Well, America, you did it. It’s obviously some sort of problem with me because I didn’t think you would. But I misunderestimated you again and you sure as shit showed me. And hey, I get it. Point taken. I now see that you knew exactly what was at stake. You knew that you and perhaps your children or people you know and their children could soon become cannon fodder for God knows how long a series of immoral bloody wars of conquest. You knew that your job and your right to affordable health care and quality education were at risk. You knew that the future of Social Security was at stake. You knew that the quality of the air you breathe and the water you drink could be seriously endangered. You knew that your right to say or write what you want or to associate with whom you wish without having to answer for those things to an ever more intrusive government were seriously in jeopardy. You knew all of these things. But what you wanted us all to know last night was that as scary as all that other stuff may be, it’s nowhere near as important to you as is the degree to which you really really hate fags. Well congratulations your message has been received. While it may seem prudent for you to be thinking about the future of your own life, your fellow citizens, your security, your very freedom you were busy thinking about other people’s genetalia. And all I can say today is, yup that’s about right. This is America, remember? How could I have not known?
Really, I am kicking myself over this. The gay marriage issue was on the radar screen all year long. It was even on the ballot in eleven states. Yet since it wasn’t in the news cycle in the final weeks leading up to the election, I stupidly discounted it as the deal breaker it turned out to be. It was really a total shock to read the exit polls and find that all of sudden it is 1988 again and a huge block of the electorate lists “moral standards” as the number one issue in the campaign. What’s worse is that I allowed myself to get sucked right along with the rest of the doe eyed naïve gee-whiz do-gooders pedaling the youth vote and first time registered voter crap. A staggering failure of good judgment on my part following a crowd of airheads on an obviously flawed idea. It’s not just that I believed new or young voters would buck a rock solid trend and actually turn out in record numbers, it’s that I pretty much decided that Kerry would win based mostly on that fact. This sentence should contain the words “me” and “stupid” I don’t care how I get them in there.
Over the next four years, if we do not end up getting ourselves all blown to bits, there is going to have to be a serious push from progressives to take the Democratic party away from the DLC and the corporate whores who nominate wormy dissembling appeasers like John Kerry. If we’re ever going to beat back the fascists we have to have the guts to nominate someone who is willing to fight. I really didn’t want to be here today telling you I told you so, but goddammit I told you so. Purging the party won’t be easy. Already there is talk about how we lost because we weren’t quite wishy washy enough.
As a once again failed prognosticator, all I can say in my defense is that wishful thinking is a powerful thing when you know how important it is that your wish comes true. I have my weaknesses. Even I get stupidly giddy optimistic sometimes just enough to forget who I’m dealing with. I can’t say it won’t happen again. Like so many shell-shocked others, I’m sure it won’t be very long before I can find the confidence to be that stupid again. I believe it was that revered American man of letters John Cougar Mellancamp who said, I fight authority. Authority always wins. America, you have once again put me in my place, you lunkheads. I bow to your inestimable ignorance and utter lack of shame. Have fun with that whole blowing up the world thing.
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