Things you wished you had known!

I have to admit, prior to 2000 I was not a political. . .well a political anything.

Things were grand with Billy Clinton and I assumed we would continue on our democratic streak of good luck. I didn't pay too much attention to the election of 2000 because I knew it was Gore v. Bush and I knew I'd vote for Gore.

Listening to the radio today, hearing about a major protest at Haliburton, I realized that
1) I didn't fathom the power Cheney had with the energy company and 2) I wish I had paid a whole lot more attention.

So my long winded question to you is thus:

What do you wish you had realized/processed/known before the 2000 election?

Some things that I regret not understanding:
1) Computerized voting machines are not cool
2) Jeb Bush was governor of Florida
3) Cheney is an evil corporate war monger.

But I'll stop now cause I want to hear from you.

I told anyone who would listen in 2000 that Bush was a liar, and incompetent, that he would get us into wars, that terrorists would strike major targets in America, and the the economy would tank.

One month before the election I saw an interview with Bush, and he said he was sure he would win Florida. I told my wife "He's rigged Florida, you watch."

I knew it all. It did not help one little bit.

how wimpy so many mainstream reporters and news outlets are.

How hypocritical so many conservatives have proven to be. (I really thought more of them were true idealists, not just craven powermongers.)

they are just owned by the Republican Party. They are quite brass in what they report, the way they lie against all evidence to praise "President" Bush (Notice how they STILL emphasize the word "President") and criticize his opponents.

Don't underestimate: When the media is owned by corporations like Disney, General Electric, AOL/TIme Warner and Rupert Murdoch, and slant in favor of major tax cuts for their parent corporations is NOT an accident, nor is it spin. It's plain old advertising.

The truth about the world and those who run it.

I have issues with verbosity.

Thanks for the replies so far!

have had a chance?