Posted by
Locutisprime on Wednesday, November 05, 2008 3:45:18 PM
Is this a center right country anymore? Or based on last night's election, have we become a center left country? Or are we as Americans simply tired and believe that change regardless of degree or depth, is the only remedy for what ails us.
I live in Georgia and my state was solidly in McCain's camp last night as the votes were tallied.
I went into town today to do my walking and then to go by the barbershop to get a haircut. And let me just say that the reactions and conversations were neither unexpected or approving of the new president elect.
My barber (a young woman in her very early 30's) came by the shop on her off day and literally looked physically ill when I saw her enter. I asked her if she felt alright and she spun and looked me square in the eye and told me directly, that she literally felt sick to her stomach over this election. And she did so while visibly holding her stomach. "What the hell were these people thinking!"
And among the men....there were several who found the largest amount of blame for this political tragedy with one George W. Bush. Combined with the fact of whom "we" had supposedly chosen to represent the republican party this go round.
As I explained to several of the gentlemen present, I have more than a few bones to pick with President Bush and his handling of foreign and domestic affairs over the past three years in particular has led significantly to what we witnessed at the polls yesterday IMO too.
But a large portion of the blame for this loss rests on the square reality that John McCain never was the candidate of the people of the party in my belief. Or the belief of many others that I have talked to over the past six months for that matter. He may have been the darling of the newly arrived grand old party of moderate change? But many party loyalist saw hues and stripes on this particular dog that we never liked or agreed with from the beginning.
Problem was, his succeeding in the passage of his bill (McCain Feingold) left us with nothing other than a media propelled candidacy for, for who they (the media) wanted the GOP candidate to be. And the rest as they say is history. The party faithful were left out of the equation from day one, and they and the party know it.
Therefore, we are left now at the complete mercy of a liberal socialist party that is more inspired to prove itself and it's newly invigorated socialist roots and more determined to wipe the scourge of George W. Bush from the collective memory of this land, than they are to concern themselves about the slippery slope that they have willingly sought to place the future of this country on.
In an old southern adage of perspective? We are in a fine pickle and there isn't a damn thing we can do but ride this mule to town and hope like hell there is better stock for the trading when we get there.
But somehow I see this as one long an arduous journey and I am not sure that it is one that we will all survive.