A clean sweep for the Republican party has provided a virtual mandate for President Bush and his conservative ideal. Democrats will need to re-invent themselves to re-capture part of the Congress in the next election. But to do so they will have to do one of two things: re-define the term Liberal or better court Moderate Democrats and independents.

With help from Conservative pundits like Ann Coulter, Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh, a liberal is a pot-smoking, weak on terrorism, tree-hugging, welfare-taking, homosexual-loving devil. The Conservative pundits have led the charge and the GOP candidates have merely picked up on the terminology.

Across the country in poor rural areas where Democrats had been very successful historically, voters there voted to protect their guns and prevent their sons from marrying other sons. Soccer Moms who set up a society where their children must be home schooled to prevent a “liberal education” and kids have been fitted for tracking devices (okay just cell phones, but RFID is coming to a child near you) so that they can be sure a terrorist never steal their child. These Soccer Moms have become “Security Moms” who feel that terrorists are lurking outside their bedroom windows watching their every move. NASCAR Dads voted to make sure that they are armed so that in case a terrorist comes to Pocono Raceway, they can protect their country. And of course, the religious wing of the party, probably the most powerful, have been energized by Bush, and have called for the end of Choice, the end of Homosexuality, and the end of Smut on TV.

The fear mongering by Bush and the GOP worked to court Moderate Republicans and Independents (Guns and War on Terrorism) and Moderate Democrats (Tax Cuts), but the “Liberal” fear mongering didn’t work to bring that group to vote Democratic. What are those fears? In the next 4 years, under Bush and his GOP controlled congress will be able to do the following: Overturn Roe V. Wade, Strengthen the Patriot Act (limit individual freedom), relax gun controls, institute a flat tax or national sales tax, and invade Iran. The end result of those actions will cause the following: a rash of women dying in prison or back alleys, free speech and dissent will be eliminated, murder rates will continue to increase where young urban men will risk extinction, an economic collapse not unlike the Great Depression, and more terrorist attacks on our soil and abroad which will cause people to barricade themselves in their homes. Unfortunately, there will be no television or radio to listen to, because the FCC will be allowed to regulate cable, satellite radio, and all other forms of communication including the internet.

2004 has become 1984. With the War on Terrorism, Bush and the GOP have fulfilled one element of George Orwell’s prognostication: “War is Peace”. The other 2 elements “Freedom is Slavery” (Patriot Act) and “Ignorance is Strength” (Government controlled media) will finally be fulfilled.

• Students For Orwell
• Read George Orwell's 1984 on-line
• Lakeside-Park.com: A Bushwellian Nightmare