This is our last day to post information to our Spokesman-Review Elections Blog and this will be my final posting. I feel blessed and very grateful to have been given the opportunity to be involved in this exercise. I want to thank Ken Sands and the Spokesman Review and I hope my postings and commentary have added something of value.

So here we are… Election day 2004… I awoke with a prayer this morning. Not praying for a candidate, but praying for our nation. I awoke asking for my God to help us restore reason, compassion and sanity to our collective will. And maybe more than anything I was just praying for us as a whole… the American people. That we might once again realize the wonderful gift we have been blessed with. Not in a partisan or zealous way that alienates and polarizes but in an all inclusive, collective sense.

Certainly, as a nation, America has done things that I have not agreed with and I have spoken out against. But I never stopped appreciating my right to do so. I never felt afraid for our fundamental values as a nation. The things that those revolutionary rascals enriched our nation with upon its creation. They didn’t get everything right, but the fundamental goodness of what they created and the fact that it stood functionally in tact for over 200 years is something I have never stopped believing in…

I’m not given to patriotic frenzies. However talking with a friend recently, we were taken by how much we love this country and how proud we were of what the real essence of American democracy stood for in the world. Sadly we don’t feel as proud as we once did. Our position in the world is diminished. We are now feared by many but respected by few. And many among us don’t seem to care. This is extremely troubling to me. You wouldn’t discount the opinions of your associates in your workplace or school or neighborhood. Isn’t our global community at least as important?

The feeling I characterize as what we all felt on September 12th really focused all of this for me. I recall that day crystal clear as I’m sure we all do. Like it was yesterday. There were no republicans, democrats, independents, libertarians… We were just Americans. We had been attacked and we were furious and outraged, but we were united completely. Our collective spirit was bonded at that moment in time. We didn’t have to say it. Indeed it would have been overkill at the time. But it was so genuine, there was no doubt about it. With all of the pain we felt then, that spirit was like a medication that gave us peace.

But then something happened and we lost it. I’m not sure exactly when this happened but we definitely did and I pray that its not too late to get it back.

I wonder if we can we go beyond winners and losers on this Election Day and realize that we will all lose if we don’t get our act together and work toward our common good once again? Don’t we all really want the same things? In the big picture, don’t we all want to be happy, healthy and comfortable and to provide better for our children and grandchildren than we had for ourselves? Can’t we realize that it isn’t so important to have more of the above than our neighbor, but that our neighbor also has his or her fair share of the pie as well? There is no doubt that we differ on how we accomplish these goals but I maintain we will never reach them if we continue to fight amongst ourselves. If we can’t appreciate that we are all part of one nation, indeed one very small world. Whether democrat or republican or whatever, we are not the enemy. We have common goals.

We can debate the reasons why our national conversation has sunk to such depths. There is no doubt that there are those who feel their interests are better served through generating ongoing conflict. These are diversions from our collective good and it is our duty as citizens to be informed and to resist these manipulations through our democratic process. Those who summon hate and fear in us are no different today than they were proven to be in Europe in the 1930s or any other time in history. They are vexations to our lives and they divert us from our spirituality that holds us together as people. That makes us care about each other as the brothers and sisters that we truly are.

So will my morning prayer be answered today? Will we get past the partisan bickering and work to become a unified people once again? A part of me scoffs at the very idea! The impracticality of my idealism… but I’ve always been stricken with it and I guess even at 52, I still am.

So I will continue to pray for us and work to affect positive change in our lives. I hope that you will too. They say God helps those who help themselves so it’s really all I can do. To quote another revolutionary rascal…

“Imagine there’s no country.”
“It isn’t hard to do.”
“Nothing to kill or die for.”
“No religion too.”
“Imagine all the people living life in peace…”

“You may say I’m a dreamer but I’m not the only one.”
“I hope someday you’ll join us, and the world will live as one.”

With the election finally taking place today, this blog project by the Spokesman Review is just about done. Ken Sands, the online editor, has done a nice job of setting up and administering this blog. I would like to personally thank Ken for a job well done. Hopefully, this is just the start for more blog projects, covering a wide range of topics besides politics.

Participating in this blog has been a fun and interesting experience. Because politics is such a volatile subject that polarizes people, most of us don't discuss politics much with people who hold vastly different viewpoints from our own. Hopefully we have all considered some new ideas and viewpoints during this exercise.

I just got back from voting, and it felt great to submit my ballot. Even if my chosen candidates don't win, there is a feeling of having some control over how things turn out, and a feeling that my viewpoint will at least register in the election results.

For the first time, citizens in Afghanistan experienced the same elation and power of self determination when they elected their goverment officials recently. In January, the citizens of Iraq will also share in this experience, despite the attempts of Saddam's old cronies to terrorize the populace into submission, and deny them free elections. Democracy is a powerful and wonderful thing. As noted by a historian recently, democracies don't conduct war against other democracies. The worldwide spread of democracy is our best hope for world peace. No, it won't come easily. It never does.

Regardless of who wins the presidential election, I hope the losing side graciously accepts the results, and allows our country to move on from the election with dignity and confidence. It will be a great disservice to our country if the loser and his supporters spend the next four years claiming that they were the rightful winners of the election. One of the most important keys to a successful democracy (or republic) is the acceptance of election results by those in power, and the populace. The strength and well being of our nation is more important than the political ambitions of one candidate or party.

Get out there and vote, folks!

Here we are, finally, on November 2. All our efforts on this blog site are done, for better or worse, depending on your point of view. I would like to thank the Spokesman-Review for this opportunity. I frequently write letters to the editor, and when they began their e-mail solicitations of reader opinions, I let them have it. I told them that I was disappointed that they seem to be following the leads of mainstream media, which, in my opinion, was inadequate to say the least. I told them I was disappointed that they weren’t reporting on the real stories. I thought that the main stream media, the S-R included, no longer served their function as not only the disseminators of information but a watchdog for those who hold power over us. However, the S-R did something I thought very progressive in creating this site, Searching For Democracy, and giving people like me an opportunity to share with others what I thought were the real stories. I am impressed that the S-R wanted to provide alternate sources of information to their online readers. For that, I thank you.
As to the rest, here we are. Personally, I have never been so emotionally involved in an election. I confess that I didn’t know how dangerous George Bush would be to this country. I knew that I didn’t like his father’s politics, and for that reason alone I knew that a vote for Bush in 2000 would mean a vote for something I couldn’t even relate to. Since then, of course, I have come to realize that I was witnessing the fall of democracy. To quote from E.L. Doctorow, “The greatest democratic republic in history was turning it’s back on the future, using its extraordinary power and standing not to advance the ideal of a concordance of civilizations but to endorse the kind of tribal combat that originated with the Neanderthals...who could imagine ensuring their survival by no other means than pre-emptive war.”
Now I know, through publications such as The Nation (to which I hadn’t previously subscribed) and e-mails (thank God for the internet!) sent out from MoveOnPAC.org, League of Conservation Voters, Defenders of Wildlife, Parklines and the like, that George Bush and his crew were gutting the Clean Air Act and replacing it with the erroneously titled “Clear Skies” initiative which would produce anything but; creating loopholes for SUV’s; wholesaling public lands to any moneyed special interest, and hundreds of other environmental crimes. For the last 4 years I’ve been watching as our rights eroded under the Patriot Act; their ‘No Child Left Behind’ put our kids even further down the priority list; cronyism and corruption became the norm in Washington D.C, and terrorism and national security became the smokescreen under which this Administration would perform all sorts of indecent acts against my fellow citizens. I watched as this Administration conducted business in secrecy, spending $6.5 billion of our dollars creating 14 million new classified documents. I watched as they started a war that was not only unconstitutional, but morally reprehensible. Our beautiful country became the laughingstock of ‘democracy’ as we claimed we were freeing an oppressed people from a tyrant, only to replace that tyrant with Bush’s own form of tyranny and torture and oppression.
As Joni Mitchell said, so long ago, that “You don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone,” I didn’t realize how much I loved my country until these last 4 years. Watching my country in the hands of someone who didn’t give a damn about democracy, freedom, our national natural treasures, or me and my fellow citizens who don’t make more than a billion dollars a year. I realized that I loved it, and desperately don’t want to lose it.
All human institutions are bound to fail eventually; bound to succumb to the human elements of fear and greed which have defined our existence until now. This administration seems to have a monopoly on those characteristics. Characteristics that I hope our race is to evolve out of. This administration doesn’t embody that spiritual progression. It, to me, embodies a regression toward a more primitive society in which Might equals Right, which is what this country has been fighting against for 228 years.
Please, if you haven’t already done so, vote. Vote as if your well being depended on it, because it does.

Zogby has done a study revealing increased interest in this year's presidential election.

Those young voters also chose Kerry over Bush, 55 percent to 40 percent.

We here in the US can toss our opinions on the Iraqi war back and forth but I believe it's helpful to hear from those most affected - the Iraqi citizens. In particular, I'd like to promote this site - Iraq the Model (sorry, dude - no swimsuit pics here). It's mostly the work of Ali Fadhil, a 34-year old Iraqi doctor in Baghdad. A couple money quotes showing Iraqis are better off in most every way:
"Maybe in a real sense, I am less safe than I was under Saddam. But then I never felt safe. We were always in fear of some bad surprise from the authorities. Now, the threat is different, but it is random (he is thinking of the car bombs). Personally I also feel safer because I am free."

He is also better off, making about $200 a month instead of the $3 a month doctors earned under the Baathists. Ali is appalled by the terrorists, but not surprised. "We are at war and the enemy is fighting back, so why be surprised about that?" he asks. "Iran, some in Saudi Arabia, all the Islamist groups, and the former Baathists, of course, naturally are funding the fighting. They want to terrorize us before the elections, so things are going to get worse before then. But when terrorists see that the people demand democracy, they will feel they have lost. Many will leave."
Ali is more worried about the Americans, given John Kerry's talk of setting an announced timetable for the removal of U.S. troops, and he is dismayed by U.S. commentators and career bureaucrats who say that democracy in Iraq is impossible. "What they really are saying is that we are barbarians. There is some racism in that. They despise Islam and think it cannot reform itself or lead to reform. They think we are so ignorant we need a dictator."

But "look at what happened in Najaf when the US chased out al Sadr. The media said the people were angry, but they were only angry with al Sadr. They demonstrated against al Sadr and for the [interim] government. There was very little news on that."

Katy Herpin is a varsity softball player, honors student, music enthusiast and… Republican? “It’s true. I can’t help it.”

Denouncing Bush and embracing Kerry appear to be commonplace with teens. There are bumper stickers and decorative pins with clever slogans mounted to messenger bags and cars.

"It’s the 'in' thing," Katy said. "But so often when someone finds that I support Bush they’re upset, like, 'He sucks!' but they can’t give any specific reasons for that opinion. Not all of them, but many, are just plain ignorant."

Katy’s views align with her political party of choice. What is striking about these opinions, however, is how they’ve formed. "I’m not very religious… It’s all just what I believe and what I feel is right."

Gay marriage is one such issue. "Homosexuality has been mainstreamed by the media. Shows like 'Will and Grace' totally influences people to be gay…Look at 'The Real World,'" she said of the cornerstone of all teenage television viewing. "There are gay people on it right now. It makes me uncomfortable. I don’t want to watch it." Bottom line? "Being gay or lesbian is not right."

Katy interns at a local radio station that primarily plays hip hop. But she is quick to add, "I don’t listen to music, though, that degrades women. Songs that casually use words like 'ho' and 'bitch' are just trash."

"Music is something so important to so many different people. There is certainly a social relevance [with hip hop]. It’s such a great form of expression, as well as an outlet for people coming from the streets."

When asked why so many teens don’t bother with politics, there is a pause. After a moment, she said: "I haven’t ever thought of that."

"I remember freshman year that (a teacher) told my class about a girl who was his student. This girl could tell you everything that had happened the night before on American Idol, but had no idea that, on that same night, we had gone to war in Iraq. How pathetic is that? I don’t want to that kind of person, I guess."

"(Politics have) just always been a part of my life. Everyone should be aware of what’s going on in the world. Ignorance really isn’t bliss."

Bottom line? "I want to be a voter." And after a moment, she added, "And I’ll vote Republican."

I moved to the U.S. from Russia in mid-1990's. Having received American citizenship only a couple of years ago, I am a first-generation American citizen, and a first-time voter in the 2004 elections. -- Andrew Morozov, "New to America" blogger.

What do I think about voting? I think the answer would depend on how I see myself. If I think that, no matter how much I understand about politics, if I am at least 18 years old and in good mental health, then I deserve to have a say in choosing who will control my life for the next 4 years, then I would say that voting is my right, and I don’t owe nothin’ for it to nobody.

If, on the other hand, I count myself among those Americans, who are sufficiently intelligent and well informed about their country’s domestic and foreign policy, and who stay up on the news and understand the political candidates’ stances on major issues, then I can argue that I don’t just deserve to vote, but it is my responsibility to do so, especially because there are many others who have no clue about politics. In other words, it would be my duty to cast my vote in order to counter-balance the less well-informed votes of others, since I obviously have better reasons for voting the way I do.

Finally, if in the final sober analysis I come to a dramatic conclusion that no matter what I do or how hard I try to understand politics, I will forever remain an ignorant and gullible Joe Bloe, all too easily swayed by the rhetoric of presidential debates and the emotionality of partisan quasi-documentaries, then I may very well consider voting to be a great privilege. From this perspective, the opportunity to vote may appear to me no more “deserved,” than an opportunity for a hockey fan to weigh in on who should win the Olympic gold in figure skating.

Would I say that voting makes a difference? Again, it depends. On the highest level, voting in the U.S. presidential elections does make a difference in a sense that the candidate with the majority of electoral votes wins. Beyond that, it gets tricky. If I don’t live in a swing state with a sizeable chunk of electoral votes, then voting for the non-dominant party will have no more effect, than not voting at all, in terms of impact on the election outcome. In case of the state of Washington, with only 11 electoral votes, it contributes only 4% of the 270 votes a candidate needs to win. Washington could become a swing state, however, considering that only about 5% more votes were cast for Gore, than for Bush in the 2000 election (a more exact break-down is available here).

Democracy can be defined in a number of ways, depending on the historical context and conceptual framework being applied. According to one source, democracy is “a form of government under which the power to alter the basic laws and forms of government lies with the voting citizenry, referred to as "the people", and all decisions are made by representatives who act by their consent, as enforced by elections and the rule of law.” To this I would add, “and where election “improprieties” are an exception more than a norm.” All in all, I believe that in a country founded on democratic principles, voting does make a difference, when it is done right.

Assuming that truly democratic elections are necessarily a complex logistical undertaking, is voting in America a simple enough process for immigrant voters? You may have guessed – it depends – on how you look at it. American citizenship is a requirement for voting. For an immigrant like myself, it can take over 5 years to become a naturalized U.S. citizen. This requirement alone is, in most cases, a rather complicated and frustrating process. I imagine that after fighting such a drawn-out and exhausting battle with the U.S. government, some immigrants may become disenchanted with the ideals of democracy, and may want to have as little to do with the government, as they possibly can.

On the other hand…well, consider the following example. An Oct. 17, 2004 article from BBC World, describing the alleged “irregularities” in a Belarussian vote to approve a third term for the country’s president, stated that “a series of photographs from one polling station showed ballot papers which had already been marked with ticks beside Mr Lukashenko's name before they had been handed out to voters.” (more on that here). Compared to voting in Belarussia, then, the U.S. system does seem more involved – one has to mark his own ballot… My point is that, once in 4 years, a first-generation American citizen should have little excuse NOT to understand how and why voting is important, register to vote, find out where to vote, and, finally, cast a ballot.

As a first-time voter in the 2004 elections, I have already test-driven the polls in September, voting in the Washington State primary. I will go to the polls again on November 2nd, and on many other November 2nd’s in the decades ahead. Because no matter how many opinions there are about the right, responsibility, and privelege of voting, or whether political participation by the citizens of this country makes any difference, I am now one of them, and that makes a difference to me.