The only certain thing about the 2004 Election is that nothing was certain, as evidenced by the unusually cautious predictions by the news channels in the early hours of election coverage. It was almost quaint, how the "this-just-in" mentality had been replaced by a "too close to call; now what do we do?" mindset.
Initially, it looked like Bush was winning, but Kerry seemed to gain momentum and I thought that maybe, just maybe, he'd actually pull it off in a photo finish. Obviously, I thought wrong. As Tuesday night turned into Wednesday morning, my hopes of a Kerry Administration were sinking ever deeper. I went to bed at 2:00 AM, hoping for a Cleveland miracle that never happened. And then came the realization that America had actually elected Bush this time; more than half of the voting public wanted four more years of Dubya.
I've had a few days to calm down from the initial shock of the election's outcome. I went through a range of emotions like anger, bitter sadness, frustration, betrayal, and denial. I think that it would be very difficult for many Bush supporters to understand just how jarring Bush's win can be to people who see Bush as the worst president in recent years, if not ever. Perhaps it would be the same outrage that conservatives might feel if America voted to eliminate all branches of the military and base our entire defense on the United Nations and NATO. The characteristic response is "What the hell is wrong with these people?"
Before you call me a snob, a moron, or a pretentious jerk, let me explain why so many people have responded this way to Bush's victory. Many liberals and progressives see a second Bush term as a severe setback for America. That's right, a setback. I think that the Bush Administration is doing great harm to the United States and the international community. They have tore up treaties designed to prevent nuclear war and refused to sign ones to limit global warming; they passed legislation that allows big business to destroy the environment to make more money. They have violated the Geneva Conventions that protect prisoners of war and detained thousands of American citizens in violation of habeas corpus. They've given huge tax cuts—averaging nearly $60,000 for people with incomes in the top 1% of the population—while gutting education programs like Head Start while underfunding dozens of other social services.
If that list of reckless policies isn't enough by itself, Bush invaded a sovereign nation by lying to the American people and distorting sketchy intelligence in his favor. As a result, America is bleeding a billion dollars a week in Iraq—that's not an exaggeration—and is responsible for the deaths of 100,000 people, including more than 1,000 US soldiers who died as a result of Bush's lack of leadership.
With this in mind, nearly 60 million Americans still think Bush is doing a good job. That is why so many people are angry. I realize that at least a portion of the population voted for Bush because they thought he seems like a nice guy or they like his wife—in short, because they don't know any better. I expected that; it happens in every election. I'm sure a lot of people voted for Clinton because they thought he seemed friendly too. One thing that has given me hope is that the 20% who voted on "moral issues" for Bush did so because their religious leaders tricked them into it. After the election, I heard someone joke that people voted for Bush because they don't want to see two men kissing. I really think there's some truth in that.
But what worries me the most, what makes me sick to my stomach is the people who understand Bush's policies and still think he deserves another term. It's something that I cannot grasp: what reason can you have for ignoring—or approving—the injustices that characterize this administration? Do you see the war in Iraq as winnable or even worthwhile? Is it good that our military is stretched dangerously thin—so much so that a draft seems inevitable—because Bush prefers to shoot from the hip? Does establishing "free-speech zones" a mile away or making people sign "loyalty oaths" to see Bush speak really constitute homeland security? Does isolating the rest of the world (except Britain and Poland) in order to project a macho American image make us safer?
The sadness I feel is because this election has shown that the majority of voters approve of the President's behavior over the past four years, not because I connect strongly with Kerry. People may have voted with Bush because they were afraid of another unknown factor in these uncertain times, but by voting Bush you've turned the rest of the world from anti-Bush to anti-American. It's not the end of the world or even America, but it is truly a dark day for Democracy.