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No kidding, please. Serious disscussion. geez. 

Why did Kerry lose?

Gay rights and abortion. End of story.

Definately a major factor, but not quite so simple. Positions on social issues could have been handled more effectively but the candidate himself had inherent problems. Bush got his base out to vote for him, Kerry got most of his base out to vote against Bush. Kerry was a compromise candidate and wasn't able to generate much positive enthusiam.

So why did the Democrats choose him? Simply because he was the one they thought most able to win, the candidates that really inspired them were deemed "too liberal" to win a general election. Which brings us to perhaps the biggest problem the Democrats face: they are increasingly directed by the extreme left pushing "radical" positions like gay marriage which happen to be strongly opposed by the majority of the people. That's where the Democrats need to do some serious damage control, they've gone so far to capture fringe interests that they've alienated a large segment of the general population. The country simply isn't as Left as some Democrat leaders think it is.

*Bill, maybe it's time the Democratic Party do some self-analysis as to why they -didn't- receive the majority of the votes this year, and why they lost a handful of Senatorial races as well?  ???

Without scapegoats, is your side thus rendered powerless?

In this context "my side", much like "your side" is itself a coalition of interests that don't always agree. We like to think of American politics in terms of twos, but the reality is far more complex as you well know.

Give either party total control and we'll still see bitter divisions.

All sides have their share of scapegoats and inherent flaws, flawed ideologies aside. The best we can ever hope for, even when "our side" wins big is to improve conditons from our perspective in numerous small ways. Little that is dramatic, nothing utopian.

As for "with us or against us", this is part of the landscape. Sometimes the range of conflicting interests can cooperate, as after 9/11, but usually irreconcilable differences are part of American politics. Right can't agree with the socialist Left and they can't agree with the conservative Right. Something has to give. Par for the course. A byproduct of free societies.

That said, I have fairly high hopes myself, but I expect somewhat less. It's going to take more than one party to fix the system, and I fear that it can't be done in a fully civil manner.

There will be no gloating here.

Setting up impossible "expectations" in order to generate the perception of failures to point to, very astute.

We have options.

Impeach Bush.

Don't need to.

Tecumseh's Curse... 

President Cheney anyone? 

Are you surprised? They are playing kingmaker. Fox is the Pravda of the Republicans. ;-)

They are biased, but they have also been calling states for Kerry before most of the other networks.

Yet we will play the cards we have been dealt. And with a GOP President, House and Senate, Bush will be 100% to blame or receive credit on how Iraq turns out.

And they will get the blame as the weaknesses in the economy become more obvious.

Is Fox good? I mean, I'm looking at stats on CNN, thhey look quite impressive.

Looks like Uhio is in the bag, 89% of votes in, last time I checked...

Of all the networks, Fox seems to be the one that is most willing to go out on a limb and project the states first.  CNN and others still think that Kerry has enough of a chance of winning Ohio that they have not called it yet.

LOL!

No worries, just ribbing you given some of your previous comments

Anyone know a good site for a video web feed of election coverage? I gots no TVees.