Many of us invested more time and emotion into this election than we ever imaged we were capable of.  I know I did.  I've watched many presidential elections from afar, involved only to the extent that I might share a few of my cynical observations with whomever happened to be around at the time. I knew, or thought I knew, that it didn't make any difference who was President. 

This time was different.  This time I knew what it meant.  This time I knew how important it was.  A lot of us did.

We gave time, money, energy and our hearts and minds to striking down what we see destroying our country and threatening our lives and those of our children and our neighbors.  We knew that as polarized as the nation was, that the people who knew and cared would outnumber (and outvote) those who did not know or who could not see or who had their own narrow agendas. And we were as mobilized as we could possibly be.

But we were wrong.  The electorate has picked a direction, and it is not ours.  I remember thinking when Bush was picked as the Republican nominee in 2000 how easy he was going to be to defeat.  The American people would not elect an idiot. And they didn't, but they almost did, and it left an opening, and the vicious and unscrupulous prevailed, and he was appointed.

And then thinking, no, knowing, that after the four year long unceasing debacle that this administration has been, that he would be cashiered out after one term.  And then shaking my head as he hung in the polls, wondering at the intelligence of this country, and then beginning to think he might actually steal another election, or rig an event or an attack or a scare which would make it close.  But never, never thinking he would win the popular vote by nearly four million votes.  Forget the electoral college.  One man, one vote, he won by four million votes.

Boy oh boy. Remember after the 2000 election, when all the pundits said, and a lot of us believed, that since Bush actually lost the election he would have to govern from the center?  Well, we saw how that worked out.  Now he has a "mandate" and "political capital" which he intends to spend on things the American people told him they wanted (i.e., pre-emptive war, staggering deficits, bigger and better Southern Baptist churches).

And his demeanor!  Today he gave a press conference- a press conference!- and he seemed so calm, so confident, so self-assured.  He has God On His Side.  Just how scary is that?

Batten down the hatches.  Katy bar the door.  Bend over and touch the ground and kiss your ass goodby.  Say a prayer (a Southern Baptist prayer) for Michael Moore. To quote Walt Kelly's "Pogo" (remember him?)- "We have met the enemy and he is us."