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November 01, 2004

It All Comes Down To You

Many, many emails hit my inbox, but recently I started receiving messages from Eric Bauman, chairman, of all things, of the Los Angeles County Democratic Party. I couldn't have written something more profound on the eve of the most important election of our lifetimes--I'm too brain dead for that, at this point--so I thought I would share this. Laura

By Eric C. Bauman

After many months of speeches, attacks and counter-attacks, annoying thirty-second TV ads, news stories, editorials, predictions and postulations, the end is finally near. In just a matter of hours the ballots will be in the ballot box (or hard drive, for those voting electronically).

Those who can be convinced have been, those who haven't been, won't be. What remains is turning out our voters, and on that score, it all comes down to you.

Any potential voter who doesn't know that Bush will be the first president in 72 years to end his term with fewer people working than at the start, will never know it.

Any potential voter who remains unaware that more than five million people have lost their health insurance in the past four years will forever remain blissfully ignorant, or indifferent.

Any potential voter who hasn't heard that the child poverty rate has soared from 14 percent to nearly 18 percent, and that 39 million working Americans now earn below the poverty rate, must live in another land.

Any potential voter who hasn't read that Bush took Clinton's six-trillion dollar surplus and turned it into a 3.5-trillion dollar deficit has not read a newspaper or watched the evening news.

Any potential voter who has not acknowledged that we were led into war based on deceptions, distortions and lies, will also never acknowledge that more than 1,100 young American men and women will not have the opportunity to vote on November 2nd, or ever again. And despite those lives lost, our nation remains awash in fear of terrorist plots and the growing nuclear threat from countries like North Korea and Iran.

Any potential voter who has not figured out that with John Kerry there is hope and optimism for our future, and with George Bush there is just more of the same ... lies, distortions and deception, with the rich getting richer, the powerful gaining more power, and the rest of us getting virtually nothing, will never get it.

Any potential voter who has not yet comprehended these things, is not in touch with reality.

For us, the focus must now be on mobilizing those voters who understand the differences and know what's at stake; on energizing those voters and ensuring they cast their ballots.

All these many months of speeches and stories, of cajoling and threatening, of point and counter-point, end now. Today begins the end game that will define the course of our nation for the next four years and well beyond.

This is not a job John Kerry can do. This is not a job Bill Clinton can do. This is not a job the Democratic Party can do. This is a job only you can do.

I've heard all the excuses. I've heard the whining and braying. I've heard the frustration. But despite the excuses, in spite of the whining and braying and regardless of the frustration, each and every one of us must take responsibility to do our part for the future of our collective and individual benefit.

Please do not allow yourself to wake up on November 3rd to a headline that says, "Bush wins four more years," and then ask yourself, "Could I have done more?" or "Could I have made the difference?"

It has often been said that the difference between the candidates is that Bush sees things in black-and-white and Kerry sees things in shades of gray. For once, Bush may be right. This election IS black-and-white. It is a stark choice our nation faces, between optimism and hope or arrogance and insularity.

As I said at the beginning, it all comes down to you. To use a contemporary metaphor, you are the final precision armament in our arsenal. You are the Special Forces in our army. You are the key to the success of our strategy, our version of "shock and awe."

I know each of you cares deeply about the future of our nation and our world. I know each of you believes our best days lie ahead. I know each of you is committed to positive change. And it is those deeply held values to which I am appealing today.

Imagine if we are victorious in November, if we regain control of the reins of our government and reorient our nation's direction on a positive, intelligent and well-constructed path, the future will be bright and hope will return.

It has often been said that "this may be the most important election of our lifetimes," this year that is only half-true. This is not only the most important election in our lifetimes, but in the lifetimes of our children, our grandchildren, and our parents. America deserves better, you can and must help bring about that change.

Today the talk must cease, the chatter must end, and all the griping and whining must be stifled. Instead, you should direct your energy toward changing the course of our nation and helping build an America that is stronger at home and more respected in the world, an America in which each person has a chance at the American dream.

Despite all the darkness and distraction of the past four years, hope IS on the way. Remember, tomorrow can be better than today, but now it all comes down to you!

Posted by laura at November 1, 2004 03:01 PM

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