CNN collected some very interesting statistics to go along with the election which can be found here:
http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2004/pages/results/states/US/P/00/epolls.0.html
I’m thoroughly frustrated. Here’s why:
45% of Americans disapprove of the decision to declare war on Iraq. Of that 45%, however, more than 99% of those voted for a presidential candidate who supported the declaration of war.
Likewise, 52% of Americans believe that things are going badly in Iraq, but again less than 1% of those were willing to vote for a candidate who would withdraw our troops from Iraq.
55% of Americans believe the War in Iraq is part of the War on Terrorism. !!!
23% of gay & lesbian voters voted for Bush.
Some of these just plain boggle the mind. For example:
34% of Americans strongly disapprove of the way Bush does his job, and yet 2% of these people still voted for Bush. . . . Is there something I’m simply failing to understand here? If you strongly disapprove of how Bush is running his presidency, why in God’s name would you VOTE for him??
26% of Americans are not only dissatisfied, but are in fact ANGRY with the Bush administration. Despite their anger, 3% still voted for Bush. …
22% of voters considered “moral values” as their post important issue. Astoundingly, 80% of these voted for Bush. By effect, then, Bush received 17.5% of his votes for being “a moral leader,” and not for his effectiveness (or ineffectiveness) as a polician. Good heavens. Do these people REALIZE that their “moral” candidate has a cocaine conviction on his record? That he’s had two D.U.I.s? That he LIED to the American public about the rational for entering Iraq??
I dunno. I’m not at all surprised that Bush won. I’m just disappointed in the number of Americans who voted contrary to their convictions or were (seemingly) misinformed about their candidate of choice.
Not that it matters.
On a side note, while looking for something else, I happened to come across a wholesale distribution site, which had those ever-so-clever “Support Our Troops” magnets (see below). They were bulk priced at $1.00 each, meaning that every “Support Our Troops”[sic] and “God Bless America”[sic] magnet one sees on the road (and good God, there’s enough to make one nauseous) represents a $4 profit for the gas station or Hallmark that happened to be selling them. HOW do they support our troops? It’s simple, really. They support our troops by supporting our economy. They support our economy be exploiting false American patriotism, which coincidentally seems to the same reason we’re in Iraq– an ostensive war for “democracy” with strong suggestions of economic motivations (Haliburton stock went up by 4.5% percent today with the announcement of Bush’s victory).
I really need to stop ranting and go do some homework. I’m pretty riled up at the moment. All of this makes me feel sick to my stomach. For the love of God, America, wake up already! If you need me, I’ll be puking in the bathroom.
About Mark Egge
Transportation planner-adjacent data scientist by day. YIMBY Shoupista on a bicycle by night. Bozeman, MT. All opinions expressed here are my own.
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And they are magnetic at that. Magnetic. How more makeshift patriot can you become? If you decide that you no longer want to you can take the magnet off.
Or…for a fun time you can go through a parking lot and take them all and do something with them?
Believe me, I’ve certainly done that. The problem is that I just can’t justify it anymore– it’s petty theft. Perhaps if I printed out flyers about how to REALLY support our troops and stuck them in the windshield-wipers of the cars that I stole the magnets from, then I could justify it. But that’s so much work!
I believe the term is Jingoism, and I hate it. No one is really patriotic these days.
“To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.”
-Theodore Roosevelt
People ought to consider that for a bit, but of course they won’t, because that would require mental effort, and we can’t have that.
I’m a little dissatisfied with society as a whole right now, but hey, it’s not like I can beat em. I should just stop fighting and give in, right?
-Jake
The election process isn’t even an accurate statistical sample. It’s voluntary, which, as the first thing we learn in statistics, makes the poll highly skewed (the only people to participate in voluntary polls are those who feel strongly one way or another). So a voluntary response sample is a pretty silly thing to base the fate of a nation or nine on.
I’m not complaining (you said I couldn’t because I didn’t vote). I’m just stating a fact. Heh.
Jacob,
You’re right that you can’t beat them– but you sure can join AFC [Americans For Canada]. It’s probably not the case, but some times I think running away to Canada would solve all of my problems. Think about it. No Bush. National Health Care. Socialist economy. Air Canada. Oh Canada. Hockey. Canadian booze. Faster internet. Etc. Oh. And did I mention? No Bush!
On a side note, Jill, I don’t believe the election process is intended to be ” an accurate statistical sample,” but rather to poll the “will of the people.” It can be reasonably inferred that those who don’t vote don’t have any desire to mold the direction that the nation moves, and likewise many of them are vastly uninformed. As such, it seems like a good thing that only those who choose to participate have their voice heard.