This one goes out to my conservative peeps, and there are a lot of you out there. You’re my friends and neighbors and co-workers, and while our worldviews are very different, the conservatives I know are decent and responsible, and yeah, even compassionate.
Here’s what I want to say to you: there’s no reason to freak out this much about the election results. Democracy isn’t ending. The world isn’t ending. Liberal locusts aren’t raining from the sky. I’m seeing a lot of talk of secession online, which I assume is just bluster meant to cover up hurt egos. Where exactly are you seceding to? You and I are stuck with each other in this country, whether we like it or not.
Also? I know exactly how you’re feeling right now. I remember hearing the election results back in 2004. I remember being just as shocked and distraught. “How could this guy have gotten re-elected?” But we liberals survived eight years of Bush. And you’ll survive eight years of Obama. America has survived far more serious times, including a real civil war. It has survived far more sweeping and bigger governmental programs being instituted than any Obama has proposed. And after all the turmoil and change, it’s still America. And it’s still a democracy. A democracy which, by the way, worked exactly as intended on Tuesday.
I realize that you won’t believe me no matter how much I say it, but Obama isn’t about to usher in a new Communist era in the United States. He’s not even progressive enough for most of us progressives. And if by Communism you mean that weak sauce Republican health care plan which got passed into law instead of single payer, then that is one bizarre idea of Communism. No, I feel pretty comfortable predicting that America will remain a firmly capitalist society.
And as always, the political process will remain a cycle. At some point, another Republican President will get elected, and I will feel as if everything is coming to an end. But that won’t be true, either. Hang in there and trust me, your day will come again. Unless you decide to secede before then–and that would just be silly.
11/09/2012 at 11:16 pm
Dennis Miller – “The America I used to know is gone” sort of anguish. Well grow up. All of you. At least all of you beating your breasts that America is no longer America. It sure as hell is and what truest about it it how it changes over time. White + rich no longer equals the loudest say over who’s in the White House. So what? Isn’t it enough to live better, eat better, travel better and worry less than everyone else? Nope, it ain’t never better, is it? You want it all, every last damn bit of it and if you could bleach our skins and change our accents you’d probably do that too, wouldn’t you? Racist, xenophobic, classist, you name it. I’ve had it and even post-election I’m not feeling kind towards my brethren because they’re not kind towards me, or my dreams, or family, or friends.
I’m incredibly thankful the wax figure Romney didn’t ascend to the White House. Instant war, inequitable distribution of wealth, the continued marginalizing of the less better off. I have no idea what comes next with Obama, who I have now voted for twice, but rational + reasonable seem to be two words that come to mind. I might not like how that translates in every case, but I can live with it. Proudly.
11/10/2012 at 11:56 am
My point exactly, monkey monster. America has undergone so many changes in its short history–far more dramatic changes than this one. I betcha the generation of Americans back in the 1860s or the 1930s was also saying “I don’t recognize America anymore”. The world changes all the time…deal with it, people.
I’m very grateful Romney didn’t win as well. I was very worried about his foreign policy and the possibility of war. The only reason I feel some kindness towards my fellow conservatives is due to the fact that I do know quite a few of them personally and they really aren’t monsters. One thing I’ve noticed, though, is that post-election their rhetoric has grown even more divisive…and that the kindness has not exactly been returned. Sour grapes, probably, but my patience with them is about to run out very shortly.
11/10/2012 at 12:19 pm
I’ll never admit that George W. Bush got elected. The first term came from a SCOTUS appointment and the second from computer hacking on machines owned by Karl Rove. Without the appointment and fraud, the country would have few problems right now.
11/10/2012 at 12:25 pm
Okay, so that’s a very good point. Bush got “selected” rather than “elected”. That aside, I still survived those eight years, even with all the nightmarish choices and pre-emptive strikes involved. I’m sure my conservative pals can survive Barack’s attempts to pull our economy out of the ditch!
11/12/2012 at 9:27 am
Eurobrat: Loved this post. You hit the nail right on its head. Since I’ve spent a lot of time in this conservative world, I still have tons of friends (not speaking to me at the moment) who are convinced we are going to hell in a handbasket, and President Obama will be leading us into Hell because he’s the Pied Piper. Sigh! The best we can do is march on, do right by each other, and live well. Years down the road, when the world has not ended and we are a much better society, our conservative friends will realize that they overreacted by a mile and a half. (If you haven’t done so already, read the reaction of the Southern congressmen when the Civil Rights Bill was passed. To hear them tell it, their southern belles were going to all be raped in their beds and America was going to fall and never rise again.) Humans are really funny.
11/12/2012 at 4:55 pm
Glad you liked the post. Sounds like I got off easy–the conservative peeps in my life are still talking to me. But things have definitely gotten more tense since the election.
I will have to check out the Civil Rights Bill debates. Interesting how it’s always, always the issue of race which sparks that kind of reaction in this country. And we don’t even have to go back that far–I remember the same kind of doomsday drama after the 2008 election!
11/24/2012 at 7:57 pm
You’ve made some excellent points. The differences we have are what makes America a democracy – and not a dictatorship or some other form of government. We do need to work together and recognize that change is inevitable. I only hope that it’s change we can live with and thrive.
11/25/2012 at 10:17 am
Exactly Judy–I feel that our democracy worked as intended on election night. For the people that don’t like the outcome–they need to vote differently next time, or persuade more people to vote like them. But anger, blame and secession are not the answer.
11/25/2012 at 11:00 am
Fyi, we live in a Republic, or used to anyway. I hope your pockets are padded. Elections have consequences. Study up on the fall of Rome, Argentina, and Greece. It’s coming.
11/25/2012 at 6:14 pm
Oh yeah, I do know about the republic thing. But, since it’s supposed to be a democratic republic anyway, I often just refer to it as a democracy. Funny that you would say that about the padded pockets. The only way I could imagine benefiting from a win by Romney and the Republicans is if my pockets were heavily padded already. Since they are not, I voted for the other side.
I have studied the fall of Rome, and I do agree with you that we may currently be an empire on a downward slide, but I think this trend started way before Obama and wasn’t somehow caused by the Democrats. It’s probably inevitable–any great power must come down at some point. Still not the end of the world.