Unlike Alec Baldwin, I know I have absolutely no influnce over your vote. And I sure as hell can't move to France. No matter who wins next Tuesday (or in the lawsuits that will follow), I'll be here, slogging through the outcome, and odds are that I and my family will survive regardless of the outcome. One way or another, we'll still have the War that George started; we'll still have the economy he and his cronies caused; we'll still have a huge deficit and crumbling infrastructure. It'll take decades to reverse the damage done in the last four years.

But. George W. Bush has got to go. And odds are, if he doesn't, we may survive another four years–but we'll do it without much joy.

I sympathize with those of you out there who lean toward the right, who cling to some misinterpreted tenet of faith that tells you Dubya is annointed by God to lead this country away from Sin, or whatever. Somehow, through no fault of your own, your upbringing and your environment caused you to believe that Jesus was a gun-loving, gay-hating, tax-cutting, war-mongering Savior who wants you to Kill Everyone Different Than You. I can't find that in the Ten Commandments or the Sermon on the Mount, but somehow you've been led to interpret it that way.

Whatever. I can't undo what your parents and your community did during socialization, or whatever politics you picked up when you moved into a certain tax bracket, or the fact that you're a selfish bastard who'd rather see the poor pay for their own goddamn health insurance. Fine. But understand me when I say that regardless of your misinformed position, another four years of Dubya will leave this country spiritually and financially poorer and more divided. It should say something to you that Iran has endorsed Bush? or that Vladimir Putin, a man who is openly hostile to your missionaries and is rolling back personal and religious freedoms, is
endorsing Bush? Wake up and smell the Holy Spirit, people! WWJD? Certainly not vote for a purveyor of lies, death, and hypocrisy like Bush.

Dubya says Jesus saved him from booze, I hear–well, he certainly hasn't returned the favor. He isn't saving anyone from substance abuse, or from poverty, or from unwanted pregnancy, or from the ravages of disease. Instead, he's all about giving the government a bigger stick to beat people with, and outsourcing the caring part to your churches and other nonprofits. He asks, “Is our children learning?”, and makes schools focus on testing instead of teaching.

So, I'm not going to try to change your minds. But I am asking you to open them up just a little bit to the Truth.

Because the Truth may set you free, but first it's going to piss you off–and the Truth is that you've been getting manipulated and played by a guy that makes Slick Willie look like an amateur in that department. He uses that aw-shucks crap and your fear of the unknown to get power over you. He has lied so much without being called on it that he now does it by default–and when he is called on it, he says, “That's what I call one of those 'exaggerations'.”

So, consider the Truth. And if it doesn't change your mind, at least mull it over for a while–like all of next Tuesday. Because the rest of us would like our country back. And while Kerry may not be the best choice, we at least know that he's more prone to be responsive to the popular will than Dubya.

Unlike Alec Baldwin, I know I have absolutely no influnce over your vote. And I sure as hell can't move to France. No matter who wins next Tuesday (or in the lawsuits that will follow), I'll be here, slogging through the outcome, and odds are that I and my family will survive regardless of the outcome. One way or another, we'll still have the War that George started; we'll still have the economy he and his cronies caused; we'll still have a huge deficit and crumbling infrastructure. It'll take decades to reverse the damage done in the last four years.

But. George W. Bush has got to go. And odds are, if he doesn't, we may survive another four years–but we'll do it without much joy.

I sympathize with those of you out there who lean toward the right, who cling to some misinterpreted tenet of faith that tells you Dubya is annointed by God to lead this country away from Sin, or whatever. Somehow, through no fault of your own, your upbringing and your environment caused you to believe that Jesus was a gun-loving, gay-hating, tax-cutting, war-mongering Savior who wants you to Kill Everyone Different Than You. I can't find that in the Ten Commandments or the Sermon on the Mount, but somehow you've been led to interpret it that way.

Whatever. I can't undo what your parents and your community did during socialization, or whatever politics you picked up when you moved into a certain tax bracket, or the fact that you're a selfish bastard who'd rather see the poor pay for their own goddamn health insurance. Fine. But understand me when I say that regardless of your misinformed position, another four years of Dubya will leave this country spiritually and financially poorer and more divided. It should say something to you that Iran has endorsed Bush? or that Vladimir Putin, a man who is openly hostile to your missionaries and is rolling back personal and religious freedoms, is
endorsing Bush? Wake up and smell the Holy Spirit, people! WWJD? Certainly not vote for a purveyor of lies, death, and hypocrisy like Bush.

Dubya says Jesus saved him from booze, I hear–well, he certainly hasn't returned the favor. He isn't saving anyone from substance abuse, or from poverty, or from unwanted pregnancy, or from the ravages of disease. Instead, he's all about giving the government a bigger stick to beat people with, and outsourcing the caring part to your churches and other nonprofits. He asks, “Is our children learning?”, and makes schools focus on testing instead of teaching.

So, I'm not going to try to change your minds. But I am asking you to open them up just a little bit to the Truth.

Because the Truth may set you free, but first it's going to piss you off–and the Truth is that you've been getting manipulated and played by a guy that makes Slick Willie look like an amateur in that department. He uses that aw-shucks crap and your fear of the unknown to get power over you. He has lied so much without being called on it that he now does it by default–and when he is called on it, he says, “That's what I call one of those 'exaggerations'.”

So, consider the Truth. And if it doesn't change your mind, at least mull it over for a while–like all of next Tuesday. Because the rest of us would like our country back. And while Kerry may not be the best choice, we at least know that he's more prone to be responsive to the popular will than Dubya.