Bush has gotten the popular vote by about 3.5 million and I don’t quite know what to make of it. What does this say about the country in which I live? That its citizens are satisfied with being lied to and manipulated? I guess if I ever decide to make the career switch to shyster, this is a good thing. And I have a handy-dandy color coded map of where to make my living. Actually, all I have to do is head away from the ocean. I guess I just don’t understand the idea of voting to reduce people’s freedoms. It makes me sad to think that a majority of people in this country think it’s ok to attack a country under false pretense, and that they use their interpretation of god to dictate what choices people have, who they can marry, and even what advances medical science can achieve.

I’m simply befuddled at the anti-intellectual sentiment that is over-running this nation. A lot of people seem to think Kerry is a pointy-headed elitist because he tends to be verbose and uses big words. He’s a “flip-flopper” (if I never hear that term again, it’ll be too soon) because he can see many sides to complex situations and is willing to adjust his approach to suit the needs of a changing situation. I bet he’s even willing to admit it when he makes a mistake, and then – get this – tries to fix it! I have a feeling that people want a guy like Ray Romano in office. A regular Joe, just like them. Personally, I want a guy who’s smarter than me in office. The thing is, Bush isn’t a regular Joe. He’s the privileged son of a politician who has breezed through life, handed opportunities at every turn. I truly think his folksy way of speaking, using “nu-cu-lar” instead of “nu-cle-ar”, and even fumbling on words is an affectation that he uses to prove what a “regular” guy he is. Frontline had a documentary that profiled Bush and Kerry throughout their political careers. Young GW doesn’t sound the same as old GW. He is not from Texas, he’s from Connecticut. And yet somehow he’s posturing like he’s an extra on the Dukes of Hazzard.

The only solace I can take is that a lot of people who voted for Bush this time around did it while holding their noses. Republicans were stuck between a rock and a hard place. If Democrats can come up with a candidate that people can be excited about from the get-go, then the country may very well experience some progress by the end of the decade and we can begin healing this disturbing division. I don’t forsee one inch of social progress in the next four years, and hopefully we can undo any regression that happens. Honestly, the sadistic, voyeuristic, reality TV-loving jerk in me is looking forward to watching the America Show over the next four years. Without having to worry about getting re-elected, what wacky hijinks will GW get mixed up in? Maybe a case of mistaken identity involving Iran? Perhaps a date with South Korea AND China on the same night? Maybe a Very Special Holiday Episode with Israel and Palestinians coming together when the power goes out during peace talks and they all get locked in a meat freezer? It could be that some of his coworkers have been keeping some Big Secrets thinking he’d be losing his job and now that he’s staying, their consciouses will start gnawing at them and they’ll blow the lid of this mother! Who knows, but at least my guys Jon Stewart, Al Franken, and Michael Moore will have something to talk about for the next little while.

And that is the last political jibber jabber you’ll find here, at least for a while. Until then, we can all agree that knitting is great and we will all vote Yes on Proposition 934: Were knitted fashions of the 70’s just plain goofy?