Election Fallout

It's been a week since Bush was declared the winner in the 2004 Presidential elections...and yet some people still can't get over it.

To them I say "GET OVER IT!"

Seriously, I understand being disappointed, I almost understand being a bit mad that your candidate lost. What I don't understand is this depressed daze, this despondency that so many Democrats are expressing. There is no reason that psychologists should be reporting that people are feeling as lost and upset as they were after 9/11--or worse than they did after 9/11! One event was a national tragedy, one was a peaceful and legal election. You don't have to love Bush, but acting as thought it's the end of the world now that he has been re-elected is ridiculous.

What strikes me as odd is that so many of these people who are in political mourning, probably were not in love with Kerry. Very few people were. They voted for him out of protest against Bush, not out of support and excitement for Kerry. This was not a loss by a hero of gigantic stature. This was not a tragedy of Greek proportions. This was the loss of a Senator to a sitting president. And no cause for such overwhelming grief.

The reactions of Democrats, especially Democrats in urban and sophisticated regions such as NY and Los Angeles have been expressing disdain and contempt for those who voted for Bush. People who voted for Bush are constantly being referred to as "stupid" "hicks" "religious fanatics" or worse. This is no way to win friends and influence people. Just because these people disagreed with you doesn't make them stupid. Many of the voters might well be dumb, they might be ignorant rednecks who sleep with their sisters and whose best friend is a pig named George. However, there is no proof that this applies to someone just because of whom they voted for in this election. I would hesitate to make such sweeping generalizations about the Bush Voter--one of the smartest people I know voted for Bush.

This election was not a questionable one - no one is doubting the validity of the votes, no one is shouting for a recount. Even if your candidate lost, you should be able to take comfort in that, knowing that our democracy works and that our government is not in line for any sort of violent coups or the like...at least not that I can tell.

We all need to just pull up our boot straps and stop gloating if you're a Bush fan and stop ranting if you're a Kerry fan.

We have four more years to get through people, let's just all try to get along.