Despair and devastation - two words I've often had trouble spelling - are all I'm feeling today, the saddest day in American political history. Me, and the people I've been around have been breaking into tears all day. A young lady I know has two younger brothers, and she can't help but picture they'll be sent into a war zone somewhere. The people from Europe endeavor to explain how foolish we look from their perspective, and the woman from Texas reminds us that not all Texans are stupid, as the self-proclaimed Christian reminds us that not all church-goers voted for Bush.
I think the real winner yesterday was Osama Bin Laden. Remember how a terrorist act influenced the Spanish election? Well, although it's been more than 3 years since 9/11/01, the vote was the logical conclusion of the fear it wrought.
It's said that voters vote their pocketbooks, but that didn't happen this time. Or that an incumbent president will do only as well as his approval rating, which didn't happen this time either. Or that the perceived "morality" of the two candidates counted for something, which is bull because Bush blithely sent over a thousand soldiers to their death for a dubious cause.
Take every argument you ever made in favor of Kerry over Bush. Take them one at a time and compare it to this thought: "There hasn't been a second attack." Very few people blame Bush for the first attack, but the untold story of this election is that very many people credit him for warding off a second attack. This spilled over into a belief that America would be less safe under Kerry. That's the thrust of the entire campaign right there.
People who are extremely afraid lose the power to think. Thus, the march to Bush's victory began on that sobering day of 9/11 - a tragedy that made us stop and think about safety, for just about the first time. And soon came the Patriot Act, the most anti-constitutional law ever passed, eviscerating the Bill of Rights. And people were too scared to think. The thought went "this is worth doing, because it can make us safer." And, as a New Yorker, I've some sympathy for that desire to feel safer. But many threw out their reason along the way.
And a war that would have been prevented by a motivated electorate was allowed because enough Americans thought "it can make us safer." And those color-coated warnings, and airport security lines: we tolerate it all, because the government has fed our fears and said "Here, fearful one, here's what we're doing to make you safer."
Osama's latest tape was, of course, the October surprise. I'm not implying it was put out by the Bush administration. It was Al Quaeda, reminding us to be fearful. And, for most voters, there was something comforting about sticking with the man at the helm of the "warding off a second attack" effort.
The best elections are won on hope. People casting ballots with enthusiasm because they believe their candidate can help make America better. This election was won on fear; the fear of a further attack trumped all the other arguments. Which is why talking to Bush supporters was like shouting in the wind.
