Well, It's official; I really don't know anything.
I thought for sure that given such a clear choice, Americans would vote for love of country over revenge.
I was wrong.
I thought, that just as every presidential election in my lifetime, the bad economy would be hung around the incumbent's neck, sinking him.
I was wrong.
I thought that even those few Americans who were fortunate enough to still be fully employed (not counting those leeching off the public system) would be cognizant of how much pain their neighbors were in and elect someone who would at least try to make improvements.
I was wrong.
I thought that now that FINALLY some of the disturbing truths about our first black president had come to light, voters would reject a man so dangerously at odds with the American experience.
I was wrong.
I thought the 2010 elections and the Tea Party meant something.
I was wrong.
I thought the enthusiasm on display at Romney/Ryan events, contrasted with the lack of same at Obama/Biden events meant something.
I was wrong.
I thought Americans would never sell their liberty for the sake of trinkets like cell phones or even big shiny lies like 'free health care'.
I was wrong.
Never in a million years would I have supposed that America would support a president who left his (our) people to die at the hands of our enemies overseas without lifting a hand to help, then lie about what he watched in real time for over two weeks, then lie about the lie for another month.
I was wrong.
I thought Americans could tell a hawk from a handsaw.
I was wrong.
We were offered the clearest choice we've had since 1980, where we had malaise and a misery index on one hand and a shining city on a hill on the other. Back then, we chose the city on the hill. This time the choice was between a man who says 7.9% unemployment and $4.00 gas is the new normal and a guy whose entire career has been about fixing broken entities.
We chose to stay broken. And Broke.
Maybe, I'm wrong about the ramifications of this choice. Maybe, windmills will actually turn out to be a viable energy source. Maybe, America diminished will be loved overseas. Maybe, a nuclear Iran won't be a threat. Maybe, Israel is over reacting. Maybe, western civilization was always over rated. Maybe, life under sharia is fun. Maybe, when the rest of the world realizes that we have no intention of ever paying back that $16,000,000,000,000.00 (and counting) that we've borrowed from them, they won't devalue the dollar, causing hyper inflation here at home. Maybe, China will just keep on giving us money and not demand our hearts, souls, national monuments and marriageable daughters as payment.
I've watched my candidates lose elections before, but I've never felt the way I did November 06, 2012 when this one was called for Obama.
It wasn't bitterness or sadness or even disappointment. It took me a while to figure out what it was. Then it hit me; it was horror!!
Pure, unadulterated horror!
Not because of Obama, but because of what it says about us, the American people, that we chose this.
It shouldn't have even been close. Faced with the choice between taking charge of our destiny and tackling our financial problems, we opted to get high and have sex. We re-elected a guy who doesn't understand that a growing economy that creates more tax payers will bring in more revenue than higher taxes. A Commander in Chief who doesn't know our military still uses bayonets. A man who wants to control the economy without even knowing the difference between bankruptcy and liquidation. It was one thing to elect an unknown quantity, buying his line of 'Hope and Change'. It's something else to deliberately choose his failed policies over someone who has actually achieved success in life. I never dreamed America would do that.
Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, Hello Idiocracy!
Goodbye, recovery.
Goodbye, energy independence.
Goodbye, religious liberty.
Goodbye, liberty and justice for all.
Goodbye, American dream.
It profits a man nothing to lose his soul for the whole world, but we threw ours away for cell phones and birth control pills.
In the twentieth century (the American Century), we stepped up to the plate three times and saved the rest of the world from fascism, nazism and communism. We were the cavalry, always riding to the rescue.
Now, we've gotten rid of our horses, spent all our money on windmills, alienated our allies, bowed to our enemies, cut ourselves off from our own natural resources thrown away our children's birthright and spent their inheritance.
And, we did it on purpose.
When the wolf is at the door (and he's coming, yelling 'Allahu Akbar') we're going to find out that there is no one out there to come to our rescue.
On the bright side maybe, it'll all turn out great?
After all, I really don't know anything!
The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you. - B.B. King