While sitting in the Chevrolet dealership for four hours this morning, trying to work my way through John Feinberg's The Many Face of Evil, I was subjected to lots of mindless morning TV. Diane Sawyer interviewed P. Diddy Combs about the election. (I'm so thankful I got to see such insightful political analysis!) P. Diddy was wearing a "Vote or Die" t-shirt. Then Ruben Studdard sang a nice song on Regis and Kellie--and both of his backup singers were wearing "Vote or Die" t-shirts. Apparently Hilary Clinton thinks the "Vote or Die" slogan is "accurate." From what I can tell, P. Diddy isn't all the concerned about voters being informed--he just wants them to get out and vote.
Can anyone explain for me what exactly "Vote or Die" means? I could see saying "Vote for John Kerry or Die"--if you believe in the draft-scare, believe that Bush will draft you, and that by electing Kerry there won't be a draft--i.e., you won't die. I could see saying "Vote for Bush or Die"--if you believe that he is fighting the Global War on Terror overseas so that we don't have to fight it here at home, that Kerry will open us up to another attack on our homeland, and that by electing Bush there won't be such an attack--i.e., you won't die. But what in the world does simply "Vote or Die" mean? A threat?!
Help me out here.
