November 3, 2004
Jeremy Reynalds
P O Box 27693
Alb., NM 87125-7693
Tel: (505) 400-7145
www.joyjunction.org
While President Bush calls his re-election "historic," MoveOn dubs Bush's Victory "a Dark Day."
In a letter e-mailed to supporters, President George W. Bush thanked supporters for turning out in huge numbers and delivering what he called a "historic victory."
"At every stop I asked you to make the calls, put up the signs, talk to your neighbors, and get out the vote," President Bush said. "And because you did your part, we are celebrating today. Thanks to you, we received more votes than any presidential ticket in history."
President Bush said he is "humbled" by the task ahead and with the trust that has been placed in him by Americans.
"With that trust comes a duty: I will serve all Americans, so help me God. I am proud to lead such an amazing country -- and I am proud to lead it forward. Reaching our goals will require the broad support of Americans," President Bush said. "A new term is a new opportunity to reach out to the whole nation. We have one country, one Constitution, and one future that binds us all. And when we come together and work together, there is no limit to the greatness of America."
With the ending of the campaign, President Bush said, "our cause is renewed. The United States of America goes forward with confidence and faith. I can see a new day coming, and I am eager for the work ahead."
While President Bush and his supporters rejoiced at his victory, in an e- mailed letter to his supporters John Kerry said that in a Tuesday talk with President Bush the two discussed the political division in America and what Kerry called "the desperate need for unity, for finding the common ground, coming together. Today, I hope that we can begin the healing."
Kerry said he conceded defeat once he realized that there was no chance his campaign would see victory.
"I would not give up this fight if there was a chance that we would prevail," he said. "But it is now clear that even when all the provisional ballots are counted, which they will be, there won't be enough outstanding votes for our campaign to be able to win Ohio. And therefore, we cannot win this election."
Thanking his supporters, Kerry said "It was a privilege and a gift to spend two years traveling this country, coming to know so many of you. I wish I could just wrap you in my arms and embrace each and every one of you individually all across this nation. I thank you from the bottom of my heart."
Kerry told his supporters not to lose faith.
"What you did made a difference, and building on itself, we will go on to make a difference another day. I promise you, that time will come -- the election will come when your work and your ballots will change the world, and it's worth fighting for."
Kerry said he finishes campaigning with a "grateful heart. I leave this campaign with a prayer that has even greater meaning to me now that I've come to know our vast country so much better and that prayer is very simple: God bless America."
However, in a letter e- mailed to their supporters, some of the people behind the controversial political action committee www.moveon.org were not quite so gracious.
"We'll admit to being heartbroken by the outcome of yesterday's election," the MoveOn staff wrote. " It's a dark day."
However, the MoveOn missive continued, while supporters "have suffered a defeat ... we are not defeated."
The e- mail also praised newly elected Colo. Senator Ken Salazar, "whose campaign was fueled by the donations of thousands of MoveOn members."
And, MoveOn continued, "We're proud that before he conceded this morning, John Kerry called to thank all of you for what we did to help his campaign."
There was also thanks to the group's members "who worked so hard and gave so much to take back America."
All that effort, the writer said, makes Kerry's defeat even harder to stomach.
"But the fact that so many of us were involved offers true hope for the future of democracy. In the campaign to defeat George Bush, you have proven that real Americans can have a voice in American politics," MoveOn wrote. "In the months and years to come, that revelation will change everything."
Apparently trying to put a positive face on their candidate's defeat, the MoveOn writer reminded supporters that while President Bush won by three percent nationally, more than 55 million people nonetheless voted for John Kerry.
"You are certainly not alone ... Our journey toward a progressive America has always been bigger than George Bush. The current leg is just beginning -- we're still learning how to build a citizen-based politics together. But it's a journey our nation has been on for a long time," MoveOn wrote. "As Martin Luther King, Jr. said, ‘The arc of history is long, but it bends toward justice.' Today, we'll take a breath. Tomorrow, we'll keep moving toward the America we know is possible."
