up all night. She said, 'Daddy, how are you?'. I said, I'm OK, don't worry, it's not over yet! Then she says, "but daddy, didn't you hear? Kerry conceded." That was so devastating to here my dear sweet daughter say those words. I had baeen fighting so hard for her and my son. I really don't care so much about myself. It's the children that I worry about - in the US, Iraq, and accross the world, because what Bush and his minions are doing will effect the quality of their lives and for many - life itself.

I will never give up! Yes, I've put on weight, I'm drinking heavily and smoking pot when I can find it. I'm on antidepressants and stomache medicine. I vary between anger, sadness, and a numbness that pervades my soul. I have 2 Kerry, 2 DU, a Bush Knew, a What Mandate?, and a Don't blame me, I voted for Kerry bumper stickers on my car and I will continue to taunt the ignorant Bush voters with their stupidity and remind them of their responsibility for the next 4 years of fiasco at every opportunity.

[NicRic]

71. I expected the worst , hoped for the best ,

and we all know what we got ,the worst. for me it was not a big shock and I had in my mind already been prepared for another four years of bush ! I said months B/4 the election and even B/4 Kerry had been chosen to run against bush ,that the fix was in ,and I would have been very surprised if any Dem ,would have been declared the winner. Its hard to win when the election was rigged from the get go. The $ and power backing this gang of thieves in the W.H., if not impossible ,would be very hard to overcome ,then throw in the MSM helping in another stolen elction , and here we are , as unbelievable as it is to us and the rest of the world ,four more years of the downward fall of the American standing in the world and the quality of life for us working folks !

[kitkat65]

72. Two words: Candy. Cigarettes.

Make that four. Muscle relaxants (for the tension headaches):freak:

[mattclearing]

73. Amazingly well, considering.

By all accounts, I should have had a hard time of it all, but I've actually done pretty well.

Keep your heads up people. You are not beaten.

You are merely in the extreme minority, but that's the cost of being right a lot of the time.

And being right is always better than being what the idiot box tells you to be.

edited for typo

[HeeBGBz]

76. Roller coaster + a sort of understanding

That I will never have the health care I need. I am one of the expendable masses. I will probably end up dead before I ever see democracy return.

Knowing this makes me angrier and more willing to fight. I just don't have the energy.

[we can do it]

78. Lots of chocolate...

and bombarding my friends with email
:donut:

[mod mom]

79. must we air our dirty laundry to the freepers

can't this be posted in the lounge, where the freeps might not venture?

[SharonRB]

80. I feel the same way

And the more I think about it, the worse I feel. However, I wish I were like you in one respect -- instead of not eating, I feel like doing nothing but eat. I've gained 12 pounds since the week before the election. I can't get anyone to listen to me and I'm so frustrated that things aren't moving more quickly in Ohio. I'm so afraid now that nothing is going to happen and they're going to get away with this.

Edited for typo.

[lonestarnot]

82. Like a GREAT person should! with a pitchfork!

Sharp as hell at this point! Going to have fun in D.C. on the 6th!

[noclonyofthechimp]

85. I have been unfocused on my business, angry, lost,, I don't feel

connected to anything or anyone. I can only do mass media and senator blasts, phone calls and mailings because I am to broke to travel to rally's. I can't stand to watch TV unless it's countdown or a soap opera. And I was pretty disappointed with Countdown the other night much like many others when one of Kerry's lawyers debunked the cause (even though he may have had a strategical reason it sucked to hear him at the time.) I have no interest in exercising or getting back to eating how I have for years. I would rather spend time on DU reading forums than managing my business which requires a lot of interaction with sales professionals and I don't want to interact because I have NO patience.:crazy:

I pray that that this administration will be taken out and that people with a conscience and who care about our country (both Dem's and re-pubs) will work together to make it happen.

I dream that John McCain is one of the Re-pub Senators that stands up next Thursday. I could go on and on and on. thanks for the post.

[Kip Humphrey]

88. Doing whatever I can to save our votes and retrieve our democracy

www.51capitalmarch.com - November 27

"You Stole My Vote" March on State Capitols - December 12

"Save Our Votes" March on Washington - January 4-6

"Save Our Votes" Hometown Protests - January 6th

"Death Of Democracy" Worldwide Protest Against Bush - January 20

And still going...

Details and to get involved: www.51capitalmarch.com

[SueZhope]

90. I feel like I am watching a movie

and there is evil people hiding in the closets :evilfrown: ...I want to try and scream at the the women to get out of the house, yet I realize its just a movie so if I scream it will not help her.:scared:

I try to tell people that this election was not fair & free....They say.."I did not here this on the news" .Then I tell them the news is owned by corporations and its in there best interest to keep the king in power bla bla bla .....they ask were is John Kerry?

I keep screaming but no one wants to here me , they tell me to GET OVER IT .....I know in my heart I'm not nuts and neither are the rest of us who are convinced of the fraud . Yet most people have no idea what happened and how the election system is set up. For many you vote, they count votes then there's a winner. I really think ignorance would be bliss..once you learn the facts about this its hard not to be totally effected.

I come to DU and refresh all day... . Its become an obsession , I am self employed and not doing my work. :(

[AzDar]

91. I fashioned myself a t-shirt: Disenfranchised. Friends and family

say I'm obsessed with election fraud, DU,etc. They may have a point.....

[New Earth]

94. well

on November 3rd and 4th, i was literally devastated. cried like a baby.

then after realizing what really happened, it turned into anger & determination. this board has kept me sane since :grouphug:

oh and i have been smoking waayyyyy too much

[crimnos]

96. Excellent Question...

October was a difficult time for me because, despite wanting to feel hope, I had a feeling things were going to go wrong.

Then, seeing it all come true on the 2nd...well, I slid into a month-and-a-half long depression. I honestly don't remember some of the last month. I remember feeling violently disappointed in the country and wanting to stop and rip the W bumper stickers off every car I saw, then drag the driver out...well, you get the idea. Then I went through a period of adjusting to the idea of living in a fascist state, and realizing that the vote was most likely stolen and even if we DID prove fraud most likely nothing would happen (I'm just waiting for the other shoe to fall on that one, pardons, etc.). The GOP has become much more brazen in its corruption, and I will be surprised if anything happens, even if we do have a groundswell of support.

Ultimately, however, I have found peace in the idea of activism and support of a new movement. I joined the Green Party last week and am planning to get involved at a local level with the party and with activism. If we do go the fascist route, if I do end up in a camp of some sort, at least my conscience and my spirit will have spoken out and tried to take us toward a more enlightened, caring state. There is only so much we can do at a personal level; I am interested in finding out what those limits are for me. :)

[KaryninMiami]

97. Not an easy few months, that's for sure.

I too, have taken up smoking and have gained weight. My focus at work has suffered although I am doing what I can now to get back on track but that first month, starting on the night of the election, sent me into a tailspin. Forget about sleeping- I stay up late at night, reading everything I can find, devouring posts here at DU, exploring international sites to see if the word is at least getting out in the outside world, etc. Thank God for AAR and DU and Tom Hartman and Brad Friedman and PDA and the many other groups and on line resources - and there are many of them, who working hard as we are, to get the word out. These give me comfort and remind me that we are a huge number and it's growing every day.

My sisters and other family and friends have told me repeatedly, to "move on and stop talking about that election stuff". Thank goodness we had lots of wine on the table at Thanksgiving to keep me sedated! Yesterday I hung up on my sister when I mentioned the subject and she immediately started to say "when will you get over it and admit that Bush won and ..."-- I hung up on her immediately saying "Have a nice day". Very sad and not something I like to do- ever but sometimes - often-- I just lose patience.

I'm not sure what upsets me more- those who know nothing about this because of the MSM black-out or those who do know about this (either from me or from other sources) but are apathetic or refuse to become involved. I find myself losing patience with those who refuse to even take a few minutes to write their Senators or simply believe there is nothing we can do so "why bother." This makes me CRAZY!

My "healthy recourse" (to counteract the wine, cigarettes and overeating) is to send out a newsletter every week or so, with updates and action items to everyone I know. The list has grown now to about 300 names! Each one yields a few positive responses and even a few new names from people who have had the newsletter forwarded from someone else, which is my reward. I also talk to strangers about this whenever possible, hand out flyers (mini-flyers actually) and continue to bring up this conversation wherever and whenever possible.

Keep the faith-- remember we are not alone and we have a huge community of people working to wards the same goal and know that what we are doing is right and we will eventually, be successful. Maybe not as quickly as we all hope- but we cannot give up this fight. It is way too important.

[info being]

98. I've managed to stop caring most of the time.

[bunny planet]

99. I haven't done as much work as I am supposed to be doing. I work from

home so the temptation to post and read on DU (DU has kept me sane after the election) throughout the day has been strong. I've been staying up later than I should too, reading everything I can get my hands on, books, internet. My family has to drag me away from my computer sometimes. I don't think it's crossed over into unhealthy obsession yet, I'm still on target to meet all of my deadlines but I do think I've been putting off being depressed about the election by focusing on the recounts and fraud lawsuits. I'm still hoping for a miracle. Ask me how I'm coping in a couple of months, if * actually takes office.:scared:

[nmoliver]

100. lots of yoga

I do lots of yoga.

If you find your own center, the place in you that cannot be destroyed even by death, your political work will be much more effective. If you lose sleep, smoke, binge, rant and rage, and whatever, your strength will diminish, your thinking will be less clear and your energy for effective action is compromised.

Take rest, go to the country, meditate, paint, dance, keep the Sabbath - a day per week when you are aloof from all of this. Return to your work rejuvenated, refreshed, and strong enough to slay Goliath.

[AmerDem]

101. patience is a virtue

Most of this is out of our hands. All we can do is let the officials handle the legal part of it and help with anything they need such as when Jackson asks us to contact Senators etc. We will have a clearer picture come Jan. 6th. Let's hope everything works out.

[mordarlar]

102. I have been going through very similar to you...

Smoking too much. Not eating. Not sleeping. Typing all hrs. Hollering at the comp. Shaking my head in literal disbelief. Reading republican responses on other boards and wanting to laugh and cry at the same time. Now with this tsunami news added to it all, just silent shock. I have not smoked in a few days though. If things continue to go the way i think they might, i need to be as healthy as possible for as long as possible. My childrens' future is looking pretty glum lately.

[mopinko]

103. it didn't sink in until

the electors were certified. i was sure that the truth would set us free, and gulped down the truth every day here at du. i was sure we would be saved. but, once those electors were certified, it sank in. just in time for christmas. i had a horrible holiday, and took the family down with me.
i am so torn. i fight within myself all the time to keep my sense of self. when you are the mom of 5 kids, that is already hard. but i have taken the misdeeds of the * administration personally. this is my country, and it feels like my kids have grown up to be axe murderers. either this is my country, and it is my duty to be a part of how it acts, or it is not my country any more. lose, lose.

[candice]

104. After the depression, the urge to "mobilize"

my energies and get the "word" out. I like the idea of buying nothing on January 20th. Has everyone passed that Not One Damn Dime email around the net? If not, I can post it? Also, the media needs to be taken back from the 5 "people/corporate entities that control it." This is the main reason that one of the worst governors of Texas and the least qualified ever man to sit in the "Oval" (as he calls it) is where he is. The media made a contender out of him (as if he came close to Gore in any debate) and did not report on his incompetence and sell-outs in Texas (now the most polluted state in the union) AND pushed him into the White House (covering the Brooks Brothers riots as if they were real). They have not reported on the rampant corruption in this administration. Since television exists to hold you for the next commercial, not watching and definitely not buying will be a just reward. Think of the billions of our collective dollars that were spent on Presidential campaign commercials (both sides), but they trumped up the Swift Boat Liars and gave them legitimacy. And, it is almost as if we weren't in this unnecessary war, supported by media who advanced Bush's "case" against Saddam. No photos of funerals, caskets. Shame on the corporate media (but selling products and making a profit is their goal).

No cable for me, but if I had it, I'd call and have Fox removed. Thank God for Air America. I'm reading RFK, Jr.'s book "Crimes Against Nature" and next is Suskind's "The Price of Loyalty."I've subscribed to The Nation and gave my mother a gift subscription. (She says that she lived through McCarthy and Nixon and will survive this regime.)


Any and all voter suppression and election fraud needs to be doggedly pursued. Every man, woman, and child in this country needs to be conversant with the way this election was run. 2000 was the prelude, 2002 in Georgia the test case, and 2004 the finale. During the Repug convention in which Reagan was eulogized, the media neglected to mention that more members of his administration had been indicted than in any other in American history.

[FogerRox]

105. I was in FLorida working for the Kerry campaign, election nite

we all went to the Ft. Lauderdale convetion center--by 11pm there was one thing on my mind--"Massive fraud". ANd then We're gonna fight this tooth and nail. So I went home to NJ--ANd I've been fighting tooth & Nail--I work 50 hours a week and in my spare time I work to over throw the Bush regime-cleanly and legally.

Maybe you need to channel your feelings into a positive goal, everyday. If you dont do this then that may explain your feelings and the lack of sleep. THere is no more powerful feeling than when you are doing something towards your goal. MAybe you are lacking that goal? Activity? HAve you started a local group? Thats a start--fighting on the local level.Then its about you--what you are doing--what you have to do--got to meeting on thursday--for example--

and its not about Bush. Then its about you--Maybe thats why I have slept good nearly every nite since NOv. 2nd

Its not about that HELPLESS Feeling--you wont be helpless with a goal. ANd just as important--you will have friends at that meetup--that will be your comrades in arms--in democracy

SO tell me what are you doing today to fight the Bush regime?

My new project:

My Mission: TARGET CBS

Join the protest @ CBS in NYC or protest in DC--or protest a TV station in your area. If enough Peeps show @ CBS I will extend the efforts to other outlets, Like ABC & NBC.

Power to the People ! !! ! ! RIght On Brother KIP ! !! !

http://www.51capitalmarch.com /
[e-mail] /

And feel free to e-mail me---
ROj

[tinrobot]

106. Stopped watching Television

...particularly the news.

Mostly out of protection for the device. If I hear smirk's voice or see him, my TV might get damaged.

[FogerRox]

118. LOL yeah right ! ! !Have you tryed a stuff doll of George? U can throw it

@ the TV with no damage--and repeat if necessary


My Mission: TARGET CBS

Join the protest @ CBS in NYC or protest in DC--If enough Peeps show @ CBS I will extend the efforts to other outlets, Like ABC & NBC.

Power to the People ! !! ! ! RIght On Brother KIP ! !! !

http://www.51capitalmarch.com /
[e-mail] /

[Amy6627]

107. I was devastated after Kerry conceded.

I was on the freeway on my way to work thinking Kerry wouldn't concede until ALL the votes were counted, my sister calls me and said he conceded. I was so upset I turned around and didn't go to work that day. All I could do was cry for the next few days. Then I got very angry at Kerry and Democrats, America and our political system. I withdrew from all action committees, TrueMajority, Moveon.org, etc. I decided that I would not do anything political ever again. I worked so hard for the Kerry campaign, I felt betrayed. After a few weeks I went to a new church, the United Church of Christ here in San Diego. They had a guest speaker from Ohio. This pastor felt exactly the way I did and he wanted to give up. He said God spoke to his heart and told him everything that was wrong before the election hunger, war, poverty, still exist after the election so we still need to work to help everyone just as we always have. This really touched my heart. It gave me a new perceptive and renewed hope. I joined Americans United (ua.org), they are a separation of church and state organization. I plan on getting active in this and my local Democratic Club. I am focusing on what I can do and trying not to get overwhelmed with everything that is wrong with the world that I can not do anything about.

[madison2000]

110. I have never watched or heard his concession speech

as it would break my heart. But I have started attending a UCC church - they are reconstituting a Peace and Justice Committee- and I am becoming active in MoveOn and other groups. God is Still Speaking.

[Amy6627]

111. I feel the same way. I have never watched his speach either,

I think it would break my heart all over again.

Peace out and God bless you!

[bunny planet]

170. I watched it and sobbed for hours afterward. It was gutwrenching.

I hope it had some purpose that will be revealed to us. Even now, I believe it.

[lucca]

109. I worry a lot about the future.

All the corruption, lies, the stealing of the election, the electronic voting machines....makes me sick.

I fear for our future.
I fear for this continuous Republican control that seems to be engulfing our country.

We need to protect our voting system to ensure fair, honest and true
elections.

The DU has been a wonderful place for me to learn, educate myself, and put everything into perspective.

I thank you for that!

[Ignis]

112. Lucky to be employed again.

Besides the obvious financial reasons, it also means that I can work until I'm too exhausted to think about the voting fraud.

Cold comfort, eh?

[impeachthescoundrel]

115. A mixture of feelings

Beginning on election night(I saw the CNN exit polls)was RAGE, even though I suspected it would happen all along. Follow that with DISGUST,too much smoking and drinking,too much sleeping and eating, loss of interest in anything other than removing that chimp boy from office!!!!

[Forkboy]

116. In my personal life so much is going on outside of politics

that the election hasn't really been all that important to me yet.I also expected that Bush would be in,through means fair or foul,regardless (pessimist that I am).So when it happened it wasn't really a shock to me at all.

[Darkhawk32]

120. Both................................................

Sad ....
:cry: :cry: :cry:

And freakin' pissed......
:nuke: :nuke: :nuke:

[GreenPartyVoter]

121. Ultra depressed. And I am off my meds so that doesn't help

-------------------------------------
Liberal and darned proud about it!
http://timeforachange.bluelemur.com/

[mzmolly]

141. Hugs to you GPV. You are such an inspiration and I so appreciate

your enthusiasm and support in the 04 election.

Don't ever give up my friend. :hug:

[dbonds]

125. Depressed

Not going out. No movies. Spending very little money. Feeling like the bad guys are winning and the Fundies are on a rampage. Playing video games - World of Warcraft is very immersive and I don't think about the Real World. Feeling helpless and wishing there was something more substantial I could do other than give money to places. Wondering where do we go from here. No matter what happens it will not turn out well - at least for some time.

[SmokingJacket]

126. Feeling powerless SUCKS.

I haven't been able to concentrate since the campaign got going.

Every time I settle down and try to get some work done, there's a voice in the back of my head, saying "That criminal is still in the white house, whattaya gonna do about it?" and "He's going to destroy SS and you're mom's gonna be moving in with you," and "How can we prove fraud, can it be proven, how can you relax if it happened?"

Too much drink, too much food, poor sleep, avoiding friends.

Totally natural reaction to what happened.

WISH I could so something productive, but nothing I do feels productive at all...

[Blue Christmas]

129. After one day of denial and occasional depression

I've just become incredibly (and some would say unhealthily) obsessive/compulsive regarding the election fraud issue. At the expense of my work and social life, I now spend most of my time scouring the internet for the latest little glimmer of hope that might mean an end to the * regime.

I dunno - maybe I'm still in denial. But trying to be active about it seems to stave off the depression. And even if * is erroneously infraudurated on 1/20, I'm sure I will continue to fight, because that's all I can do to approximate some semblance of sanity these days...

[loritooker]

133. My life as been on hold. New business project stalled. Feeling grimly

determined to face whatever comes. A friend has just been pushed into a "midlife crisis" over this election. My retired neighbors are going to explore Europe this spring for a new home. Almost everyone I know is tense and unhappy. I alternate between stoic fatalism and black despair. At least I'm glad we moved to San Francisco where I don't have to face gleeful repukes all day long. Not liking the hatred I occassionally feel either but f*ckit.

[SnoopDog]

134. I actually fear for my life and yours…

We have a madman for a president, and a Repub house, senate, and court. The worst thing of course is that they are f*cking all of us over.

Two hundred million dollars a day for an illegal war (for what??)
Purposely ruining our environment (clear skies my ass, forest reform?)
Removing our ability to educate our children at all ages (no child left behind, pell grants)
A ballooning debt (80-100 billion more for Iraq – for what?)
Hated, hated throughout the world (ok, Tony like *).
Civil liberties –bye bye (patriot act I and II).
Medicare reform – they just f*ucked your mother, father, g-ma, g-dad, and us eventually.
Election system – Stalin said it best.

Just what has our government done for us? We pay are taxes – for what. Where is our infrastructure? What clean water do they drink? What clean air do they breathe? What safe food do they eat? The only thing they do for infrastructure is ‘make our roads safe’ – the gas tax to make our highway system. Why? Well it is so we can run our cars – so we can buy gas – so we can make them more rich – to wage a war with countries with oil.

Our politicians have screwed us all for at least 100 years. Once in a while, they help ‘us’- but not really.

The *only* way we will ever win is to revolt.

So, how am I doing? I see our country, our democracy, and our citizenship being destroyed. And I don’t know what to do to fix it. How do we get this huge ship called America (more pointedly our government) to plot a new course and actually do something for us the people, the environment, and the world for that matter?

I am addicted to DU. It has helped me tremendously. It is hard for me to do my job and maintain.

How do we organize 50 million people to change our country?

[pacalo]

148. "How do we organize 50 million people to change our country?"

That's an excellent question.

Election fraud was one of the major concerns of MoveOn members, according to a survey distributed to MoveOn members soon after the election.

So why hasn't MoveOn set the wheels in motion yet in organizing everyone?

[SnoopDog]

158. I think it takes persistence - from you, me, DUers, et.al

Most of DU and many many other people in the USA and the world know this so called administration is killing us all. The good news is that we, the DU, are an entity to deal with. The DU has been mentioned (either directly or indirectly) in the media and other places.

As you know by now, Conyers is stepping up. More people will step up. Then more. We have to be persistent.

Side note: Jeb Bush is being sent to look at the situation with the earthquake. Prepping for 2008 - of course. We, absolutely, cannot have any body from that evil family in government any more.

That by itself is enough to take to the streets.

[hoosierblue]

136. Terribly.

Nuff said.

[FreeCajun]

137. Nervous and angry, lost some buddies

I used to have more Repub friends, used to be one myself about 10 years ago when I was still young and impressionable. Wised up a bit and started leaning Green and Dem in about 96 when the pugs started in on the Clenis bit, about which mattered not, the man was doing a damn fine job and JFK and FDR were both a lot worse.

Buds and I were moderates, mostly, but there were a few who turned neo-con and started talking about who we needed to go to war with next early October. They all turned yellow when I suggested they sign up with the Army if they were serious, started talking about "other" priorities. I informed them politely that they were chickenshits, without the moral capital to back up their mouths, and left them to their rabid lunacy.

More recently, I've been depressed and agitated, especially since about 8pm Nov 2nd when I saw things get really twisted, and its been getting worse, even though DU has helped a bit. I fear the light in Lady Liberty's torch is growing dim, and my eyes will be dazzled if realization ever dawns on these RW nutjobs in this state.

The job situation has been making it worse, because I work with some neo-con nutjobs who listen to Republican Commercials all damn day, and the CEO sent out this email about how if you voted for Kerry you were undermining democracy. Looking for another IT job now, because I can't stand having to fix a computer for some doofus listening to Rush-Lax, and its going to really hurt this company when I go but I couldn't care less; after that email I almost flat out quit but I had to save up cash for getting one semester closer to Canada.

Much love, all you guys, I hope some of you can find it in your hearts to love this place for what it was. After studying the Inquisition and the Holocaust for years, I see what it is likely to become.
I don't think that justice is going to be coming out of Congress or anywhere else these neo-con freaks have infiltrated their Fifth Column Occupation forces aka FOX news. Especially after the next distraction I'm certain BushCo is planning on to "unite" us.

Peace?

[pacalo]

143. Hey, FreeCajun!

:hi: Welcome to DU!

I live outside of Kenner in one of the outlying suburban areas. Living among Faux News KoolAid drinkers isn't easy, is it?

[FreeCajun]

145. Hi, 8-Year! I live in Lafayette, LA!

In the heart of Cajun country! It's amazing the amount of tolerance some people around here have, and the amount of INtolerance others have. Its really striking, isn't it?

[pacalo]

149. Most definitely!

Most of the people I know who support WhatsHisName are too busy to keep up with the news, so you know how that goes: Short, often-repeated soundbites of disinformation on Faux News & their copycat networks is all they hear about what's going on. The Fourth Estate is no longer the watchdog of the People -- they're the Gatekeepers of the $Corporate Estate$.

[FreeCajun]

150. Fourth Estate is now the Fifth column...

They listen to Republican Commercials aka Rush all day and think they are well informed. I've asked more than a few what would happen if WE were invaded, and they say "We'd fight!" And then I ask "Well what do you think those Iraqis are doing?" and they respond with the new & improved Republican racist word for anyone from the Middle East with brown skin: "Terrorists."

[pacalo]

139. I have the same sadness everyone else has

who has sense enough to know how bad this administration is for our country, but I choose to focus more on how to correct the situation.

I do tend to work better under pressure, especially when I'm angry, & I channel my negative energy through work projects. It's very therapeutic & I'm doing something constructive at the same time.

The wheels of justice turn slowly, & we have to understand that there's not going to be something happening every day, so for those who get impatient during the lull times, maybe it's best to take a break from the computer, get busy with something else, & it'll help you to keep things in perspective.

We had a set-back yesterday about the Arneback case & it was a disappointment, but I choose to keep the faith. What we are is what we choose.

From everything that I've read about Kerry, it's certainly not blind faith. My feelings about Kerry evolved from being a strong Wes Clark supporter who was very disappointed that Kerry got the nomination to a huge John Kerry fan after learning all about him. He's my hero. If he doesn't get into the White House this time, I have faith that he'll see to it that WhatsHisName gets what's coming to him.

I was just out of high school when Watergate unfolded. It takes time. In the meantime, I'm going to pray that some whistleblowers with integrity step forward to help move the wheels of justice a little more swiftly. We deserve that. The troops deserve that. And the innocent Iraqi people never deserved any of this.

[mzmolly]

140. I started out keeping a box of cheap wine in the fridge LOL.

And, lots of Canadian beer ey.

So sorry you've not been doing well.

I started out very depressed, it was like losing a good friend. Shock, sadness, depression.

I've decided to move on frankly. I can only hope that Bush f-ed up so much the Neo-cons will even keep him in check. I hope that were so damn sick of Republicans in the next election that it won't even be close.

So, it's: "Back to life ... back to reality" for me. :hi:

[Eurobabe]

144. I stopped watching TV on 11/3

That has made my life a bit better. I had to take a long break from politics, coffee and things that were hurting my health.

Only come come on DU occassionally now, and don't really read the political stuff, only the non-threatening forums like pets, cooking and Wes Clark. :)

[frustrated_lefty]

147. Angry. Sad. Disgusted.

We're leaving the country when I finish my current job. America is no longer what it was, or what it tried to be.

FL

[mirandapriestly]

153. I just want to scream

I have always disliked Republicans, but felt like there were checks and balances which protected us from them becoming too powerful. After the 2000 Supreme Court decision I realized that the whole system has become corrupt and biased and this is no longer a democracy. If this second fraudulent election is allowed to go unpunished then there will be no chance for democracy in the future and that which I hold most sacred will be destroyed (The environment and endangered species, freedom of speech and help being available for those who need it.)

[Name removed]

155. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Pooka Fey]

156. I think I'm forgetting how to smile. n/t

[rzemanfl]

157. Try these, they are so dumb they are funny

1. How Do You Catch a Unique Rabbit?
Unique Up On It.

2. How Do You Catch a Tame Rabbit?
The Tame Way, Unique Up On It.

3. How Do Crazy People Go Through The Forest?
They Take The Psycho Path

4. How Do You Get Holy Water?
You Boil The Hell Out Of It.

5. What Do Fish Say When They Hit a Concrete Wall?
Dam!

6. What Do Eskimos Get From Sitting On The Ice too Long?
Polaroid's

7. What Do You Call a Boomerang That Doesn't work?
A Stick

8.. What Do You Call Cheese That Isn't Yours?
Nacho Cheese.

9.. What Do You Call Santa's Helpers?
Subordinate Clauses.

10. What Do You Call Four Bullfighters In Quicksand?
Quattro Sinko..

11. What Do You Get From a Pampered Cow?
Spoiled Milk.

12. What Do You Get When You Cross a Snowman With a Vampire? Frostbite.

13. What Lies At The Bottom Of The Ocean And Twitches?
A Nervous Wreck

14. What's The Difference Between Roast Beef And Pea Soup? Anyone Can Roast Beef.

15. Where Do You Find a Dog With No Legs?
Right Where You Left Him.

16. Why Do Gorillas Have Big Nostrils?
Because They Have Big Fingers.

17. Why Don't Blind People Like To Sky Dive?
Because It Scares The Dog.

18. What Kind Of Coffee Was Served On The Titanic?
Sanka.

19. What Is The Difference Between a Harley And a Hoover?
The Location Of The Dirt Bag.

20. Why Did Pilgrims' Pants Always Fall Down?
Because They Wore Their Belt Buckle On Their Hat.

21. What's The Difference Between a Bad Golfer And a Bad Skydiver? A Bad Golfer Goes, Whack, Dang!
A Bad Skydiver Goes Dang! Whack.

22. How Are a Texas Tornado And a Tennessee Divorce The Same? Somebody's Gonna Lose A Trailer

Now, admit it. At least one of these made you smile

[Pooka Fey]

159. Knowing somebody on DU cares enough to post this makes me smile. Thanks!

:-) :-) :-)

[yowzayowzayowza]

160. Bigger personal fish to fry.

Glad I can count on DUers to stay at it tho.

[mbee]

161. The past four years have been like one long nightmare to me! The

destruction of our democracy is very sad and I just hope that we can overcome this evil.

[Blissfulbride]

162. At first it was unbearable

I stayed up all election night to see the results. I think I went into shock when Ohio went to shrub. Next day I was scheduled to see the doctor, the nurse was shocked that my blood pressure -- usually so normal -- was way high and asked if anything was bothering me. Yeah the next four years.

I had the usual signs of depression. I cried often, fortunately my husband was very supportive. I decided to go to the internet newsgroups for like minded people. They weren't out there. They were here and on other websites. That really helped, knowing I wasn't the only one who was angry, hurt and scared. I developed three goals which are in descending order:

1) overturn the election and get Kerry into office;
if I can't make that happen then
2) expose a scandal such as election fraud by the repubs that will make * look illegitimate again
if I can't make that happen then
3) correct the election process so that the repugs can't steal another election.

However, my hope for any of these has dimmed.

I donated to the glibs to make the recount happen and that made me really happy -- a condition I haven't known since my wedding 8 yrs ago. Then I saw that start to erode with Blackwell and his crap.

I have trouble getting to sleep since the election and have to take pills to make it happen. I thought it was my illness, but no, after reading all these accounts, I'll bet it's the election.

I'm glad I don't have kids, or I'd be even more worried than I am. I don't watch the news any more cuz I don't want to be reminded that moron is in the White House. I'm careful who I talk to about the election, becuz *ies are everywhere. I'm too afraid to put a sign in my window or sticker on my car even though I live on the liberal lakefront of Chicago. I've written and emailed politicians about the fraud, doing what I can in a passive manner because I'm afraid of confrontation with a *ie. Getting stressed out doesn't help my medical condition. My husband has been out of work for a year now and I don't expect his prospects will get any better for quite a while.

I'm starting to come to terms with the reality of being stuck with the shrub and hope that there is enough opposition and controversy so that he can't get his policies through.

I honestly miss Kerry. I really wanted him for president. I grieved for the loss of his dignity and intelligence and Edwards' enthusiasm that would have been so beneficial to this country and the world.

I deeply worry about our country's future and the repression of our freedoms. And then I try not to think about it.

I pray the electoral vote will not be certified by congress, but know the outcome of that won't get him out of office. It will probably take a lot of time to expose this fraud.
And quietly keep hoping. And emailing.

To all of you who responded to this thread, I wish you well. I pray we have the courage to act when needed and to somehow get through these next 4 years. Just remember that 53+ (don't forget the ones who were disallowed from voting) million Americans were on our side. The side that was grounded in reality. The very reality that now frightens and confronts our future and that of your children.

And thank DU for being there for me and these others. I don't post much, but I read the forums almost everyday.

Good luck. Stay strong. Stay connected. May God(dess) bless.O8)

[MediumBrownDog]

163. Silver lining...

I have a new baby, and I have just turned off the TV entirely and focused on him. I'm not burying my head in the sand, far from it, but taking a long break from politics and concentrating solely on him cannot be all bad.

[McCamy Taylor]

164. Reliving Watergate, compared to that we are speeding along...

...took forever for Watergate to unfold in the old days of print and tv journalism. The scope of this conspiracy is so much broader, the number of players so much larger and the number of people investigating it so much higher that this one is moving along at a breakneck pace. Plus, the internet is an invaluable resource for investigative journalism.

[LiberalHeart]

166. My family broke up ... I gobble antidepressants ....

I live under a dark cloud and sometimes slam the door too hard and use words that used to earn my mouth a bar of soap when I was a kid.

Oh, wait. No. All that started way back when Bill Clinton left D.C.

Then my monthly wine bills tripled after Gore got robbed.

But now I just hang out on DU with like-minded political gurus like you, with my diet Pepsi at my side and a bowl of Lite-Buttered PopCorn nearby smellin' up the whole room till my taste buds beg to try it -- and every day I'm dreamin' 'bout Democracy, and how it coulda, shoulda been ... and may be yet again.

[IndyPriest]

167. Cigars. M&Ms. Cashews. Lots of DU.

[CoffeeCat]

169. I spent the first month, in shock...

at the outcome of the election.

Usually, when a person experiences a deep loss, they're able to move from shock, to anger, then sadness, and finally to acceptance.

A month after the election, I found myself still in shock. I couldn't budge from my incredulous stupor, which began on election night when Kerry's chances grew dim as Bush's electoral-vote tally increased.

My entire system was totally blown away--mind, body and soul were fried.

I soon realized why I was unable to move from shock--and into the healthy phases of the healing process.

The Bush win was counter intuitive. It didn't make sense. My mind, my soul and my strong intuition told me that the Bush win was not legitimate. I couldn't move on from it, because it wasn't something that my mind was willing to accept--because it just didn't make sense. Something about the Bush victory felt very, very surreal. It was as if the world had been turned upside down, and I was "down the rabbit hole."

Prior to the election, you could feel, taste and smell a Kerry victory. Dems were energized. Many past Bush supporters were now in the Kerry camp, as well as many Republicans who were against the war. You could feel the Kerry energy sweep the nation. All polls were trending toward Kerry. Electoral-vote.com had Ohio, Fla and PA in Kerry's column. Zogby told John Stewart, on air, that Kerry would win and that all polls were trending to Kerry. Exit polls favored Kerry. Voter turnout was incredibly high. All signs pointed toward Kerry.

Then Bush hit the fan.

After a month, suspended in shock--and trying to move myself toward healing, I finally realized that I had it all wrong. I didn't need to accept this. I couldn't heal from a loss that didn't happen.
There was nothing wrong with my intuition or my expectations. They were correct. The election was flawed.

Once I stopped pushing myself to accept this loss--that's when the real healing began. I started realizing that massive fraud had happened. I began reading, researching and talking with others who felt the same. Then I discovered DU and I felt validated. I no longer had to be in shock anymore. I could get busy and make a difference.

I'm not in shock anymore, but I do feel loads of sadness and anger. I feel fear as well. However, I have decided to get moving and to try to make a difference. I talk to others a lot about the election fraud and I've written my Senators. I'm going to DC. I feel energized about making a difference.

I feel better than I ever have, since Nov 2. I try to keep myself optimistic and moving forward.

[LosinIt]

175. They don't call me LosinIt for nothing

migraines have been killing me.

[earth mom]

176. It's been a roller coaster

I've been all over the place emotionally. I cried when Kerry conceded, and had soaring hopes when I learned of the fraud. Since then I've spent hours, days, reading, reading, reading all the info I could find. It was great fun when I posted a bunch of fraud proof on another board and crowed to the freepers there that Kerry was our next president and not *! Boy that ticked them off and I loved it! LOL!

But as time has gone on, and with all the ups and downs and uncertainty, it's been harder to maintain the absolute belief that justice will prevail. I still have hope, but it's tempered now and I've prepared myself for possible disappointment on the 6th.

I WILL fight this with every breath, but I have to be honest and say that I have looked at property in Canada and the UK on the net. I really don't want to move, but who knows how bad it will get if * stays in power? And that fricken scares the hell out of me. Knowing that there's an out calms me in my darkest hours.

[grace0418]

177. I went into shock for the last month and a half

That's why I haven't been posting much lately. I just want to wake up one morning and find out it was all a bad dream and justice has prevailed. Then I see Georgdolf Bushler's hideous face on my t.v. and the nightmare comes flooding back. I'm trying to shake it off but it's so exhausting and depressing. I'm not at all looking forward to the new year.

[adolfo]

179. Same here,..

hehe, I know how you feel. It has been weeks since I've had a good rest. I'm trying to channel the fraustration by working on projects related to the election fraud.