| Sadly, it wasn't all a dream | | Date Created: Nov 09, 2004, 09:17 AM |
 Okay, my week of self-imposed mourning is over. I've taken my lumps from all the, uh, gracious winners in my neighborhood and at work. It's time to post again.
I still can't believe Bush won. His re-election defied all precedents and, frankly, logic. Arianna Huffington said it best on Salon.com:
"With Iraq burning, WMD missinng, jobs at Herbert Hoover levels, flu shots nowhere to be found, gas prices through the roof, and Osama bin Laden back on the scene looking tanned, rested and ready; to rumble, this should have been a can't lose election for the democrats. Especially since they were more unified than ever before, had raised as much money as the Republicans, and were appealing to a country where 55 percent of voters believed we were headed in the wrong direction. But lose it they did."
Personally, I thought younger voters with cell phones (and therefore invisible to pollsters) would play a part in deciding the election. They did not. Instead, vast numbers of voters were motivated to go to the polls to vote against gay marriage and because they believed Bush would defend morals -- as if John Kerry would not ("What are these morals you speak of," Jon Stewart asked last week, "and how do you get them?").
Apparently I'm not alone in my disappointment. According to the New York Times, therapists say the campaign was "one of the most disturbing, hate-filled contests on record" that will "take a toll" on individuals' mental health if it continues after the election.
Some people are so upset they're thinking of moving to Canada! The Canadian government reports record numbers of Americans are visiting Canada's immigration website. |
 On the bright side, a second Bush administration will provide Jon Stewart with brilliant material for the next four years -- the gift that keeps giving!
Aside from that silver lining, what will the next four years bring? As we went to bed early Wednesday morning my wife opined that perhaps Bush will show some humility this term, having heard that half the country so strongly disagrees with him. It didn't take long for the president to dispel hopes on that account. In his acceptance speech Wednesday afternoon the president said he'd "reach out" to those who share his goals. Then on Thursday, he held a rare news conference in the James Brady Briefing Room, where he said he had earned political capital in the election and intended to spend it. |
 Which Bush will show up on January 20? Joe Klein lays it out in this week's Time magazine. Having won his second term, Bush no longer has to face the electorate. He does not have to pander to any interest group and can moderate his policies and build his legacy. But, critics worry that if the president did not moderate after failing to win the election in 2000, imagine what he'll do with what he perceives as a mandate. Conservatives salivate at the thought of a reshaped judiciary, a dismantled Social Security system, weakened enviromental laws, further media consolidation, and more jobs outsourced.
My biggest worry is Iraq and other potential wars. I have three sons and I'm not keen on losing any of them. I have very little confidence in Bush's judgement in the area of foreign policy. It is clear he has not read history or learned anything from it.
Bush also displayed, in his first term, a stunning arrogance in snubbing the rest of the world. He could not even listen to his secretary of state who knows more about fighting and winning wars than anyone else in the administration. It's hard to imagine the Iraq quagmire had Bush adhered to the Powell Doctrine of having a clear objective, using overwhelming force, and utilizing a clear exit strategy.
In the be careful of what you wish for category, Bush will have to deal with the mess he created in Iraq. I pray he will be wiser this term. |
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