This one is do or die

[madokie]

Talking to an old and dear friend yesterday and he said that this election has him more scared, yes he said that word, than any of the others since he was old enough to remember and that memory started with the Kennedy/nixon election. I told him I agree with that whole heartedly. Our country as we know it today rides on this election. We lose this one and we'll never get our democracy back, in our lifetimes and possibly ever.

[Vincardog]

1. I do not deny that Rmoney/Ryan would be a disaster. I would prefer that Team Democrat would

offer real changes to the fundamental problems facing us.

The most significant problem is the institutionalized Capitalism driving "our" world.
As long as we allow Capital supremacy we will always end up in this situation where people are subjugated to money.

Governments are instituted by PEOPLE to serve PEOPLE.

They are corrupted by MONEY to serve the RICH.

This election is not going to change this fundamental fact.

[madokie]

2. One person can't change that either

I remember well what President Obama said early on, The change we seek is us, something to that effect. Wish my old addled mind could remember the quote exactly but I can't and he was spot on when he made it. Maybe someone can help me out here with this.
Peace

[lunatica]

5. "We are the ones we've been waiting for" YES WE CAN!!

[madokie]

7. Thank you

I was kinda sorta on the right track but not real close.
I love this President like no other before him, he is special

[Vincardog]

8. I would prefer he were leading in a more liberal direction. He could end the war on MM

with the stroke of a pen.

[daeron]

21. Spot on - and slightly to one side

It is not Capitalism that is the problem,
it is that Washington listens to businessmen who are concealing their business relations and vested interests in the subjects that they are advising the government about.

That's why the Founding fathers warned of allowing shop-keepers into power, and why Republican President Eisenhower warned of the undue influence sought & unsought of a military industrial complex of corporations and people seeking to manipulate US policies to their own ends..

[Vincardog]

23. I agree that "Washington listens to businessmen" I don't agree that they are fooled into it.

Our government has been taken over by " corporations and people seeking to manipulate US policies to their own ends."
The Bush crime family has made it their business model for 100 years and 3 generations now.

[a geek named Bob]

3. I'm looking at it slightly differently

As the GOP is a bunch of scared old white guys, they have - if you'll pardon the expression - a built in deadline. By 2024, a number of sources are forecasting Texas to go blue. If Florida stays purple, California stays blue, and then so does Texas...

That's 122 Electoral votes, right off the bat. Add in Oregon, Washington, and New York State, and you're up to 170. That's a fair shout to the presidency.

What I'm worried about, is the continuing fall of education, infrastructure, broadcast culture, and fact checking. I know of Maker enclaves that are pretty much prepping for a ahem "general decline."

[madokie]

4. By 2024 we very well may be toast

as a democracy that is so it won't matter one iota

[lumpy]

12. Politics aside, we may very well become toast if we don't restore the concept of

Common Decency. That innate best part of humanity that still dwells within us body and soul. We have become a nation that has bowed down to The Seven Deadly Sins. We have been weak in accepting all that the media and commercial enticements sling at us.

[a geek named Bob]

18. That might be why many ofthe Makers I know

are getting together.

They are hoping to either keep things running at least a little longer. Or picking up the pieces, when it goes bad.

[liberal_at_heart]

10. I somewhat agree

yes the demographics will change and therefore their insistence to rely entirely on the white vote will diminish, but the changing demographics will not change the fact that the 1% now own this country.

[a geek named Bob]

14. liberal at heart...

We can take away that ownership pretty much given 5 years.

1.) local power and fuel creation
2.) local manufacturing
3.) local food production
4.) linked local currencies, with social progress clauses

[ZombieHorde]

6. People on the right are saying the same thing, except the names are switched.

Here is an article making fun of this: http://www.democraticunderground.com/1198752

[gateley]

11. Yeah, making fun of the, but it's totally right on!

Great piece -- thanks for linking, I missed it.

[ProfessionalLeftist]

9. "Our country as we know it today rides on this election." n/t

[malaise]

13. I think the early fight back against RETHUG attempts to suppress votes

by civil society groups and Democrats is working. Once they cannopt steal the elections, ReTHUGs will lose.

[madokie]

15. Those machines worry me

No paper trail only vapor ware in many cases

[surrealAmerican]

16. They all are.

It's discouraging to realize that every election is too important to just let it slide, but there is always the risk that any one narrow loss could ruin our future irreparably.

[madokie]

17. I think not so much as this one

so much of the ground work is already in place, all that is needed is another pResident like bush the lessor and the 1%'rs will truly have us by the short hairs. Rmoney/LyinRyan = Bush/cheney

[andym]

19. Goldwater vs LBJ was probably the most important in that time frame

If Goldwater, then no
Medicare, Medicaid, the Civil Rights Act of 1968 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965

However, given the extreme positions of Romney's GOP, they are mighty dangerous.

[The Doctor.]

22. We're in more trouble than that.

Sorry.