Finally, America can wake up from their year long stupor.
The election is over. We can all wipe the mud from our eyes that was thrown all around us. We can end the polarization that put a lot of people at odds with their friends and family. The damage is done and we must live with the choices the majority has made. This election has had us in a schizophrenic state. No one has been themselves. We have all been, as Hunter S. Thompson would say, political junkies.
We as a nation have been glued to our television and computer screens, constantly bombarded with statistics, slander, information, and misinformation. The ups and downs of the 2008 election took us for one hell of a roller coaster ride.
But now we have to quit cold turkey. We have to deal with the hangover. The withdrawals will be horrible. I know for me, a confessed political junkie, the news just won’t be the same. No more polls showing who is in the lead. Political analysts, like James Carville, can go back to the Sunday morning talk shows. We can all change the channel off of CNN, MSNBC, or (God help you) FOX News.
For those of us who cast ballots for the winning team, now is not the time to gloat; as for the other half, don’t hang your head down low. Now is the time to mend the relationships that have been threatened by petty political arguments. I have had many debates with my family. Being the only liberal in the group has made me the black sheep. My grandparents told their friends while playing bridge or poker, “We have one voting for Obama.” My dad, I’m sure, has lost sleep wondering where he went wrong, and how he raised a Democrat.
We can put this all behind us now, at least for the next four years, until the Time of Deceit sneaks up on us again.
The election being over is even better news for the apathetics and those who hate politics. You may now return to your regularly scheduled program.
For those looking to fill the void of their political addiction, I have found that drugs and alcohol help. I know that’s what I’m going to do. Joe the Plumber and I are going have a few. Cheers! Here’s to the next four years. Regardless of the outcome, we must remember that our country is in trouble and we are the ones who are going to feel it most.
We must come back together in a unity that hasn’t been seen since 9/11. We will need our neighbors and community to be supportive as the economy tosses and turns.
Let’s put this political turmoil behind us. Come have a drink with me and Joe, and let’s get through this together.