1,510 Replies to “Presidential Election: “Sad and Tragic Day for Our Nation””

1. Very well said, Jo. I’m not sure how it’s tragic that people exercised their constitutional rights and the democratic process favored one candidate over another. That’s generally what happens in an election.

2. Pretty good analysis unless you feel like some of us that we are headed for a fisical cliff that will plunge us into chaos. If you think people here were threatening to riot if Romney was elected, I doubt they will turn into good citizens if there is hyper inflation or a food shortage. Sometimes you don’t get a chance to do it again in 4 years. This is my fear.

3. Well said! And thank you for putting into perspective just how much we all have to be thankful for in this country.

4. Your Facebook friend certainly had the right to say what they said. You, too, had the right to un friend them. What a wonderful country we live in.

5. Thanks Jo for writing this! I am going to share it 🙂 I feel the exact same way!!

6. Well said! Thank you!

7. I must first say the first part was very well writen. I started to zone out after the first pic of a truly tragic day in our greatnations history. I want to also point out that this election was about much more then who will be in office the next 4 years! Supreme Court is something we as Americans DO NOT get to vote on. Once someone is in they stay till death most times. Do you know who picks them and help get them in office? The current president who was just elected, that’s who! I know for a fact that I DO NOT believe alot of what he beliefs. Who ever gets into that office will effect our country for 30+ years. This is why today was a sad day for me. Because people who do not hold the same values and/or beliefs that I do will be in office when my kids will have to live with whatevery they say. NEXT TIME try to see the whole picture not just the next four years.

8. all I have to say to this is….. Thank you for articulating what’s been bumtumbling around in my head for the last couple of days. Very well said and I could NOT agree more

9. Amazing! Well written! Thank you.

10. I had a similar thought as I went to bed last night. I felt that last night should have been patriotic- even thought I’m conservative, and voted as such. I wanted our country to come together like we did the year that FOLLOWED 9/11/01- that was almost the last time it seems we were UNITED. After that we became SO divided. Great post.

11. David W Knight, Sr. is doing it again, Jo. The president doesn’t hold the same beliefs as he does, so he is sad. David, this is a concequence of living in a nation where we are all entitled to our own beliefs. Deal with it. I would feel the exact same way if Romney had been elected, and did feel the same way when GW was in office, but went on living my life just as I would have under Gore- bought homes, got an education, had children, took vacations, etc. 50% of the nation feels that way at any given time. But if you are going to ask Jo to see the big picture, please do so yourself, sir, and consider the stroke of luck that has you living a life of freedom and liberty, and the million other forces that come into play to affect our quality of life here on Earth. The president and a set of Supreme Court justices aren’t going to have that much influence compared to the control we each have over our own destinies.

12. a mutual friend, Mark Dodson, shared your post on fb and I was so happy he did. this was a great reminder. I shared it on fb & twitter and have had many friends share it as well. hopefully we can remind others we have the power to make change happen.

13. Thank you for writing this article!! I thank you for giving me another (BETTER) perspective to look at this year’s election. I am a native New York and use to work at the World Trade Center on the 101st Floor and seeing those picture made me cry all over again!

    Yes, we have a tendency of looking at what we don’t have and what’s wrong instead of being grateful and thankful for what we DO have. We forget that there are others who do not have the “freedoms” that we have in the United States; we definitely take it for granted, which is a huge mistake on all our parts, myself included. Again, thank you!

    God bless you and your family!

14. I wish I could put that on a coffee mug. But since it’s too big, I will stick with God Bless the USA – Thank You for being Free.

    Awesome post. Truly.

15. Amazeballs. Thanks for a great read.

16. Thank you for your wonderful article. All day I felt as if I had been punched in the stomach, or as if something wonderful was lost and gone forever. I think your voice is particularly important because of your family history and I want to thank you for sharing that. We Americans have so much to learn from those who have lived under communism. Usually however, I feel it is they who give us the us the most realistic and dire warning for policies such as those the Obama Administration will now pursue with a vengeance (yes, he is after all the President who said to vote for him for the sake of “revenge”). But you have given pause for thought in the best of ways.

17. Oh my goodness. I saw this via a friend (Jen up there!) on facebook and it brought tears to my eyes. This election season has been so disheartening for me with all of the hate being spewed. It was so refreshing to see a post that truly puts it into perspective in a way I hope so many Americans can see.

    In response to the earlier commentor talking about the Supreme Court- that’s funny because their mention of that as an issue was the first reference to it I’ve seen in all the anger floating around today. That’s not what people are outwardly upset about. In elections there are winners and there are losers. In this country, we have the amazing gift of knowing in another 4 years, there is a set date, where we will go to the polls and get to do it all over again. Until then, Change begins with us.

18. Very well said. Great perspective!

19. Wisdom at it’s best. God bless you!

20. Thank you Jo!!! Simply Amazing!!

21. Yeah, tell me all about it. You might want to watch this short video and then check out the references it provides (Mark H Gaffney, EP Heidner and others)
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K708VGdw3_c&feature=plcp

22. Brilliant article. So many need a glass of cold water thrown in their faces – how did we get to such a hateful place? Keep throwing that water, sistah.

23. Wonderfully said!

24. You couldn’t have said it any better. People at work talk about how bad the President is. They just don’t understand he wasn’t the one that made it bad. And thing won’t get fixed in one day.

25. haven’t you heard? we had plunged off the fiscal cliff some time before electing Obama the first time. AND – while our growth is called “anemic” by the Reps, Anemic growth is far better than, a very different from – spiraling out of control – which was where we were before the last election. Gratefully, according to the exit polling, many who voted for Obama – remembered that the horrible economic issues preceded him. And – perhaps – if those in congress who swore on the day of the election 4 years ago to ensure that Obama fail, and who have blocked all bills to help unemployed & vets – just to ensure that Obama fail – were to begin to work in a non-partisan manner, with the best interest of all Americans at heart – we might just change the growth from Anemic to healthy. Let us hope together for better days.

26. Very poetic but absurdly hipo-critcal. Where were your words during the election when the upper class of our nation was being ripped apart, being labeled racist and greedy. Why couldn’t you have come out then to let everyone in on the secret that we all, as Americans, have it better than anywhere else on the planet? The tragedy of re-electing this man as president of the United States is a real thing, which will become apparent to you soon enough. The only positive thing is he cannot run again.

27. This article is very true. However the sad thing about this event is that when 9-11 happened it pulled Americans together. It reminded us that we are all each other has. It showed the bravery of many of our citizens and all this made us proud to be American. The events of the current times have pulled us apart and it is because of that that today is a tragic day, long standing friendships lost, hurt feelings and broken families. Our country standing on 2 opposing sides… This is infact a tragic day when we forget what we have learned and loved about our country.

28. I felt we were at a “fiscal cliff” in 2008 when neighbors all around me were losing their homes due to the mortgage debacle. Then, there were jobs that were not there because they went overseas. Also, I was seeing lines of homeless people waiting for food, children sleeping in cars with their parents. My son lost his job because it was being done, cheaper, overseas.
    Then we watched the Republicans fight any activity by the government that would alleviate the distress that had been caused by corporate greed. The elections shows that the people are learning to fight back, together. We’ll fight another 4 years.

29. I am proud to be Canadain but totally love what you have to say and can’t believe how many people speak about how they vote it it taboo to me too many people become enemies over night when you talk about politics it is a private matter the same as sex it stays in the house haha really good eye opening article

30. L.R. Kopp, your fear-mongering is exactly what the author was trying to point out…Chaos, really? Food Shortage? really, for the most obese nation on the planet? Not going to have election s again in 4 years? Really?

31. Seriously! You have to be kidding. Seriously? Get up and help your neighbor, some neighbor each day and that might just cure your synicsim about yourself and others. The world is still twirling and this is what a federal republic looks like in action.

32. A stunning piece of writing. Thank you.

33. Very well said Joashline. However, I think I should just through it out there. This country, no. . . this world will soon perish to its end. Starting with Obama being president. Everything you see before you is a lie. Barrack Obama isn’t even that guys real name. And our “votes” aren’t really counted. They knew who would be in our office a long time ago. Stop watching tv and reading facebook all day. Pick up your bibles and focus. READ IT. The value of the american dollar is dropping. Soon we will all need a chip implanted into our hands just to buy good, gas, water. And people who refuse will be divided from their families and put into concentration camps. If you think Im some kind of loon 🙂 google it. so called “Obama” has 10 concentration set up already. This is only a scratch upon the surface for there is out there and what is to come. This election, is simply a distraction.

34. Very well said!!

35. This Canadian applauds you. And wraps you cheerily in flannel. And splashes you with maple syrup. And throws celebratory beavers your way. And other stereotypically Canadian things.

    I’m not a big fan of our Prime Minister here in the Great White North. I don’t like a lot of the decisions his cabinet is making, and I’m looking forward to the day they’re no longer in power. But it could be worse – much, much worse – and this is what I tell myself every time I read something he’s doing and get a serious case of bitch face. There are people dying at the hands of dictators. We are not them, and we should be immensely grateful. Use your freedom of speech – a right we are so fortunate to have – and help create change. But quit going all drama queen, people. It doesn’t solve a damn thing.

    BTW, hope the beavers aren’t getting too sticky…

36. So what? If the election had gone the other way then people who do not hold the same values and beliefs that *I* do would be on the Supreme Court. What makes you so much more special than me? Nothing. NEXT TIME, why don’t YOU try to see the whole picture. You are not the only one in it. Believe it!

37. I’m now so very thankful for my friends on Facebook and elsewhere! I have yet to hear or read an ugly political rant similar to the ones you describe!!

38. Thank you for this. I so agree. I don’t understand the absolute hatred people harbor for President Obama. As much as I may not have liked or agreed with some former elected officials, I’ve never felt hatred. That is what scares and baffles me. Our ability to stay together and prosper as one nation is what makes us so special, but it seems that some don’t understand this. This nation was born out of discordant discource and the weaving together of those chords to create something truly magnificent.

39. here thanks to my daughter sharing a link on her FB. This is amazing, so true and the kick in the pants many of us need. Thank you for focusing us all on the big picture.

40. Jordan is crazy. I was simply saying President Obama, Barack Hussein, took us a couple steps backward by waging class and gender warfare in order to meet his own ends. And we have a Republican house which only means he will not show up for work for the next two years, because he lacks the leadership to get things done “across the aisle.” The man hasn’t been in the office for the last year. Man oh man, we are in trouble and this is a tragedy. But I love the idea of everyone getting involved on a local level and contributing to the community. Maybe all we can do at this point.

41. tolerance? teach tolerance? really? tolerance of who….all religions? including those that abhor and shoot women in the head who want to go to school?

    If the day you show in pictures is your idea of a tragedy…..think carefully about Obama, his relationship to those leaders around the world who closely associate with and are entrenched in the Muslim Brotherhood.

    Don’t hold your little campfire ring of peace and happiness quite yet, Jo.
    The Brotherhood will come knocking and Obama will not only unlock the door, but he’ll step aside to let them in. Perhaps then you’ll re-think this ‘tragedy’ definition of yours.

42. The problem with this article is this…….I remember another tragedy…..WWII which began with a dictatorship. ONE MAN who invaded another country and millions of people suffered horrible atrocities because of one man. What is mind boggling to me is that people are oblivious to the fact that it can happen HERE too. We have a powerful military….If a leader ordered marshall law and if we became economically so unstable that rioting started in the streets we could very well end up living in a nation under government control. Who’s gonna intervene? Who COULD intervene? No one that’s who. You really think that when we finally go over the fiscal cliff it’s not gonna get ugly?? People like you don’t understand burying grandparents who fought and lost their lives to give us this freedom you speak so lightly about. It didn’t come free……so excuse those of us who are frightened by the socialist direction this country is taking…..and yes we value EVERY election we get and we PRAY it will not be our last!

43. Jordan – I am so depressed at this future for us. I agree. It is coming. Jesus, come soon!

44. Really? $16Trillion in debt, 23 million out of work, 27 million on food stamps – another Obamatron.

45. Thanks for a great article and for saying exactly what I have felt the past few days. No one person is going to make everyone happy at the same time. The country voted for who they feel is the best person to lead the country for the next few years. Point. Blank. Period.

    All the other comments about the President being a terrorist and such is not only sad but a little alarming. You have absolutely no basis of proof of this, yet Gov Romney said he is not worried about the 47% (which I assume are a lot of people commenting) and no one says anything about that disrespectful comment that clearly shows IMO that he would not have been a President for the people. I just don’t get it….am I missing something?

46. Thank you. Beautifully written. Beautifully said. Sometimes we lose perspective on what we really have and how truly tragic things can be. I pray for peace in America. I would rather work together for a purpose than fight about things that can be changed. America is always changing. Don’t like it? Change it . Make a difference.

47. Laura – I was born in Poland and left with my family two weeks before Martial Law. The country was already a hot mess by then, thanks to a history of war and an unfortunate group of neighbors that were hell bent on tearing my birth country apart. In 1939, Poland was invaded by Hitler. My grandmother was 16. She lost her brother-in-law and her father to the Nazis. She watched people get shot in the middle of the street. She hid in the forest for months at a time and managed to survive by the skin of her teeth. She spent the better part of the war stepping over corpses in the street, trying not to get shot.

    At the age of 17 I visited Auschwitz for the very first time. I walked inside one of the rooms, and there, behind a thick glass, was a mountain of grey hair. Some of the braids – little girl braids – were still intact. I gagged and wanted to run away, but I stayed because those little girls and their mothers and fathers and brothers deserved my respect and I walked through and I felt the walls and I smelled the halls and I imagined all of the souls that were tortured and killed there. Those are my roots, Laura. That is MY history. My parents came to this country with hope and love and fear because they knew that what they were leaving behind unstable and scary and they wanted more.

    So here I am. In my mid-thirties, a family of my own, raising two boys, one of whom has special needs, feeling pretty damn blessed that I’m a citizen of this nation. I do not take my freedom, or your freedom, lightly Laura. And because I’ve seen what can happen, because I have roots, in a very deep and painful history, there’s nothing that pisses me off more than hearing a group of radicals proclaim that our country is headed towards a dictatorship or socialism. You have no idea what you speak of because if you did, you would know just how ridiculous, pompous and spoiled rotten that truly sounds.

48. I agree there are a lot of people over-reacting, but I am just as shocked at the opposite reactions. Especially from someone who has experienced a country and scenario like you described. One of the main reasons people, myself included, are upset is because America just chose socialism over capitalism. We are choosing as a nation to give up freedoms, to have worse health care. That is the future we are headed towards, not just another 4 years of this president. It’s the fact that the “takers” now outnumber the givers in our country and too many people don’t grasp that there’s no such thing as a free lunch. I was hoping for a president who wouldn’t over-ride congress with HUNDREDS of executive orders and a president who understands how to fix the economy faster than a snail’s pace.

49. Thank you for the chuckle.

50. Saw this as a link from a link from a link on FB–so glad I did! Really great piece. Thanks for expressing this so well. I shared it on FB too.

51. Yeah guess what? We are on our way to becoming the country your parents took you away from and now there will be no place left to run too. It is a tragic day.

52. actually, yes, since you mentioned it, i think that your ideas are loony, or better yet, truly paranoid fiction in your head. None of this is going to happen. The book called “the bible” that you’re reading was cobbled together from oral history over 100 years after events actually happened, and plagarized the Torah. People have been predicting “the end of days” for two thousand years now, and, gosh, even the Mayans didn’t get it right. Please go to a “concentration camp” and bring back pictures. Then, maybe, the world will believe you. Otherwise, please come into the real world and join the rest of us to work on solving our problems.

53. Precisely. When you understand tyranny, you understand that people have voted themselves into slavery under an ever-present Nanny State. The German people voted for Hitler, he didn’t take over there. Read Mark Levin’s “Liberty and Tyranny” as well as “Ameritopia” and you may be able to grasp what we once had – how truly special and unique our country was, and where we are headed. It is tragic. As for the acts committed against our country and way if life on September 11, 2001, those are better classified as atrocities. They were deliberate, not accidental.

    And just what is so radical about limited government, personal responsibility and taxation with representation?

54. My feelings exactly, sometimes I wonder is it because they were not raised in America and depended on the government to get them started here that they feel obligated in some way to praise entitlements but most people here have had to work very hard on they’re own to get ahead. I was born into a large family with an alcoholic father, my mother always worked and her 7 children grew up to be hard working contributing Americans . I believe in social services for people who truly need them but not those who live off it all they’re lives. If only we could all work together to make Anerica what she used to be. It is a tragic down fall. For America.

55. Out of curiosity — do you think there were signs leading up to what your grandmother went through? Were they ignored? Dismissed because of the economic distress of WWI? Should things maybe have been stopped BEFORE they got to that terrible point in history?

    Because while I do not find our current situation in America to be as bad as some make it out to be, there is certainly reason for concern. And for those who will suffer with higher taxes, less spending opportunity, who have special needs children that lost their ability to put them in a school of their choice (which better suits their needs), who lose their jobs because of the cost of Obamacare, etc., these are genuine concerns. I personally know of one manufacturing business that is closing its doors as a direct result of this election, because the cost of doing business isn’t worth it to the owner any more. 26 people will lose their jobs in an already economically depressed area. Don’t diminish their tragedy by acting as if 9/11 or even death is the only “true” misery.

    But most importantly, this isn’t just about one man. Yes, the Presidency is ONE person, but we still have a divided nation and a divided Congress. The fiscal cliff (which some don’t seem to actually understand based on the comments – mandatory cuts to spending, mandatory tax increases) is not hyperbole but a real description of what is about to happen at the end of the year if we don’t find consensus. And we are pretty much split down the middle. STILL Many individuals and many businesses were looking for relief and for the HOPE of someone who could build bi-partisan support.

    A lot of people had their “hope” snatched from them today, and to be so insensitive as to dismiss their very real feelings isn’t eloquent writing, it is shameful in itself. Most people had a lot of energy invested in the outcome of this election, and it is crazy to act as if everything is going to stay the same or that our country operates on auto-pilot and it matters not who is the leader. There are very real consequences to the election. There would have been very real consequences had Romney been elected as well.

    While some people most definitely went over the top — acting as if this is no big deal and has no real effect on individual lives is intellectually dishonest.

    By the way — you aren’t the only one with roots in a painful past, nor are you the only authority. There are many with similar backgrounds who vigorously disagree with you. It is not just radicals who see us moving towards socialism.

    And nothing pisses me off more than someone attempting to come off as moderate and reasonable, yet is dismissive of at others with very valid feelings.

    I guess you don’t realize how pompous and arrogant you sound!

56. Why don’t YOU do some research on George Bush’s ties to the oil companies in the middle east. Talk about misplaced interest! The “fiscal cliff” that ABLE BODIED citizens are so frightened of happened in 2008. Progress has been slow…but the fact that several swing states that may have been predicted to be Romney’s were NOT because their unemployment rates were far below the national average.

57. Good comment to the evangelical tea party reactionary.

58. Plutocracy is better?

59. False Flag Operations
    Inventing needless wars since humans became sentient.

60. I do appareciate you pointing out a true tradgedy since so many people are thinking because their candidate lost, that’s a tradgedy. With all due respect, it seems that you of all people may be taking the greatness of this country for granted since you know what it was like elsewhere. This is exactly what people are afraid of happening right here in this country especially when some candidates have said things about dis-manteling the Constitution and re-writing it. It is a known fact that the newly elected Commander in Chief is not a Christian, he is in fact a Muslim and does not believe in the Bible. The Bible our forefathers used to validate so many ideals on for this country. This is why so many people are depressed and frightened because they do not want what some other countries have now, Martial, and Sharia Law; without our Constitution and God; this is a possibility. I am not a political wizard but when I hear things like this it is scarey to me and possibly we would not have another election in 4 years if the constitution is re-written. The comments I just read concerning this issue sadden me because some were from people who are taking our American Freedoms and our leaders following and adhereing to our Constitution; for granted. There are no guarantees that our lives will be like they are now in our near future and that we will be choosing again for a new leader in 4 years. Being optimistic is one thing, having a polyanna attitude is a whole different matter. It is surprising at how fast things can change and all of a sudden lives are at stake and no one knows how to get things back. It happened once, and it could happen again. Don’t think that just because many years have passed that Martial Law could not be declared right here in the US. THIS is what people are so afraid of. We can only pray to God that he watches over and helps who ever is leading the country to make it safe and keep it free for all of us.

61. David, again that is the point. We are a country with people of all different values. And here in America we are allowed to have them and vote for the person(s) we think will best follow through with our values. And this may come as a surprise but, your children will one day be adults and will then have their own values, which may or may not be the same ones you have today.

62. Beautiful…thank you for writing this!

63. Jo, thank you for your words. I do not have the same life experiences as you, but I respect what you have come through and hope to pass on that respect to my children. Here’s what ‘I wrote today, if you’re interested. http://grkids.com/4-things-elections-teach-kids-about-life-in-america/

64. Yet. The Mayans haven’t got it right yet. There’s still time… 😛

65. Jordan, it’s people like you that this world needs to fear.
    You sound like a schizophrenic.

66. I thought I was the only person to remember that statement about making sure Obama failed and the efforts to guarantee that outcome…problem was that if our President failed, the country failed. People kept asking ” Are you better off now than 4 years ago?”, well, not really but We are all a heck of alot better than we would have been if it weren’t for the auto industry bailouts and as much as I dislike the results of the bank bailouts, it was necessary.

67. it was tragic for our country. Why is someone who worked on the streets for planning against this country, someone who never had a real job, and no job in government, and he won’t show his dissertation for college but you can get his wife’s on the internet and find out what they are all about. That is being a Dictator not a President

68. Scotti, you must not have read the article we are all commenting on. Take your hate mongering somewhere else. We really need to come together as a nation, no matter who you voted for! Ultimately, we are all American’s and if you do not agree with democracy then maybe you should go live somewhere where it doesn’t exist.

69. I never knew we had so many psychics out there. I used to love hearing all the predictions people use to call into this radio show Coast-to-Coast, especially the ones who were upset about this or that candidate winning the presidency – the world will end, we will be taken over by China, etc. What I loved even more was when they followed up the next year and reviewed each and every one of them. So few ever made it to being correct. What am I trying to say?

    People turn off your TVs, your radios, and your cell phones and walk out the door and take a nice walk. It’s a beautiful out there if you just take a deep breath and walk away from it all for a bit.

    I loved your post. Beautifully written. Beautifully said. I’m off walk my dogs in the rain now. It’s nice to think that I can do so without worrying about the awful things that might (or might not) befall our nation because one man won a race.

70. All I can say is wow. Jordan, I am wondering what Bible you read. The one I read talks about a God who is in control. I believe and have faith in the direction God and OUR President have for this country. I am truly proud to be an American and see democracy at its finest. So instead of complaining, and spreading your looney conspiracy theories get out and change something. Oh, and by the way, what is President Obama’s real name…and just how did you come across this information? The same way they say, “You are what you eat.” I believe you are what you read; so fill yourself with all of the word of God and not just the passages that serve your personal agenda! Good night and God Bless you and the fine Nation!

71. You know, it’s paranoid conspiracy nuts that really get my gears a grindin’, but that’s my personal feelings about a group. I don’t get why people think, oh hey a girl got shot by the Taliban ’cause she wanted to go to school. Are all Taliban/Al Qaeda members Muslim? Yes. Are all Muslims part of the Taliban/ Al Qaeda? No. It’s absurd to think like that. It’d be the same as someone pointing out a white Christian and saying, hey he’s Christian and white, he must be in the KKK.

    Extremists are extremists, that’s what it comes down to. Not everyone has the same views globally. You can say, oh but Muslims are taught that women should be controlled and etc., but how do you know all Muslims think that way? You don’t. What you do see is what they want you to see for the most part. People who live in oppressed countries like much of Africa, the Middle East, and some of Asia don’t get to voice their opinions as freely as us because they’re being watched. Have a little more faith in mankind, you might surprise yourself, Scotti.

72. Such a great post and I’m so glad I was directed here to read. I couldn’t agree more. Our freedom is definitely not tragic.

73. Yeah Today is not a tragic day and right on when you say enjoy everything you have now when you wake up tomorrow! But be very weary about waking up every day after that because the freedom you have now wont be there the day after! Ive worked with Polish peo;le for the past 15 years and they did leave their country because of communism. They will be the first ones to tell you we are on our way to becoming the communist country they left behind. Something so beautiful that took so much time and so many to people to build can easily be destroyed by 1 man in seconds. Obama is Santa Clause right now for so many low class people. Hes giving them the gifts of free benefits. Food stamps,medical,cheaper housing, the list goes on and on. Except its not free. Im paying for them to get these free gifts as well as thousands maybe even millions of other true hard working Americans. This is one freedom i have lost already and its a huge blow. I have no choice of the matter that just about 30% of my hard earned money that only I worked for is taken away from me every week! Sure i can say no for the time being but then i just end up owing them even more. Eventually us hard working Americans will stop giving in and this is the day the revolution starts. When they cant get money from us anymore who is left to take it from? This has happend before and its pretty much history repeating itself. You’ll see!

74. You might as well move back to poland———-because that’s where America is headed

75. So, I am confused Scottie, is Jesus coming a bad thing? I can’t wait for that day! What a blessed day it will be. God bless you and I pray that you may one day be the “light” that the Bible refers to; and not give true Christians a bad name with comments rooted in hate and not based on the unadulterated word of God and the unconditional love that he shows us everyday!

76. Very well said! Except…not even god will have have control over this!

77. Yes Scotti for goodness sakes…all.that” hate mongering ” i guess thats code for telling the truth! Wow…free speech only belongs to the people on this site who agree with the author…Scotti nothing u said was hateful.

78. Karen, that is the thing about free speech, I believe Jo touched on that as well; we are all still entitled to it. I guess President Obama hasn’t taken that away from us yet. Maybe instead of complaining and supporting people who vowed to make OUR President a one term President you should go outside and get to work making this Nation a better place. See that too is what makes America so great…we can all effect change, good or bad! So, what are you going to do? God bless you and this great Nation!

79. Dual citizenship! Beautiful country. I try and visit as often as possible. =)

80. Scotti, Amanda has it right, although I would add that our LEADERS need to come together and work toward some solutions. While I’m by no means an Obama supporter, I frankly don’t blame the debt on him. It’s now to the point where the numbers don’t work. There’s no way to tax or grow our way out. We will ultimately default, and we’ll do it the old fashioned way, via inflationary default. My hope is that we can get through the coming currency crisis (which I think will occur between now and 2020) without losing our nation. But I can’t blame Obama for it. Or Bush. It’s been a long time coming, across multiple administrations. Why? Because people elect those who promise them what they want, not what is realistically doable.

81. Actually the idea that Hitler was elected is a piece of Nazi propaganda that somehow has ended up being accepted as fact. The reality is that the political landscape in Germany at the time was so fractured that no party was able to get any kind of majority, and the best Hitler was ever able to achieve prior to taking power was 37%. The way he came to power was through making a deal with the old ruling class and their political parties on the right that were desperate to create a coalition government and felt they could manage to tame Hitler and keep him in check while still making use of the support he had.
    (Source: Hitler A Story in Tyranny by Alan Bullock chapter 5.)

82. Jenn i agree. I am almost 70 years old and I have never felt as disheartened as I do today. Already plans are announced by Diane Fienstand to do away with the second amendment both here and through the UN. Harry Ried has stated the election .a
    s a mandate to raise taxes and he is going to introduce legislation to ban filibuster
    s in the Senate

    I won’t be voting again..words i never thought I’d say. Conservatives are out numbered by idealogs . entitlements crowd, the unions and the media who was complicit in covering up for this president. A president lost his job for a lie about a breal in at a political office..NO ONE DIED…the media hung him out to dry. Another president was crucified over Katrina…have u looked at the East Coast? I’m done. Obviously. I belong to an America that no longer exists.

83. The best post I have read in a long time. Great writing. Great perspective. People forget just how lucky they are to live in the United States.
    @sunshinemommy
    http://suburbiainterrupted.com

84. Way to put things into perspective!!!!!! Lots of people needed that.

85. Thank you Elaine and Scotti, your opinion is valued unless its different from the people on this site. Then you are a hate mongering pessimist. Come on you guys.. let’s not be hypocritical. scotti was simply stating facts and got jumped on for doing so. Even if the economy is getting better it still has a long way to go. It’s not all rainbows and kittens with rose colored glasses some of you seem to be wearing.

86. I think that David W. Knight, Sr has the right to voice his opinion. It is people like you that make it so that others can’t voice there opinion because if it isn’t like yours then we are close minded. I did not want Obama I did not want Romney. Neither one of them understand what it is like to grow up poor to lower middle class. The people that would do good for the normal working blue collar Americans never make it in BECAUSE THE POLITICIANS (which includes Obama, Romney, Biden, Bush, Hillary Clinton and so on) WILL NOT LET THEM RUN FOR OFFICE. Do you know that Bill Clinton was the ONLY president in the past 20 years that did not make our deficit grow? So see how you deal with this. I believe in GOD, I do not believe in gay marriages, I do not believe in abortion. I do not hate anyone for their race, sex, or creed. I do not judge, because the only one that will judge me is Jesus, and you are not him. Have a great day. 🙂 and I am not closed minded this is what I believe and this is America. I supposely I am suppose to voice my opinion and not get persacuted, but I do by people that do not share my believes. So you do not want us to do that to you but it is done to me all the time because I am a Christian and believe the bible is law. We are suppose to be in the world not of the world, and anything that the bible says is a sin and the government does anyway is the world. It was Adam and Eve not Adam and Steve. And why is it ok for a woment to kill her baby by abortion and not get persucuted but a person could murder that women while she is pregnant and get tried for a double murder where is the justification to that. I am saying that it is wrong in both counts but how is it different it is not. So if a person can get tried for a double murder my killing a pregnant women then women who have an abortion should also get tried for murder isn’t the same thing.

87. Nice article but there is just one thing that bothers me. you use the term light years as a measure of time when in reality it is a measure of distance.

88. The key word here that describes almost every conservative: fear.

89. While appreciating the article re-posted by my friend Cyndi on facebook, and being one of those who expressed concern over the results (partly due to “my choice” not being selected)I would like to say that I am an avid reader and historical situations enthusiast, so I have this to say.

    “Those who do not know/study history are destined to repeat it.” -George Santayana

    We can know from history that civilization is cyclical… we are coming to that point where change happens at a far more rapid pace than in most of our recent memories… IF many, or even some, of the accusations concerning Obama are true, then we may need to consider that those individuals who have been documented to be more than passing acquaintances in Obama’s life ARE terrorists. Apply some simple math: If THIS is true and THAT is true THEN this is also TRUE… ergo: concern.

    No creepy or freaky accusations, merely encouraging readers to sit back a bit farther and look beyond the past or future 4 year increments; to have spent more money in a term than all previous Presidents combined is not a small feat. This in no way absolves Bush’s part in spending the second highest amount, rather speaks directly to where we go from here.

    No doom and gloom as I DO believe in God and the Bible and our ultimate lives are in His hands (those who disagree I already know your counter points) but let me leave you with these final two thoughts. Obama stated that HE would leave if he couldn’t fix this economy in 4 years (Repubs kept that reminding him) and he said he would fundamentally change America… if it HAS BEEN the greatest place to be thus far in its relative young life as a nation, will America continue to be so?

90. While appreciating the article re-posted by my friend Cyndi on facebook, and being one of those who expressed concern over the results (partly due to “my choice” not being selected)I would like to say that I am an avid reader and historical situations enthusiast, so I have this to say.

    “Those who do not know/study history are destined to repeat it.” -George Santayana

    We can know from history that civilization is cyclical… we are coming to that point where change happens at a far more rapid pace than in most of our recent memories… IF many, or even some, of the accusations concerning Obama are true, then we may need to consider that those individuals who have been documented to be more than passing acquaintances in Obama’s life ARE terrorists. Apply some simple math: If THIS is true and THAT is true THEN this is also TRUE… ergo: concern.

    No creepy or freaky accusations, merely encouraging readers to sit back a bit farther and look beyond the past or future 4 year increments; to have spent more money in a term than all previous Presidents combined is not a small feat. This in no way absolves Bush’s part in spending the second highest amount, rather speaks directly to where we go from here.

    No doom and gloom as I DO believe in God and the Bible and our ultimate lives are in His hands (those who disagree I already know your counter points) but let me leave you with these final two thoughts. Obama stated that HE would leave if he couldn’t fix this economy in 4 years (Repubs kept reminding him) and he said he would fundamentally change America… if it HAS BEEN the greatest place to be thus far in its relative young life as a nation, will America continue to be so?

91. Easy Ted. While I’m not pleased with the results of this election, I’ll offer two points. One is that Jo is right, and if you were not aware of the truth of her words prior to the election, you need to travel more. (Or just follow the news in Europe.) The second point came home to me this evening during a walk with my wife as we enjoyed the lovely scenery around us (southern UT). In 1861, Americans went to war. With each other. It was brutal and bloody and lasted four long years. In 1941, we went to war, and it was a World War. All through 1940, the future of Europe hung in precarious balance, when, as Churchill said, never in history have so many owed so much to so few (the RAF). What we’re facing today is a currency crisis. A money crisis. It will have real implications. And, in a worst case scenario it could lead to war. Let’s hope it doesn’t. But the election of Obama, much as it does suggest the nation is evolving into something new, is nothing… nothing… compared to what we’ve been through, and survived, as a nation. Be of good cheer.

    And here’s another way to look at it. Have you been to Canada? I’ve spent a good deal of time there. I have many Canadian friends, and a diverse bunch of them, from good old Canucks to Quebecois. Canadians currently have a higher per-capita income than people in the U.S. (I know, but it’s true.) Suppose our future looks something like Canada? I could imagine worse scenarios. Far worse.

92. I am so grateful that I am able to be happy today with the results of last night’s presidential election. I ‘m not so sure that today I would be ready to roll over and say oh well we’ll try again in 4 years. I do believe that given time, I would eventually get there. I agree with all that you have said. Our country is not perfect, but it’s a much better option than most. I say after you have had some time, get up and exercise the rights available to you in this great country of ours and get working on what works for you. Some will come around given time others may not. But if things progress as I hope and expect they will, we can be whole and realize that we are not only Democrats, Republicans, Independents, etc but Americans.

93. First let me say this, the people of this contry as an individuals did not elect this man as our President. The electoral collage did, a select few who are supposed to act in our behalf. With 2 billion dollars being thrown around I’m not 100% sure if these people voted as we instructed them too.

    With that being said, I will deal with the election and thoughs elected until I hopefully have another chance to vote again!

94. B. Sullivan, how about we make a bet? Let’s check back here four years from now. My money is on our Constitution still being intact and that we aren’t living under Shari’a law. You know why? Because the results of this election are NOT A TRAGEDY and will not lead to end times. Although I did not support Romney, if he had won that also would NOT HAVE BEEN A TRAGEDY. It would be how our system of electing leaders works.

95. So, you want to become upset when Barack Obama is called a terrorist (which is true) but what about his ties to domestic terrorists and communists. Hey guys, go do some research on Bill Ayers. Congrats guys. Now that Obama has won again, I (an Army Veteran/OIF veteran) am going to leave this country as soon as possible. Have fun dealing with your celebrity puppet.

96. So eloquently stated…and self-righteous too! Sounds like: “Shut up and put up!” Can you honestly believe that Americans who are complaining are not participating as you suggest and do not espouse and practice the same beliefs you have here? Your insight is lacking. Had Obama lost this election, do you believe his supporters would not be screaming their objections; blaming some faction for the failure; sending out their insults with their own brand of vulgarity; and even threatening violence (which they did before the last count)? When you so pompously choose to take the ‘dissenters’ to task, please remember that 50% of the populous did NOT choose Obama. They are expressing their legitimate concerns, fears, and hopes. Allow them their moment. That’s the role of “free speech” in this fine country. THIS IS A TIME FOR THE PRESIDENT TO REACH ALL AMERICANS WITH A MESSAGE TO SETTLE FEARS AND REBUILD SOME HOPE FOR OUR FUTURE. If he can…..NOT to tell us to shut up!
    Otherwise….we will simply and respectfully remain the ‘loyal opposition’ with all of our inalienable rights’.

97. Well said, my Canadian friend. I love Canada. Especially B.C. (naturally). But in the summer. In the winter, ah, not so much. 😉 I grew up in Minnesota (dontchaknow). Having moved to the great southwest, I’ve turned into a wimp. Too cold up there. But your response warms my heart. Right on.

98. So the Repubs stopped the masses from receiving assistance? More people are receiving food stamps than ever in the history of our country. More people are receiving and continue to receive unemployment benefits than any other time as well. In the coming months, when we go over the cliff, I hope and pray that your head finally comes out of your ass.

99. you are a loon. a paranoid loon. concentration camps? you need medication. yes you probably should go read your bible (since I’m sure you haven’t read many textbooks)…just hope you not focusing too much and fall off the edge of the earth.

100. the above was fro Jordan, poor soul. this is for Scotti…nothing happens or can be fixed in 4 years. look at history.

101. great post!

102. true, elaine, your america no longer exists and will never, under any president, come back. it’s called progress. progress, however, is not without costs. just be greatful that you’ll have medicare, as opposed to a voucher to find coverage on your own. as a medical provider I can assure you you were a winner last night.

103. They are somewhat different. A woman who has an abortion is doing so by choice for her health and body, just like a woman who willingly gets pregnant. If someone murders a pregnant woman, that choice is also taken away; her choice to have a baby or maybe even before she could make the choice not to keep the baby. In cases of rape, that choice over her body is also taken away. She can take back that choice by choosing to keep the baby under the horrible circumstances or to abort. Maybe it doesn’t make sense to you, but it does to me. Not everything is black or white.

     I do not advocate abortion as a form of birth control, but I am an advocate for at least allowing the option to be there. I’m also an advocate for better sex education in schools and more readily available birth control options for women so that not as many young girls have to rely on abortions.

104. scotti and jordan…paranoia will destroy you. not barack Obama. but folks like you would be better off focusing on your bible. again, just don’t fall off the edge of the earth while doing so. if you do, however, at least you’ll be guarateed healthcare. and oh let me guess…you’re in the 1%? yeah RIGHT! I hope jesus does come for you soon.

105. ahhh, some sanity. the fear, paranoia, and bible-beating were really making me nuts. thanks!

106. I think this is the best blog post I’ve ever read. Thank you for some perspective, I think we all need it.

107. sorry, the above was for jordan and scotti.

108. Sheather, Vey well said, I agree with you completely!!!!!

109. he’s black. that can be the only answer for such vitriol!

110. insanity.

111. You need a new hobby

112. Pedantry and superstition:1
     Critical thinking skills:0

113. some brotherhood (with white coats) should come knocking on your door, Scotti.

114. Nothing you say or fear is even remotely based in reality.

115. To be honest I didn’t really care for what was written in this blog as much as I did reading all the different thoughts and perspectives in the comments. I agree with a lot of you, the way things are going, history does repeat itself and its a matter of time and you might want to go back to Poland. Its not about being paranoid and a conspiracy driven thinker its about whats right in front of our faces. The President doesn’t have this country as his best interest, so yes, yesterday was a sad day for our nation.

116. Love you mucho friend. Well said like none other.

117. Actually, Obama won the popular vote by 3million popular votes. If that’s not being voted in by the individuals, I don’t know what is. And that is even AFTER people’s votes and registrations being thrown in the trash and changed.

118. It is not a known fact. I’m pretty sure “facts” aren’t things with which you are usually acquainted. What a load of paranoid drivel.

119. I am very grateful for the life I live in the US. Unfortunately, Obama has made it clear that he will be depleting the job my father has had since 1982, the job my father-in-law has had since he retired from the AF, both jobs my husband works and the funding I have been using to get myself through school. All of which is downright frightening considering I have two young children to support. I don’t see disappointment and fear of what these next four years may bring as being ungrateful in anyway. We can’t expect different results if we keep trying the same things over again. This is why I was pro Romney.

120. You obviously don’t even understand what the electoral college is.

121. Tragic is an adjective; not a noun. It doesn’t look like anything.

122. The problem is not what you believe…it’s what you think I should believe.

123. Thank you so much…wish I had thought of this. I posted on my timeline as a reminder to all those people on my page who said similar things and even made extremely racist remarks on my wall…any my husband is black and my kids bi-racial. Did they think I wouldn’t care that they can use language like that and not react? Disappointed, yes! A tragedy, no!

     God bless you!

124. Well said….and thank you. I am a Progressive and am appalled at all the inflammatory response to Obama’s re election……

125. Yep. Awesome!!

126. Um, most people who murder pregnant women AREN’T tried for double homicide, because many courts haven’t decided when life begins and there is no national standard for when life begins. Your Bible tells you it’s at conception. Good for you and your Bible. I don’t believe in your Bible. It is MY body, and if someone puts something in there and I don’t want it there, didn’t ask for it, I shouldn’t have to keep it. That’s MY belief. The difference is, I’m not going around forcing others to have abortions when I think it’s damn foolish of them to go through with a pregnancy, as in it might KILL her. It’s her RIGHT to CHOOSE. No one should make that choice for anyone else. And why should YOUR religious beliefs trump mine? HAVE your opinion, and may God bless you for it, but we shouldn’t be legislating religious beliefs that limit people’s rights. So things like allowing Gay Marriage and Women’s Rights are best for the country because limiting these things is unpatriotic. Don’t like it? Go move to a country with a Christian government.

127. Audrey Patton you are so miss informed. My self, a 25 year old entrepreneur have found my self jobless among 53% of college grads right now. I opened up a coffee shop that covered my schooling and hoped to pursue my graduate degree when finishing up, but there are no jobs. I work part time at 24hr fitness and I cant tell you the ammount of people buying 60$ sessions that are on food stamps and unemployement (even worse now, the Obama phone). So when many of feel like it has been a tragic day, it has. The people working for their money are getting screwed and we are clearly supporting the “lazy class”.

128. Jo, I don’t know who you did or didn’t support in this election, but I support every word of this blog post.

     “Terrorism” is violence intended to coerce or intimidate. “Voting” is not.

129. The fact that you said it’s Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve shows EXACTLY how closed-minded you are. And if a pregnant woman is murdered, the murderer can only be tried for a double murder if the fetus had reached a viable point. Abortion is only legal in the first weeks of pregnancy, LONG before the fetus is viable. It is not murder. Women should have the RIGHT to do as they please with their bodies. You don’t vote on RIGHTS, you’re born with them!

130. The way our President is leading our country is exactly like the communist Poland you described. That is why it was a tragic day. Not because Romney lost; because all of Obama’s past is linked to socialists and communists and every policy he has made is to make the people more dependent on the government so we can then we will have no choice when the economy totally collapses, but to beg the government to help us and then we will have no freedom. Look at Nazi Germany, Casto in Cuba, Chavez in Venezuela- people believed these leaders were going to help them. Didn’t work out so well for the people. Watch this to see more: http://vimeo.com/52009124

131. Not all auto companies took the bailouts and they are the companies that are flourishing.

132. I’m not necessarily disagreeing with you, but simply pointing out things could be worse is kind of a jackoff move. Kind of like John Lennon with “Give Peace a Chance” or Bruce Springsteen talking about unemployed blue collar workers before getting off stage and flying away on his personal jet.

     No, the GOP isn’t finished anymore than the Democratic Party was finished after the 2000 election. But make no mistake, last night’s election was a vote for tyranny and socialism. It was a BAD thing. It shouldn’t be minimized just because 9/11 was worse.

133. David, your guy got to appoint his fair share of Supreme Court justices pre-2008, so don’t worry. Your voice is already in the mix of the Supreme Court.

134. Ah, but you do judge. You judge with your beliefs. We all do. We judge people who are different from us. In my experience, those who are the most vocal about NOT judging are the ones that are the MOST judgmental in their hearts. I am judgmental, I am not perfect and I do my best not to cast stones because of that. And we would do well to remember that in Matthew, where it says “Judge not lest ye be judged” that this does not mean don’t judge ever, it means IF you are going to judge that you’d better be darned certain that you’re willing to judge others by the same standards.

135. Now that health care reform is back in safe hands, I hope that you will be able to seek out the mental health services that you need. You will have a much easier time getting the resources that you need under Obamacare. I wish you the best of luck.

136. WELL SAID, KAREN! It’s about time too! I wish I knew how to share your comments on my wall. Left-wing & Right-wing zealots have put a lot of hype out there to stir us up. Those ‘extremists’ are the only ones who need to ‘tone it down’.
     So far I don’t hear anyone trying to present a ‘middle-ground’. “Compromise” has not been a practice that the current administration has demonstrated. We will just have to show them how to do it. Obama’s worshipers just don’t realize yet that ‘they need us’. This great country of great people can’t function if we don’t pull together. That won’t happen if one side keeps attacking the other, but it can’t happen if we stay silent!

137. I don’t know you, but I echo every word you wrote. Finally someone on the internet is making sense!!! 🙂

138. You seem to misunderstand the point of the post. We all have the right to share our opinion, but that does not mean that everyone gets to express their opinion without any reaction or debate from others. We all get to express our opinions, but that means that the other person gets to also offer their opinion, and it might not be a positive response. That is ok. We should not be so fearful of thoughtful debate in this country, if you judge too quickly and assume that others have the power to “make it so you can’t voice your opinion”, then you’re missing the opportunity to have a real discussion with someone and maybe make some progress.

139. Did I miss the tweet in this article by that blowhard, Trump, calling for a revolution?!

140. And you think that Romney would have had any more success than Obama at stopping a worse financial meltdown? Remember the meltdown we are now experiencing started before Obama took office. It was republican policies and leadership that got us here in the first place. I think we have more tough times ahead as a country, but I think the sun will continue to rise and hopefully we learn to work together without name calling to make our country stronger and our citizens safer.

141. YOUR SPEECH ISHATEFUL

142. 9-11 happened because of policies similar to who got elected. Look up Ben Laden’s “Paper Tiger” comment.
     Same reason that same terrorist group killed 4 Americans in benghazi. Because they knew with the weak policies they could do it, and they did.
     Although, I agree people over reacted to the result, maybe we should chew on the fact as to why some people are reacting this way.

143. I think sometimes we need to check our privilege, because this “blessing” you claim America to be is not pure coincidence, and -yes- Obama’s administration has authorized and continue to authorize -as I type- terrorist acts on Yemen, as it has on Afghanistan, and continue to do on Guantamu Bay. Just because you are able to isolate yourself from the downright oppression and humiliation that many are feeling because of America’s neoliberal and foreign policies does not make America a blessing. Also, check some history on what led 9/11 to happen before calling it a tragedy, a tragedy is when 10 years later, more than 800 people have died abroad to every person who died at 9/11 in wars justified by the “counter-terrorism” logic. You need to visit the sweatshops, big pharma clinical trials, widespread poverty in Africa legitimized by institutions based in the US: the World Bank and the IMF, and then you would not give yourself the authority to scold people just because you happen to have a few benefits.

144. I really do like the article and you have great points. The only problems I have with it really isn’t main points, or even prominent points. You said this is the land where we are free to express our religious views, ourselves, and various other things.

     If that is true then why are people not concerned with offending Christians. The ideas to take out God from the pledge of allegience, and other various things like that because they don’t want to offend the athiests are offensive to those who actually still believe in God. This nation was founded with the Christian God. That is how it has been for as long as this nation has been around, why should we change it?

     Also, if we are free to express our views, then why are the protests that are set up by the group Annonymous beaten, have their food and shelter taken away, and various other things like that? I’m not saying I agree with Annonymous’s methods, because I don’t, but they are trying to use their rights under the constitution and they are being threatened because of it.

     And I bet I’m going to be given a load of crap for saying things like this, but that is also another example that we really aren’t truly free in this country

     But I do agree with you that we truly are blessed to be in a country where we have a say in our leader.

145. No Chana, it was the same Democrats we still have that created the economic mess in 2008, along with Barney Frank and Dodd. Bush warned them and nobody listened…especially Barney Frank and his fellow dems who allowed taxpayer funded homes for everyone who wouldn’t work.

146. Fifty percent of the people in our country do agree with the beliefs of the president we just reelected. The justices appointed by Obama will balance the opinions of the justices appointed by Bush and so on and so on. Our forefathers knew what they were doing. We are all going to be fine.

147. Funny how it never seems to occur to those who put all their faith in God that perhaps this election result is exactly what God wanted, aside from the fact that it was decided by a national democratic vote and in spite of unheralded shenanigans to disrupt that vote. Why is it only God’s will when you get what you want, otherwise, it’s a “national tragedy” that requires fervent prayer to save us from some big bad overly-hyped boogeyman? Jeeez, people, lighten up and join the 21st century. You’re sounding like the ignorant, uninformed, incoherent nut cases the rest of the world believes most Americans are.

148. I have been trying to find a way to say this all day. Thank you.

149. My comment above was directed to Lisa’s comment.

150. Perspective. Something we all need a dose of once in awhile. Thank you for your well written dose. It will do all who read it good.

151. Very well said. I want to link this post EVERYWHERE. It’s insane the things that have been flying around on social networking. At this point, I hate to call some of these people my friends and some of these people are no longer my friends.

152. By your own account, if you have children who disrespect you, you should have killed them and not be tried as a murderer. You can’t pick and choose what laws of the bible to follow. If you were told to kill your child because someone overheard them disrespect you, you would not do it. You have the right to your opinion, but because you believe marriage equally shouldn’t exist, that means it shouldn’t exist for everyone? I am gay. I just want to be equal and marry the man I love. I don’t want special laws, just equal laws in the eyes of the government. Some people believe in God, some people don’t. Because you do, you want to subject everyone else to your beliefs? How is that fair? We will all face God and be judged by him, but while on this Earth, and in this country, we need man made laws to follow. The bible said nothing about speed limits. I wonder why? Oh, right! No cars. We’ve evolved so much and not everyone believes in the same thing. Live your life right and you’ll be fine. Force your beliefs on everyone; well, I wonder how God would feel about that.

153. In 1973 I went to the Phillipines as an Air Force servicemans wife. I was not command sponsored; they did not want me there, but as a young naive girl with a 3 month old child, I wanted to go. When I arrived in Manila, it was 85 degrees. There were men on every corner with machine guns. WOW! Reality check. I came from Iowa, where we have homes, cars, and yards that our kids can play in. Here, everywhere I went there were men with guns. I would hear of GI’s that were found shot to death about every week. The people lived in cardboard shacks, no air, no windows, no plumbing. I was in shock. After about the first 3 months, I kind of got over it. The culture was communisim. NO WE DO NOT WANT THAT HERE . Marcos had everything he wanted and took from the people to finance his lifestyle. All he did was take everything that the people had. We did not have a water heater, a refrigerator, or a stove. I finally bought a small coleman campstove that I cooked off of. I went to market everyday to buy food and then cooked it, ate and never had leftovers… no refrigerator. I learned very quickly how spoiled we are in the US.
     It was an experience I will never forget. We cannot let our president, who has been showing signs of communisim in taking over our country, finish his “job”. He was not lying to Putin when he said..wait till after the election; I will be able to do what I want (or that is what I took it to mean). It slays me that my relatives cannot see what is going on; they think he is great. I pray that we can get our America back. I was sick to my stomach last night after he was reelected. So many have come here to escape the tyranny of their country. Why would they ever vote for him? I guess, they are living in “heaven” now, free food, a roof (real one) over their heads and they have healthcare and can start having lots of babies on our dime. No, I do not begrudge them, I would be in thier shoes if roles were reversed. I feel like running through the streets, yelling Stop him! We cannot go where he is going to lead us. I am scared to death for our country, my children and all the children here. He will make sure that everyone is taken care of (at a minimum) and they will love him. They will never know what it is like to have a real job and like my ancestors, start their own businesses and thrive. So many today don’t even bother to learn our language. SAD! I will keep praying…and hope that we will change the direction of our great country before it is too late. God Bless the USA!

154. Sheather, I think you entirely missed the point Lisa was making. David W. Knight was complaining because since things didn’t go his way that he was sad…which is his right, but for him to say that someone needs to open there eyes to the big picture, just because he didn’t get his way is ridiculous. The American people voted Obama in we ARE the big picture. Now to your other “points”. It’s amazing how many times you contradict yourself “I am not close minded” and ” I don’t judge.” then you turn around and bash gay marriage because a book written by MAN doesn’t really even address the issue. If you can show me one passage in the Bible that says gay people shouldn’t be married I will eat my words and become a staunch Republican. btw I don’t mean imply, I mean directly state it. I guess you don’t believe in wearing condoms or using contraception either because isn’t sperm just half of a baby, a baby waiting to be born. And since spermicide kills sperm aren’t you killing millions of potential babies. We can play that game all day. I am a Christian too, I’m just not YOUR kind of Christian, but that’s okay, I don’t have to be. Jesus spoke out about certain things, but he never said, “You must believe everything i believe or you are going to hell.” God did dictate I think it was 10 commandments…and as far as I can tell there was nothing about gay people in them…right? You are entitled to your opinion, and to worship your God however you see fit, but don’t go shoving YOUR God down MY throat.

155. “Sometimes you don’t get a chance to do it again in 4 years.” what the heck do you mean by this? I think you are missing the point of the post. Entirely.

156. Perhaps you should reread what she wrote. You say this was a sad day for you. She never said there was a problem with being sad. She said that calling it a TRAGIC day was far too extreme, as tragic days are when actual tragedies happen. Perhaps the President will appoint someone to the Supreme Court that you do not agree with, but there is no guarantee that those 4 people are going to die or retire within Obama’s term, and there is no guarantee that he will not appoint people with various beliefs and ideals. He has done that sort of thing more than any recent President. NEXT TIME, why don’t you try reading what someone writes in full and try to take in their meaning, their whole picture, not just pick out the parts you want to focus on miss the entire point of the essay. Also, while you are so concerned that the Supreme Court Justices appointed are ones your children are going to have to be effected by, what is to say that your children will agree with YOUR viewpoints on those issues??? The next generation often does NOT agree with the last one, that is what we call progress.

157. My prayer is that God will help America in this 4 year term. It is important for everyone to understand, forge ahead and work together to bring the nation back to its feet. I voted for Romney as a democrat, here is the thing, he did not win the election, that doesn’t mean we lose our obligation as fellow citizens to make this country better even with Obama as president, he can never have the type of control everyone here thinks he will have, Americans have more character than that, if anything, we will survive.

158. You must be a part of the tea party…only they think that President Obama is a Muslim. Please give proof from a reputable source, i.e. someone other than Fox news and anyone affiliated with the tea party and right wing extremists. Betcha won’t be able to.

     Also, if President Obama wanted to rewrite the Constitution, Mitt Romney would not have let us forget about it. Please, people, stop being so paranoid. Sharia law will not come to this country. Even though I am a major Obama supporter, I would die fighting him if he did try. I have a feeling I wouldn’t be the only one.

159. Where’s the like button. Awesome response. Lol

160. Whatever happened to the days where no matter who was, “The President” they were somewhat respected no matter what party they came from? They were given an unsaid courtesy, just because. Even with differences, once they were elected, they were supported. If we all get behind one effort, we will be successful. Perseverence is a key player in success. Just as any diet, it wont work unless you stick with it. Why cant we just stick with it, all in, and see what happens.? Why cant Congress just be supportive and give it their all to support the President, instead of keeping us at a stale mate? We are fighting ourselves and keep our Nation down. Even if Romney won we should all get behind him as well, if that was the majority vote, then that is what we should support as a Nation.

161. Actually, Obama got the popular vote too.

162. L.R. Kopp…they level of stupidity in your post is staggering. And here’s the thing: no one is buying your Obama Is The Debil nonsense anymore.

     YOU lost the election. Not Romney.

     You and every other radical extremist calling Obama a Muslim (which he’s not), a socialist (heck, he’s barely a liberal) and plastering your car with racist bumperstickers.

     YOU pushed the middle left…and gave Obama the election.

     Now…choke on it.

163. So, someone calls you “close-minded” and you think they are persecuting you? You might need to check a dictionary for more than the spelling. (But, yeah, also the spelling.)

     The First Amendment doesn’t give you the right to get the last word in.

164. There is no action the UN can take to do away with the Second Amendment, as the precident has already been set that the constitution trumps international laws. The small arms treaty (which has not been approved, voted on, signed, or ratified) would not affect domestic law. From a quick google of Diane Fienstand and Gun Control I can see that her focus is on assualt rifles (the type of guns I see guards carrying as I drive onto military bases sometimes).

     Even if Diane Fienstand signs into law another measure controlling guns, the people can overturn the law. What they need to do is get a petition together and gather the signatures needed for the law to be put on the ballot for people to vote on. This is why are country is great, because we have ways of making our state laws. Washington State recently did this with Referendum 74. Originally it was signed into law, but a petition was made, signatures were collected, and the measure was put onto the ballot. Now the people of Washington have spoken and the law is there by their majority vote.

     Perhaps rather than stop voting, you could take more action to ensure that your voice is heard. We need people willing to speak out, willing to demand that our government listens to us. That is what makes America great, that we have the freedom to say “you are not listening to me!” Encourage your friends, family, and like-minded neighbors to do the same. Yes, there are a lot of young and idealistic people out there, but you have seen history and can inform future generations about the importance of making their voices heard.

     As for the Katrina/Sandy compairison, I have seen people talking about what it was like when the lived in New Orleans and I have seen people talk about what it has been like living in New York. Maybe things are not back to normal in New York, but they feel better about the state of things compared to the disaster of Katrina.

     I am proud I had a chance to vote in my home state of Washington although I am studying in Indianna. I am proud that although my parents and I don’t although my parents hold different views, when I go home for Christmas we can work together to make the country greater because to split up due to political differences is a SHAME.

     I am young and idealistic. This was my first election, and I voted for Obama. But, I also voted for several Republicans because the party doesn’t matter so much as the people. I asked my mother for advice on some of the issues on the ballot, because of her wisdom and experiance. I feel good about my votes, even if some of the people I voted for did not win. I am proud that my vote was counted, because there was always the possiblity that my vote would make the difference (although that is very unlikely).

     I would love to give you all my sources for this post (because as I student I believe that sources are everything) but comments I’ve read were personal responses to articles and I will not be able to find them again. The first sourse if for the Referendum 74 I was talking about, the second source checks the claim that the UN is trying to take away our guns and it gives a link to the UN’s page about the Small Arm’s Treaty and the court case that ruled in favor of the constitution over that of an international treaty.

     http://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php/Washington_Same-Sex_Marriage_Veto_Referendum,_Referendum_74_(2012)

     http://www.snopes.com/politics/guns/untreaty.asp

     I hope you will consider voting in the future and perhaps being more active in your government/party. Because that is why we have freedom of speech, so we can make ourselves heard.

165. Free speech? But every time I voice an opinion someone disagrees with me. How is that free?

     I thought the First Amendment guarantees me the right to get the last word in.

166. Again, this goes back to that whole “melting pot” idea. You think that the Bible is God’s Law. I don’t any more. I did when I was younger, but not so much any more. And when the Founding Fathers saw that Quakers were being persecuted in Pennsylvania (I think it was PA), they realized that if any religion became the state religion, those who weren’t of that religion were going to be attacked. So they created this wall between church and state. I’m free to tell you what I think of your religion, you are free to follow it and no one can lock either of us up for that. That’s part of being in a free nation. You have to accept that people are different from you. Maybe explore it. Go talk to a LBGT person, and just listen without the Bible BS in your ears. You might just learn something.

167. You’ve put some broad perspective on “sad and tragic day for our country”. A couple of classes in creative writing, journalism, U.S. History and the humanities could clear up a bit of the histrionics demonstrated due to the outcome of the presidential election.

     Sad and tragic day for our country class #101:
     Assignment #1.
     See above photographs of shattered NY buildings hurling thousands of people plummeting to their deaths and the airline passengers jammed in between.
     Think of their limbs and hearts that brought them to work that morning and ended up on the sidewalk. Just for starters. THIS is sad and tragic.

     Assignment #2.
     Do not watch Oliver Stones film JFK. More fiction than not.
     Internet? Too much of an ocean to swim.
     Find an old Life magazine, or go to the library…..the newspapers and magazine on microfilm…try that.
     November 22, 1963. A bright sunny Texas day, a pink pillbox hat crowning a brunette First Lady wearing a pink chic suit, accompanying her famous husband on the motorcade through the city of Dallas. The governor of Texas and his wife were along on the drive. Smiles are illuminated by the sun. People stand and wave to the President and company. Children are out of school to watch him pass. All goes well.
     In a single instant the brains of the President are strewn on the rear trunk of the limousine with his pink-suited wife trying to retrieve them.
     Our nation is at work….we were frying hamburgers for restaurants, teaching school (I was in one of the classrooms), running gas stations, designing pumps for oil refineries, shining shoes.
     When the announcement came the world changed. Though at the time, we did not see the Zapruder tapes for many years hence, our hearts sank collectively like the Titanic. No matter who you were, what your politics, or what station in life you were in….your heart sank.
     The 4 days people stayed glued to their televisions for comfort, with a final blow watching the shooting of Lee Harvey Oswald live (and this I was witness to) pretty much sent everyone over the top of
     SADNESS AND TRAGEDY.

     Yet to come were the days of the televised funeral.

     Find someone to discuss sadness and tragedy with and find their own personal experience of something tragic. Will it ever be an election result?
     Sincere doubt…..
     Will it be about a car wreck, cancer, loss of a child, a fire, a flood, an attack of some sort?
     Yes.

     The fair citizens of the modern world need to keep life in a broad perspective…as the author of the blog has done. She said it best…..
     along with this reality…
     Buy an English newspaper (or send somewhere for one, it’s not hard)…or listen to the BBC radio, or television news.
     Look at International news on the web.
     Talk to someone who has lived through the holocaust. There are survivors who are chatty about it!
     Go to a cancer clinic.
     Talk to an immigrant; ask their story of why and how they are here. You will be stunned.
     Visit a hospice….
     Talk to a blind person.

     But for the love of life, cut the whining about the doomsday that shall befall us due to the presidential outcome. The leader is a president not a king. It’ll be ok.

168. I would like to know how Lisa prevented David W. Knight Sr. from voicing his opinion. His opinion is still there for all to see, remaining voiced? This is one of the things that Jo was saying was so great about this country. Neither I nor anyone else have a problem with you being Christian and holding yourself to every single one of the 613 or so laws that are in the Bible, but just because that it your law, does not mean that it is the law for others. That is why we have government AND churches in this country, not government by church, nor church by government. You seem to want the government to enact biblical law in this land, but would you feel the same if they enacted the law of a different religion, or even just a version of biblical law that you do not currently follow? I am thinking you would protest being held to some of the laws no longer currently in practice by modern day Christians, and even if you were OK with it, that is not what our country was founded on. My point is that if you do not want to break Biblical Law, do not, but someone who is not a follower of those teachings does not need to be held to them, much the same as I would not want to be held to Jewish or Muslim law.
     In addition, if you think there is someone preventing particular citizens from running for public office, I assure you there is not. If you think Obama does not understand what it is like to be lower middle class, remember this: Barrack Obama was a mixed race child born in the 60’s to an 18 year old girl who’s husband left, and she lived as a single mother while attending college before and after her divorce. Barrack saw his father once when he was ten. His father died shortly after that and his mother died of cancer at the age of 53. This was not a life of privilege at all, and he was not rich. If any president has a good idea what it is like to be middle class or lower, it is Barrack Obama.

169. Gee.

170. Oh my gosh.

171. Yay! let’s hear it for Pluto!

172. The man (or maybe in the future a woman) elected is the president NOT a king. Presiding over the peoples of a land… not a ruler as in a king or queen.
     Just a friendly reminder.

173. Calling someone ‘another Obamatron’ is kind of hateful, name calling usually is.

174. VOTING IS A GREAT THING ; IM SO GLAD TO LIVE IN AMERICA AND VERY PROUD OF MY PRESIDENT, IF MITT WOULD HAVE WON ;I WOULD HAVE STOOD WITH HIM; COME ON AMERICA; LETS STAND TOGETHER THIS 4 YEARS! BE THANKFUL WE LIVE HERE!!!

175. I just realized why I am having a spiritual crisis. If God is the all-being, why do the people who follow “him” tend to be such morons?

176. Dear Jo,

     I re-read your background fleeing from Poland with your family. I understood the despairing hardship and life experience of living under more of a dictatorship than a democracy through your paragraphs.
     After reading through a number of other responses I wonder if anyone actually read what you wrote, or if they’re so used to more spine tingling fiction and TV shows, that it didn’t hit home as to what your heritage and background have given you as a grateful perspective in living in the U.S.

     No, this country is far from perfect. But having been married to a European (and lived in Europe) whose family suffered immensely during WWII, and being on the sites where they suffered, I too find it hard to read or be exposed in any way, to the rather jumbled misunderstandings by Americans, of what other people’s lives in the world are like day to day. Eastern Europe is just one part of the vast disproportionate amount of peoples that are strained to live at ease in this modern day.
     I’ve had enough tragic life experiences to let me take nothing in life for granted. Running water, heat, newspapers, choices in shoestores, mostly friendly police officers, and even public libraries….are wonderful.
     Thank you for your writing.

177. IF MITT WOULD HAVE WON’ I WOULD HAVE STOOD BY HIM,SO PROUD TO LIVE IN AMERICA WHERE WE CAN VOTE, PLEASE STAND BY OUR PRESIDENT , BE THANKFUL WE LIVE HERE! VOTING IS A GREAT THING.

178. You have misunderstood what you read about Harry Reid, he specifically said he will not do away with the filibuster, merely revise the rules for it because it is being abused and the Senate has become ineffective because of it. One rule he was considering was not to allow Senators to leave after declaring a filibuster. In addition, Barrack Obama is not in favor of strict gun control, and one senator, even a senior one, cannot ‘do away with’ an amendment to the constitution.
     Using negative words and phrases like ideologues and ‘entitlements crowd’ is what the author of this essay was trying to get people to stop doing.
     What event was covered up for President Obama that the unions and media were complicit in?
     And no one suggests that presidents can control hurricanes, they can only help those harmed by them, and if a president was ‘crucified over Katrina’ that is because of the slow reaction to the hurricane, not because of the hurricane itself.

179. Jordan – 10 concentration set up already? Did you mean concentration camps? Proof reading is a wonderful thing. I definitely think you are some kind of loon and would love you to post where you got this information because it certainly was not in any Bible I have ever read. I’m also curious as to what you believe Obama’s real name might be. As far as our votes not be counted, well you are correct there, kinda because the popular vote does not elect the the president. Something called the electoral college does. You might want to Google it. The last time I checked the POTUS doesn’t really have the power to make 250 million people get chips in their hands. I suggest you drink a nice cup of tea and call the nearest mental health facility. God bless.

180. Teri – you might want to look up the definition of dictator.

     http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dictator

181. Jordan, I also was raised to fear everything, to live in constant anticipation and fear of the imminent end of the world. I fell asleep every night of my childhood praying to be delivered from damnation and sobbing into my pillow because I was certain I would be cast into hell. Everything that happened in the world around us was interpreted by my parents and the other adults as signs of the end. It had to happen before the year 2000, our pastor said, because of what was written in the Bible. The election of John Kennedy as president was the final sign and the end would happen very, very soon. Jordan, I grew up and found something — faith without fear. I kept the word of God, the beauty of Christ’s teaching, but left behind the fear and constant paranoia. Life is sweet and I see God in everything around me now. Please find someone you can talk to , outside your church. Try a United Methodist church, or even a Unitarian church. Talk about your fear with people who have learned that God offers grace to all and that fear and faith are polar opposites. Life can be beautiful when you leave the fear behind.

182. You cannot find his dissertation online because those are what you do to earn a PhD. Barrack Obama has a law degree. I would like to know how being a civil rights attorney or a teacher at a law school are not ‘Real Jobs’.

183. Jo, you are over-simplifying. Your country is exactly where our country is headed. We are gradually becoming a socialist republic. It IS greater then Sept 11 when the leader of the free world encourages increased taxation with the sole intention of the re-distribution of wealth while he sits in the lap of luxury.
     Your post shows your appreciation of freedom, but your attitude about Obama is going to get you right back where you started from.

184. Teri, President Obama was elected by a majority of the people voting in this nation. Twice. I voted for him because I agree with his goals and respect his intellect and ability. Presidents don’t typically show their college dissertations. I wrote a senior dissertation but would be up a creek if somebody wanted to see it because it’s long gone. When the leader of a nation tortures his or her political opponents, rounds up and massacres those who disagree with him, sends the army to terrorize entire cities and kill dissenters and takes the nation’s wealth for his own personal use, that’s being a dictator. Please don’t confuse that whole dictator/murdering torturer thing with the election of a president with whom you disagree.

185. As a veteran, I had the fortune to serve under both GOP and DEM Commanders In Chief. I personally witnessed a number of my fellow military members openly disrespect our Commander In Chief. Fortunately I was brought up to respect my superiors whoever they were and I believe that is why I can stand back and not let my emotions cloud my reasoning. The world is not going to end in the next few months nor will it descend into anarchy. We are not going to Hell in a Handbasket. Although I lean more to the right, I voted for President Obama, simply because he seems to want help the average American. Sure there are policies I disagree with, but for the most part, I feel more in tune with President Obama than I do with Mitt Romney.

186. Karen, when President Obama was elected the first time, Republicans in Congress announced that their primary goal would be to make him a one term president. They obstructed and fillabustered and introduced legislation that had nothing to do with fiscal policy or helping then nation recover from the recession. Bipartisanship requires two willing partners. The president could not work with a party that refused to work with him. I have never been so ashamed as an American as I was when a R epublican member of Congress stood up and loudly called the President a liar during the State of the Union address. Intellectual honesty requires that we look at the whole picture, not just half. And Jo is entitled to her opinion, as you are. But you don’t get to blame the president for lack of consensus when Republicans announced they would not work with him before he even took office.

187. Sullivan — first, President Obama professes to be a Christian. Second, the Constitution specifies that there is no religious test for holding office in this country, including the presidency. The founding fathers did not intend that the president would be required to be Christian, to believe the Bible or to believe in God. Finally, let me say again: President Obama professes to be a Christian and if you read the Bible then you know that God said ‘Judge not lest ye be so judged.’ So ………

188. Scotti, I defend your right to “speak your mind” even though I do not agree with you. But what makes me wonder is, were you speaking your mind when we invaded Iraq looking for the “never-to-be-found” Weapons of Mass Destruction; a war that put our country in debt? Why is it that we only hear from people (speaking their minds) when someone is in a political office that they do not like? Just speaking my mind…….

189. O.K. I read it. I voted this year for the first time in my life, and it felt really special, like I am a real American. I, too was attacked on FB by a girl I have known since she was a teenager. She put out a comment, “America ……Lame!” I just asked her if she meant America Lame”bad or America Lame good?” Before I knew what hit me, she was M………F……. and F……you and all the people who will line up for your handout??? I responded, “what hand out?” By then about four of her friends were sending me vile notifications about “your F……..handouts, you A………hole and on and on. I finally said to one of her male friends who wrote a nasty notification to me swearing and calling me names and using that “handout phrase” again???? Finally, I asked them to please leave me alone or I would go to the “”Help” site and report their horrific attack on me, especially since they didn’t even know me????? They stopped and I unfriended the girl I have known since she and Jason were fourteen, and were kind of friends way back then. So, this article
     is an statement that the author felt very strongly about, totally her right to say whatever her beliefs are. What do you want from me???? I don’t know enough about politics to fall prey to folks who have ONE idea, and clutch that belief like a man having a heart attack. Life is short and I feel attacking people for what they believe is counter productive to healing our nation. That is all I am going to say about this article you sent me.

190. No, I have NOT said that before….. before whomever replied to my comment, stating I had said that before, don’t know who is in charge of this website, but I have , A. never been on this site, B. Whomever you are, if you don’t want to allow my response, no problem. I can’t lose sleep over a website that doesn’t want a post, and excuse your reason for not allowing my comment, because (who ever you are?) I have NEVER submitted anything to this site, because I have never read this or seen it before.

191. hear hear. well said. too many anemic memories!

192. Pingback: Presidential Election: “Sad and Tragic Day for Our Nation” « Miss Policy

193. I am very apolitical and all this hoohaa about elections did not stir my curiosity. But today I happened to come across your post and decided to take a peek. And I say “Bravo” to you Jo. I am glad I read your post. I so agree with you. We forget to count our blessings.

     http://rimlybezbaruah.blogspot.in/2012/11/sometimes-i-wish.html

194. Sheather.. don’t you, and those who think like you, understand that YOU are the problem? God and Jesus told you to live YOUR life, not to live the lives of those around you for them. If you disagree with abortion, do not get one. If you disagree with gay marriage, do not marry someone of your gender. Nothing whatsoever is “being done to you” because you are a Christian. Nobody is preventing you from not getting an abortion or not marrying someone of the same sex. Nobody is preventing you from going to church. Nobody is preventing you from giving to charity, or loving thy neighbor. Nobody is preventing you from helping the poor. Nobody is preventing you from not killing. And especially, despite everything that Fox News is telling you, nobody is preventing you from voicing your opinion, as you so disingenuously claimed above. You posted on this website, right? You posted your opinion, correct? The evil gay liberal thought police didn’t come running into your home and throw you in jail, did they?

     You. Missed. The. Entire. Point. Of. Jo’s. Article.

     God and Jesus didn’t take away your ability to reason, nor did the evil gay liberal media abortionmongers. Which leads me to think that whatever nonsensical opinions people have been feeding you and telling you that you must believe have taken that ability away. Perhaps, if you wish to live as freely in your mind as you already do in America, you should take some time to think [yes, you are allowed and encouraged to think] about what is really bringing you harm. You are only closeminded if you close your own mind.

195. I really don’t think anyone placing a comment here could do a better job…… In fact I really believe it is arrogant to even open your mouth and criticize something that no one could do any differently….. After the election takes place you shut up & stand behind & help the person trying to govern this country, Not do everything you can to make the job 3 times as difficult…. Whether you like the person or not ….This is one of the reasons we call ourselves American’s

196. This is the best piece I have read about the election.

197. I’m so tired of Christians forcing their religion onto others who aren’t of the same faith. I happen to be Buddhist, and do not believe in anything you’re spouting off about the Bible (however, I am well versed in Biblical Studies). We are a nation of many religions, and we need to remember that. This country was founded on religious freedom, and freedom from religion. I would appreciate your leaving religion out of government… because the separation of church and state is still intact. Your religion does not dictate to me (someone of another faith) what I can and cannot do. Nor does it tell me what is a sin and what’s not. I believe in one thing… Love. And I wish every one would believe in the same thing… the world would be a much better place if this were the only law. Because childish bickering and pointing of fingers gets us nowhere.

198. Except for calling President “Obamatron”… I think Scotti was right. I don’t think Romney would’ve done better. I’m hoping… rather than being a pessimist… that Our President will listen to us all, and do what’s necessary to get the country back on track. Hope is all we have in this world… let’s not throw it away.

199. I like your response, sir.

200. I’m Buddhist, but I really appreciate your comment. Jesus was an amazing Rabi.

201. Well said, Jo. And thank you for the article.

     I too have visited Auschwitz, and know exactly what you’re talking about. The hair was & teeth were what did me in though. It made me very thankful that my great grandma & her family emigrated to America before this war. I couldn’t imagine what they, or you went through… because I live, and always have lived, in this great nation.

202. It is my pleasure to share your post with others!

     Thank you!!!!

203. OMG…I could not have said this any better. I’ve been so tired of seeing all the negativity regarding our election that I stopped reading some posts. Thanks so much for awesome perspective and you can bet your sweet dollar that I AM sharing this! AWESOME observations!

204. Some people are truly astounding me with how little they know on the subject of politics. I’m also astounded on the amount of conspiracy theorists that are out there. But what astound me most is how people can’t just pull together… if they don’t like what’s going on, they need/have to work to change it. Being complacent gives us no right to complain about our present situation.

     Also… I’m not Christian… and I don’t like being told the read my “Bible”… or that the end times are coming. The phrase “the end times are coming” is a redundant statement. The “end” of everything we know is inevitable. I believe in compassion, logic, and peace… these three things are hard to come by in the RIGHT side of the “aisle”. So is it also hard to come by on the LEFT of the “aisle”.

     Greed and Capitalism has corrupted our very being as a species. All we care about in this country is money… and it really sickens me. Mainly because I too get caught up in it, just to sustain my survival. There has to be a better way to live.

205. Hitler was elected as Chancellor in January of 1933, He appointed himself Furor in 1934 and by 1941, a mere eight years, the World was at war.

     Before anyone starts getting irate and saying “your comparing Obama to Hitler”, I am not. What I am pointing out is the fact that each election cycle is extremely important, and the idea that we can do it again in four years so that makes a poor choice okay is ludicrous… A poor choice in 1933 ended up costing the entire world millions of lives, was that “a tragic day?”

206. Fabulous post and so well said!!! my brother and sister in law live and work in Africa. My Sister in law just returned from two years in Afganistan where she was working with local officials to secure health and education for women. now they are in Ethiopia working on securing clean drinking water for all!!! Wake up America. Stop the hand wringing and work for the good of the country go out and work for your community and help all of us get past this economic downturn. things are getting better!! Our Government works as well as we all work to help each other!!!!!!

207. Unless of course you feel like this re-election is going to lead to more of this! That’s what I feel.

208. Thank you.

209. So, what you are saying is, this election is exactly the same as all the others just because they were all the same as the ones before them. NOW who has the blinders on? BTW, this president you elected has professed to be of the same belief as those who did this to the buildings you pictured above. The only difference is theirs was radical and his is more subtle. This is NOT a math question where the answer is always the same, it is a life question where the answer is always changing. We (the US) have been a target for so many reasons, but mostly for our success and prosperity. Someone just figured out a way to attack us from within.

210. Sheather – You complain that people persecute you for your beliefs but fail to realize that it is not your beliefs that are the problem but the fact that you are trying to impose them on others that is the problem. If you do not believe in gay marriage – don’t marry someone of the same sex. If you do not believe in abortion – don’t have one. These are not things that you can not “believe” in. You can feel that they are the wrong choice for you but others get to make the decisions for themselves. How is it fair or logical to say that two men in love that you do not even know from Adam can not marry each other because it goes against YOUR religious beliefs!? You are not attacked and persecuted for your beliefs you are attacked and persecuted for trying to force those beliefs on others. In the Jewish religion eating pork is against their beliefs, they are not having bacon pulled from the shelves. They are not declaring slaughtering a pig to be murder. They are walking past the items they choose not to eat and letting others make their own choices.
     As for the woman being prosecuted for aborting a fetus vs double homicide. There are limits on when the double homicide can be used. It is only when it is viable without the mother! And the same should be true for abortion – a fetus is not an individual being because it can not survive on it’s own.

211. Very well written. My only question is what would you have written had Romney won? Would you have said the same things to the Obama supporters? If so, then I support your comments whole heatedly.

     I think it is a tragic day. But I say that regardless of the outcome. As a nation there is a clear divide and compromise has just become another word in D.C. With no term limits for Congress and nothing but career politicians in place,I can only imagine what our founding fathers must be thinking.

     Gone apparently are the days where many politicians lived close to the “line” between the two major parties and real things could be accomplished that were the best for the country – not what was best for the politicians. Both parties are so far to the extremes they can’t even see the line from where they are.

     So another four years of gridlock and constant arguing about how “they” won’t allow “us” to get anything done.

     And yes, I would have said the same thing regardless of the outcome of the election. I’ve been saying since Bush had a republican congress and still couldn’t get anything done. We need CHANGE people – fundamental change in the way our government does business. And the sad thing is, we may be too far along the path that it won’t happen until we have a governmental meltdown.

212. Except that I hope something like 9/11 doesn’t happen again because of the administration we have in office. 9/11 could possibly have been stopped at least 3 different times when clinton was in. The way Obama is handling foreign affairs tells me that shit can hit the fan at anytime now. So yes, she has a point, but there are still reasons to be distraught about this situation. Also, just because people bitch about how the election went, does not mean they are not helping in their community somehow.

213. Bridget from Twinisms posted this on fb and I have to say….you nailed it. Although I am disappointed…I know we must go on. Thank you for your perspective. well said. I will be reposting also

214. Very well said!

215. Thank you for the reminder that we are all in this together and need to be kind to one another.

216. This is the first time I have come across your blog and I have to say that I’m really glad that this is the first article I have read. I am truly moved by your words and your passion for this country. If everyone felt this way then maybe some things about what we find so wrong wouldn’t look so bad. Thank you for words and perspective.

217. The thought of sticky beavers made me lol.

218. Obama is a radical, socialist. Frank Marshall David, Bill Ayers, Jeremiah Wright. Need I say more ? If you don’t who those people are then look them up or call Obama and ask him.

219. The fact that there are worse tragedies does not reduce the tragedy of this election.

220. EXACTLY! I am PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN !

221. the middle class and wealthy benefit much more from “government assistance” than the poor…maybe you should look around for our head because it’s probably somewhere in your ass.
     http://olc.edu/~jolson/socialwork/OnlineLibrary/Abramovitz%20(2001)%20Everyone%20is%20still%20on%20welfare%20-%20the%20role%20of%20redistribution%20in%20social%20policy.pdf

222. Joe. No “taxpayers” funded my home, pal. I did not receive any bailout. Nobody showed up at my door to hand me money. The economy tanked because Bush spent the surplus and could not “do the math”. Simple. Simple.

223. There are no Obama phones. http://www.fcc.gov/guides/lifeline-and-link-affordable-telephone-service-income-eligible-consumers – service has been around since 1984 in one form or another.

     Unemployment has always been higher among recent college graduates, but the chances are getting better and they are still much better than those who do not have a degree.
     There is no lazy class, that is a slur to get you to hate your fellow Americans. Sure, there are always going to be those that game the system in ways it was not intended but to say there is a whole swath of people that do it is not just overgeneralizing but it is lazy thinking.

224. The economic problems started in 2008? Hmm…what rock have you been under? You are pretty uninformed to say the least

225. Tuesday our country endorsed diversity, acceptance of people’s differences, and a social contract where Americans care about all Americans.

     It was not a sad nor tragic day. Instead, it represents who we are and what we value.

226. The Republicans sure are trying to stop the masses from receiving assistance and Romney said he would cut FEMA completely. How do you think the people of NY and NJ feel about him? Oh yeah, they voted against him in large numbers. Those same people receiving all those benefits are in the “red” states in overwhelming numbers compared to the rest of the country “blue” states. And the Republicans want to cut all those benefits and benefits for Veterans that deserve it. How ironic is that. Check the New York Times for the map if you don’t believe me.

227. The “lazy class”? Would that be all those people in West Virginia, Kentucky, Texas and other “red” states that receive the most assistance but are Republican bases. Those states for your information receive the most welfare compared to the rest of the country. It’s overwhelmingly blatant and you think it’s poor blacks in the innner city. Wrong, it’s poor whites living in rural areas and working class people of all races who’s jobs were sent overseas by venture capitalists like Romney. Get your facts straight before you post things and take the emotional uniformed ideas out of the equation. Links below. Compare them and see what the facts aka numbers say. men and women lie, numbers don’t!

     http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2012/02/12/us/entitlement-map.html
     http://www.politico.com/2012-election/map/#/President/2012/

228. I read some of the comments and it seems so sad that the message of this wonderful post has been lost on some who still continue to hold grudges and those who want to continue to defend the outcome.
     Let it go already
     Namaste

229. http://www.politico.com/2012-election/map/#/President/2012/

     http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2012/02/12/us/entitlement-map.html

     If you go by who receives the most welfare, food stamps and government benefits, the lazy class voted for Mitt Romney dummy! CTHU…so uniformed. But I guess the NY Times isn’t credible. Check the links and get back to me and keep working hard.. it does pay off. I feel your pain in regards to working hard, being an entrepreneur and having to work a 9 to 5. I’m in the same boat but guess what, the rich aren’t going to have your best interest at heart.

230. So very well stated. I love that you had the forethought and the passion to post this commentary. Thank you for reminding so many of how much they are really blessed.

231. Can I just say thank you for this post, Jo! This election revealed the childishness of many to me. Lots of people have never known TRUE tragedy, and they should be grateful they have been spared from that. Because as we have seen, tragedy doesn’t spare all of us.

232. Well said. Way too many people seem to forget where we were 4 years and the 20 years of policies that led us there.

233. This right here:

     “In the meantime, empower others by getting involved in your community somehow. Do something kind for someone. Be someone’s hero. Spread kindness and tolerance. Teach your children that diversity is the cornerstone of this country and show them that not only is it possible to lose with dignity and respect, it’s imperative if we’re to move forward as nation.”

     I love that. I love that so much you don’t even know. This entire post was incredibly well written and is wonderful, but that bit right there totally got me. It is so incredibly true and so incredibly far from most peoples minds. We voted on one man to lead the nation, but we make up the nation. He can not do anything on his own. When it comes to our worlds we individuals are going to be the ones to make the difference in our daily lives. We make the noticeable impacts. We make the next four years bearable.

234. I’m so sick of hearing that Bush caused all of this. Try looking at the fact that in January of 2007 the Democrats took control of the Senate and The House. That’s what precipitated the whole mess. Get familiar with the real history.

235. Diversity is not the cornerstoen of our country. Unity is. E Pluribus Unum is latin for “Diversity is crap”.
     Why on earth would we “celebrate” our differences, when it is our shared and identifiable culture as Americans which defines us? It is no the fact that we are of different shapes, sizes, colors, and so forth which makes us great, but the fact that *none of that matters*.
     And when you provide quotes about the horrors of communism, then pooh-pooh our descent into communism at the hands of people who think communism is at a minimum not a big deal, please understand that it detracts from your point.

236. If we want our politicians to be bipartisan, we should lead by example. Suffice it to say that both political parties are responsible for the mess we are in, and the longer we try to lay blame on each other, the longer we will be entrenched in it. This is the mentality that has led some to call our elected leader a terrorist. What does that say about the slight majority of our population that voted for him? Terrorists too? And Mr. Romney’s “47 percent” comment? If both of these comments were true, than we the people would truly be in chaos.

     Well said, Jo Ashline!

237. THANK YOU FOR THE SLAP IN THE FACE THIS NATION NEEDED

238. Thank you so much for posting and sharing this. You have been able to verbalize so eloquently how I’ve been feeling for the past 24 hours.

239. Elaine, if you vote based on the many erroneous conceptions in your response, then your vote will not be missed. To wit:
     1–Diane FEINSTEIN (get it right!) is a Senator from California. She can propose a bill to ban assault weapons (not to overturn the Second Amendment), but she cannot sign anything into law. That is the President’s job–and only after BOTH the House and the Senate have passed the bill. One person does NOT make laws in this country!
     Constitutional amendments can only be passed or repealed by ratification from the states–which means the voters, which means the majority.
     The U.N. does not dictate American policy and never will.
     PLEASE, for crying out loud–you’re 70 years old. Take a civics class! You should have learned all this back in 1954!

     2–Banning filibusters seems a good idea to me. The only purpose of a filibuster is to stall legislative action. No matter WHO filibusters, it is an obstructionist tactic, and should never have been part of the legislative process. One might even argue that the filibuster process is a form of treason, as it inhibits Congress from fulfilling its duties.

     3–No president lost his job because of a lie about a breal (sic)–I assume you mean “break”-in at a political office. Nixon’s own tapes proved he had knowledge of the break-in and covered it up. That’s a crime. Still, he got to leave office with his title and pension intact, without being tried for his crime. THAT was un-American. He should have been brought to trial. Instead, he resigned, with permanent amnesty granted by his puppet, Gerald Ford. “No one died.” No–but if attempting to interfere with an election and attempting to sabotage the opposition is permissible, then the semblance of democracy we have is as good as dead!

     4–Bush was “crucified” over Katrina? Seriously? And “look at the East Coast?” What do you mean? No President can prevent a natural disaster, but the difference is that Bush allowed FEMA to drag its collective ass, while Obama was proactive in calling for disaster relief instantly. Were you paying attention?

     You complain that “conservatives are now outnunbered by ideologues.” Do you not consider conservatism an ideology? What of the ideology that made ousting Obama its sole priority, ahead of serving the people of the United States? Or the ideology of Grover Norquist (not even an elected official!) who calls for pledges to refuse to raise any taxes at all,no mater what–thereby eliminating the possibility of critical assessment of individual situations that might merit taxation? no–that would require critical thinking, which is the opposite of what the knee-jerk right-wing idealogues want.
     Elaine, your side lost. Get over it.
     We lived though 8 years of Bush–the President who got us into an unjustified war of aggression, based on lies about weapons of mass destruction; who spent like a drunken sailor on those wars, while dropping taxes for those who could most afford to pay them (this is the equivalent of you buying a luxury car the day after quitting your job); of forcing unfunded mandates (“No Child Left Behind”) on states, which strained their resources and did nothing to actually improve the quality of education; who managed to completely erase the budget surplus created by Clinton, and drove us into the worst recession since the Great Depression.
     Still, we survived.
     So will you.

     Personally I applaud your decision to stop voting. You probably should never have started, given your poor understanding of how our government works.
     You are right: “your” America does not exist. It never did. Thank God and our constitution for that!

     We don’t need people like you, who are ignorant of history and civics and incapable of critical thinking making decisions about our future. Enjoy your retirement. We thank you.

     P.S.: I am 62, and have NO intention of ceasing to vote, as long as I can breathe. I will NOT surrender my right to people like you! This IS “my” America. Even when I did not agree with its course, it was my America, and I will fight to the end of my life to exercise the rights our forefathers and foremothers bled to win!

240. SHeather, if you think that having people disagree with your opinion and voicing the same equates to “persecution”, the, NASA, I think we’ve found the problem.

     That’s called freedom of speech. We are all entitled to it. You just defined freedom of speech as “persecution.”

     I would invite you to look outside your safety blinders and see what real persecution is. It is happening to other people in other countries right now. They are dying for speaking their minds.

     You were simply exposed to another point of view.

     Sorry, you and your friend up there haven’t been persecuted, princess.

241. Loved your comments and very well said.It would be truly tragic if we lost our freedoms for which most do not appreciate in the first place. When we give up a freedom, it will be gone forever! Stay ever vigilant. Peace & the Grace of your GOD be with you!

242. Thank you for putting this into perspective for so many. Let’s just hope they hear it.

243. I wish everyone would take a minute to read this and remember what a blessing this country really is! I felt very similar as I saw posts appear after the results were announced, my reaction….If a single election, representing 4 years of our great country’s history, can shake or dissolve your patriotism and pride in this country, then you were never patriotic in the first place!

244. A good article as far as it goes. Unfortunately the rabid comments don’t all come from one direction. Just imagine what some of the comments would have been if the results had been the other way around. Those who supported Mr. Romney were subject to unbelievable verbal abuse, called every name in the book, told to go off and die, or worse. Riots were threatened if Mr. Obama lost. The hysteria goes both ways. I agree that people s feelings sometimes go to extremes, but having lived through many elections where my guy “lost” the only hope is that the violent extremes will calm down and there can be some kind of negotiation take place on the very real problems our country faces. We do not need the “I won” mentality or the “I’m gonna get ya” mentality either. My prayer is that somehow reason and rational behaviour will take place very soon. Maybe too much to hope for, but we do not need anymore blaming, we deserve politicians who will take responsibility for their failures as well as kudoes for their successes.

245. Very well said, indeed. A solid piece of writing, as well. Sadly, I see that while several of your commentators may well have *read* your post, they didn’t truly *get* your post.

246. Lisa…you can’t say to a political party whose underlying premise is altruism (doing good for others) is wrong. The comments above are proof of that…I have seen in the last several days many “friends” cry: “Who is John Galt”…that is a reference to their goddess’ book Atlas Shrugged and the philosophy of Objectivism. That philosophy says altruism is a sign of weakness.

247. American car companies took the bail outs and they are flourishing now. GM and Chrysler were bailed out. If they failed many more businesses would have failed, from. Parts suppliers to car dealers. With parts suppliers failing, Ford would not have what it needed and would fail too.
     So what companies are you talking about? Japanese owned ones?

248. need to correct a sentence…sorry…you can’t say to a party whose underlying premise is…to do something good to a neighbor. Hope this clarifies.

249. L.R. (and everyone):

     Not one of us is guaranteed that we will even see TOMORROW (let alone 4 years) no matter who our President may be. So live today with a spirit of peace, love and cooperation.

     This country was founded on the principles of freedom and tolerance. Too many folks have become less tolerant and therein lies the risk to freedom. Whatever happened to respect for the position of president of this country? Our country is only made better by all who are willing to represent us.

250. I agree. Putting parties and everything else aside, what bothers me most about O is his lack of love for this country.

251. Julie,
     Thank you for a well written and well sourced response. If you are a college student and took the time to be this thoughtful and thorough about your first election, good for you! I hope your friends and fellow students will learn to do the same. We need the new generations to get involved, show up, speak their minds, share their ideas and keep the country moving in the correct direction. We, as a country, we only succeed together, even if we don’t always agree.

252. Thank you, Rachel – I was thinking the same thing.

253. Jo…awesome, well-written perspective. Thank you! As for rest of you, you are all are narcissists who just want to hear yourselves scream over one another. You can’t legislate morality so get over yourselves, vote the way you believe, and move on.

254. Brenda Balin – KUDOS! This 58-year-old, who tends toward the liberal side, very much appreciates your reasoned answer to Elaine. I’m sorry that she thinks she’s a relic, because 70 isn’t too late to grow one’s horizons or consciousness.

     I’m concerned about the level of aggression coming from the right during these days. Most of it is passive – or at least verbal, but with the reactions of such conservative icons and role models as Karl Rove, Rush Limbaugh, and Donald Trump, I pray that some unstable person doesn’t hear that and feel anointed to take it upon him/herself to do away with the evil firsthand. The President does like to be out among the masses.

255. Lori. I totally agree with you. Totally!

256. My neighbor is flying his flag at half mast….so a fb friend directed me to your site. The thing is -have researched on the recent DENIED HELP and subsequent Murder of our Libyan ambassador? You really should have a photo of the brutal murder of OUR Amabassador on here , not the 9\11\2102 pic!!! You are way behind the times. Have you read about all the executive orders Obama has passed that are above and beyond what any president has ever been allowed to sign? Have you seen our national debt of $17 TRILLION! which we can never repay? Have you researched who Obama’s friends, mentors, and father figurers who he openly looks up to? One is openly communist! You are painting a picture of our GREAT Past not of the present. Please see the documentary called 2016 and google Executive orders. And by the way, the President just passed a law that Prohibits Freedom of Speech when any Secret Service is around. This means you cannot protest when he is nearby! My friend, our freedoms are being eroded away one by one. I cannot sit by, be silent, or sleep thru this thing! God bless.

257. Well said! As bright as your vision is, however, I for one am not excited about the prospect of being under the rainbow-colored unicorn poop falling from the sky. I suspect that might really ruin my day.

258. I find it sad and tragic that the responses to this AWESOME post turned right back into what this post was written for in the first place. The level anger and hate is frightening. The generalization and stereotyping by supposedly educated people is repulsive. God people, if you really think that America’s decision means “THE End” maybe you should do us all a favor and drink the purple Kool-Aid sooner than later. SMH.

259. Thank you for this very well written post. I have been so disappointed with the animosity and entitlement that has spread over our country. I really hope that our fellow citizens realize the incredible system under which we live, and will learn to understand the importance of preserving, respecting and cooperating through it. If the values of hatred, ignorance and entitlement continue we may lose it all together, for when we are not responsible for our freedom it will simply disappear.

     I did not vote for Obama,(although it was close) but my fellow friends, neighbors and co-workers did. I respect the process and the vision our Founding Fathers developed. If I do not agree with something I have the freedom to make my voice heard and strive for a change. I will support the chosen leader of my beloved country and will do my part to be responsible, patriotic and positive.

260. WELL SAID !!!

261. Thank you for separating the wheat from the chaff. All your points were spot on. Words are WAY too cheap these days.

262. Yes, we did wake up today in a free and democratic society…that is headed to the kind of country that your parents left. Obamacare is nothing more than a precurser to socialized medicine. We will be adding millions to health care who will not be contributing to it and without adding doctors to care for them. That is when you will begin to see the decline in health care..waiting for months to see a doctor… The current administration will not be happy until everyone is dependent upon the government. Goodbye to small business…goodbye to the incentive to work hard and make a good living. The next election will be a farce because it cannot be fair and balanced. The only person who can win is the one who promises to give the most “free stuff.” Why work when the government will take care of you? If you wonder why people are sad, it’s not because their candidate lost, it’s because they mourn the death of what has long made this country great.

263. I congratulate you on your “unfriending” someone who felt like yesterday was a tragic day for Americal. That is exactly how we come together as a country; by eliminating those in our lives who disagree with what we believe. That is exactly how we embrace diversity. Tragedy is defined in many different ways and wouldn’t have been nice to say, “I’m sorry for your loss. Let’s talk about how we go on from here because we are all here for each other.” The problem is, people don’t seem to value or appreciate the views of those who are not in line with their own (as you can see from the comments). By celebrating and mourning, we can learn something. By casting dispersionis or trying to make people feel that their beliefs are unimportant or irrelevant, we learn nothing.

264. I congratulate you on your “unfriending” someone who felt like yesterday was a tragic day for America. That is exactly how we come together as a country; by eliminating those in our lives who disagree with what we believe. That is exactly how we embrace diversity. Tragedy is defined in many different ways and wouldn’t have been nice to say, “I’m sorry for your loss. Let’s talk about how we go on from here because we are all here for each other.” The problem is, people don’t seem to value or appreciate the views of those who are not in line with their own (as you can see from the comments). By celebrating and mourning, we can learn something. By casting dispersionis or trying to make people feel that their beliefs are unimportant or irrelevant, we learn nothing.

265. I congratulate you on your “unfriending” someone who felt like yesterday was a tragic day for America. That is exactly how we come together as a country; by eliminating those in our lives who disagree with what we believe. That is exactly how we embrace diversity. Tragedy is defined in many different ways and wouldn’t have been nice to say, “I’m sorry for your loss. Let’s talk about how we go on from here because we are all here for each other.” The problem is, people don’t seem to value or appreciate the views of those who are not in line with their own (as you can see from the comments). By celebrating and mourning, we can learn something. By casting dispersions or trying to make people feel that their beliefs are unimportant or irrelevant, we learn nothing.

266. Thank you for posting this, I’ve shared it with enthusiasm! I am a Marine and think people so soon forget what lives have been sacrificed for these freedoms we don’t realize we have, I am thankful every day that I am a woman…with the freedom to be a damn Marine of all things, with the right to vote and…well geez!…these rights are still pretty new to our country but…poor us…poor poor us. Thanks again…perspective needs to be gained and this article is amazing.

267. A very good perspective on the situation in it’s entirety. I voted for Mitt Romney because of his work ethic. And the solid evidence of his achievements. Unlike Barack Obama who came out of nowhere four years ago with nothing other than a senate seat for 2 years. With nothing to show for it. He’s had four years to implement his philosophy and guide us with little to no success. I find his partisan influence over his own administration to effectually change or direct this nation toward a more prosperous future doesn’t exist. Yes, the pictures of the first 9/11 are tragic, as my husband was there that day, and by some miracle of God he made it home. Frankly his policies scare the hell out of me. Although we have freedom of speech and other freedom’s that a large portion of the world do not. We are beginning to look like eastern Europe, maybe Poland or Greece. With enormous debt and fiscal irresponsiblity. A US ambassador was killed and He watched in real time but chose to do nothing about it. He smoozes with celebraties instead of taking care of business when he knows full well the gigantic cliff we about to fall over finacially is very real.Do impart to his out of control spending. His record of accomplishment pales in comparision to what Mr. Romney has been able to do as a leader. I fear for what we will become after 4 more years of the dangerous man. I hope you write a blog of goodwill after the next four years, because for certain it will be a different tune. All the best to you!

268. Yes, you are right! There are far worse tragedies. However, it is TRAGIC that we borrow money from China and it is TRAGIC that everything on our store shelves are made in China. It is TRAGIC that our over indulgent, entitled society buys homes that they can’t afford and then defaults on the money they borrow in part, causing a collapse of the housing market. Our country is on a downward slide and nobody wants to wake up.

     A few months ago my Mom gave a me a toy for my son. It was an old Cootie game from my brothers, she still had it and wanted to pass it onto us. I turned the box over and nearly cried…MADE IN THE USA!! UGH! How far our have fallen in just 20 years and YES, it is TRAGIC!!

269. I don’t think that it is appropriate to confuse respect with unsaid courtesy. Yes, it is necessary to respect the president because his actions result in repercussions that affect us all. However, that does not mean that it is right for us to sit back and allow things to occur that are detrimental or prejudiced. For example, why was government money spent to build a Wiccan temple on a military base, when the Christian minister was not even allowed to post his service times on his office door? It is a sad day when the prejudices of our country not only hurtfully damage the minorities, but expand to everyone. Under this “commander in chief”, this has occurred. How can you explain such bias except to describe it as ‘tragic’? Also, if Congress simply supported everything the president did, that would be called a collapse in the checks and balance system. You need to realize that we live in a world that requires disagreement instead of blind devotion.

270. Beautifully stated. Thank you.

271. Very well said!!! We are a country of many peoples and we used to try to work together. But since personal responsibility and love thy neighbor went out of fashion we have been spiralling.

272. As I read these comments of blame I am immediately jolted back to my childhood. My memory is that of my mother scolding my sibling and me because she just doesn’t care who really caused the problem, but how are we are going to solve it. There were two options, 1.put on the boxing gloves and go out back and fight it out or 2.a project which placed us together to work on until complete.
     MESSAGE: Wouldn’t it be nice if we could learn those lessons from childhood and WORK TOGETHER.
     That’s all I’m saying.

273. Jim,

     it’s sad to me that people are on food stamps, but the problem is that they’re on food stamps and buying $60 gym memberships!! i think their money would be best spent on things such as food, clothing, a roof over their head! it sound like they’re not managing their money the way they should be.

274. This is kind of stupid. It’s all relative; words included. If my dog shits on the carpet and the other one pukes on the couch, I may consider it tragic. That does not mean that it rivals the events of 911 or any other such horrific monstrosities, or that I am IN ANY WAY comparing it to any historical event. What, now we’re not even allowed to choose our own words when expressing our personal emotions? That’s just silly. Facebook is annoying anyway… I say instead of striving to more fb friends than anyone else, unfriend all the morons and just keep a small group of ‘friends and family’ that really mean something to you. That’s what I did because very few of the others have anything intelligent or valuable to share.

275. Seriously? Bush had a SURPLUS! He chose to ruin it. Imagine Gore was president with his lock box. We’d still have money! Thank God President Obama did the best he could with an awful situation and is getting us out of this mess.

276. Interesting posts I see here. Starting with Jo’s initial post. I think it is well stated and a rebuke is likely in order for people who describe the election day results as tragic. The photo of the Twin Towers on 9/11 was truly the example of Tragic.
     While I completely appreciate your perspective as an immigrant and your parents desire to come to America, I think that what a lot of people in my generation are describing as a terrible day for America goes a bit like this-
     We are so shocked by what the election results have unfolded in terms of indicating where American culture and values have shifted. We are mourning this. apparent indicator. that nothing is sacred anymore. Marriage is redefined, abortion isn’t about choice-it is about killing and free to anyone who wants that, people want their marijuana legal, and our politicians can lie to us.
     That Jo, in essence is what some of us 40 somethings are so sad about. We have a love of country that developed as children from our history books and the kind of life our grandparents shared with us. Maybe a little “Leave it to Beaver” ish, but just the same, still a reason people want to immigrate to America. People don’t immigrate to America because it’s legal to smoke pot, and kill the unborn and the elderly. They come for the opportunity to be free, and free usually cost someone else something.
     The decline of moral values is death that some are grieving since Tuesday nite. A life we want to pass to our children because society should have riverbanks in which to guide life by. Civil society’s have laws and rules to serve mankind with goodness. No riverbanks leads to flooding and chaos and damage. Ask New Orleans and New Jersey.
     In your amazing perspective, that is refreshing to me, please allow some grace for the grieving of some of us. While I don’t compare 9/11 as the same as Election Day results, there is grieving in this country. But today is a new day to go explore and implore elected officials who need a reality check. We are a blessed nation, but the blessing will lift if we take our eyes from the foundations our forefathers laid down for us. And those men weren’t democrat or republican.
     Thanks again for articulating something that should be said! Good job!

277. People have a very immature understanding of the concept of Free Speech. All that means is that the government will not come in and throw you in prison or deport you or shoot you by the firing squad for what you say.
     NOWHERE does it say that others cannot disagree with you (see, they’re protected by Free speech, as well). Nowhere does it say that there will not be repercussions of any type. If I came up to you and told you that your child was ugly and you were a horrible parent, would you smile and say, “Thanks for exercising your First Amendment rights”? I’m guessing you would (if I were lucky) tell me that I was mistaken and rude. And you’d probably be right, but what I said would be protected by the First Amendment.

278. So tell me something Sheather …
     When did you decide to be straight?

279. Try not to lump all Christians into a tidy radical group. I agree that there are many “Christians” behaving as you state. However, there are many (myself included) reminding others that this was God’s will and He knows what he is doing. It does not mean it is going to be a positive outcome, but it is our duty to act in faith of God above. Faith in God’s will also doesn’t mean I assume everything will be hunky dory.

280. The conservative media i.e. FOX news has injected hate into the hearts of so many of us. That’s the real tragedy of this election.

281. I love the passion you speak with and I agree totally, I’m a Jamaican but I think all-in-all a nation such as America should think about all the rights they have and use them wisely. Build and not break down, cause in the end it only hurts them. Work with the President and the local government, cause the change will happen through them.

     You have truly blessed my heart and I pray your children will have eternal happiness as you, their mother strives to give it to them.

     Be Blessed and Be Safe.

282. Did you have trouble with reading comprehension? Unless you have clairvoyance and can see into the future, you have no idea what the future may hold! Could be we are in a complete Utopian Society where everyone is happy and content or we could all be totally screwed and good by America. Point is we might have 4 years left we or might not.
     You never know.

     Also, all I have seen with Obama is failure. You can blame it on Bush that’s ok, however, he was not elected the first term to keep the status quo, remember, “Its time for a change!!” and “Yes, We Can!!”? Well, apparently, No he can’t, and now we have to live with more failures for another 4 years.

     I am fervently hoping that Obama does everything he says he intends to do! I said that the day he was elected to the first term. His current Track record and stating that it cant happen in one term, state otherwise. Well Now he is back in, Round 2 is a go. Cant stop it, so hopefully he will actually keep his promises.

283. Good post Thanks!

     I’m just glad the election is over! Now I can plug my phone back in. I was getting between 15 to 20 calls A DAY with political propaganda from both sides.

284. What a pantload. That statement about making Obama a one-term president wasn’t made until 2010, almost two years into his term. This “day one” crap is an outright lie.

     As for it being a tragic day, just watch what happens when Obama gives amnesty to 12 million new Dem voters. This country just acquired a one-party government, so all those checks and balances invented by the founding fathers just became null and void. I’m sure the Dems will rejoice at this, but the rest of us, who believe in the Constitution, do indeed see it as tragic.

285. “straight up dictatorship”….I love it! Thanks for the insight, I needed that today 🙂

286. As I read some of these comments I was jolted back to my childhood. My memory was that of my mother scolding my sibling and me. She wasn’t concerned so much with who started the problem, she wanted it resolved. There were two ways to do this, 1. put on the boxing gloves and go out back to fight it out or 2. a project to complete which made us work together until done. So as adults why can’t we remember those lessons of our past.
     It is NOT about black and white. It is NOT about Republican and Democrat. It is not about Religion, gun control or homosexuality. It IS about the UNITED States of America.
     Working together to solve the problems of our nation.

287. It is ironic when those who have benefited from robust economies vote to doom future workers to a sick economy. It is not compassionate for economically stable people to vote Democratic; it is selfishly denying the freedom and joy they are experiencing to those who come next. This is why we mourn. When Bush won his second term, countless liberals when into counseling. When O won his second term, Republicans can justifiably mourn, but rest assured, we won’t go into counseling, we will work harder because we will have to pay for the higher taxes to support the many who don’t pay/voted Obama in. Your tone is insulting, by the way.

288. Hey Jim,

     While making an argument, it’s best to make sure you use proper grammar and spell correctly. Your statements would hold much more substance and seem a lot more believable. Otherwise it just looks like angry ranting, and that, my friend, is no way to make an argument or sway individuals to your opinion.

     Also, the president is not to blame for people who are lazy and take advantage of programs that actually do help people in need. Not everyone who receives help is lazy so stop spouting misinformation. This whole election people have been using meta terms and grouping people together and I am so sick of seeing that.

289. This is kind of stupid. It’s all relative; words included. If my dog poos on the carpet and the other one pukes on the couch, I may consider it tragic. That does not mean that it rivals the events of 911 or any other such horrific monstrosities, or that I am IN ANY WAY comparing it to any historical event. What, now we’re not even allowed to choose our own words when expressing our personal emotions? That’s just silly. Hello – ever hear of the right to free speech?

290. This is kind of silly and over-dramatic. Everything’s relative; words included. If my dog poos on the carpet and the other one pukes on the couch, I may consider it tragic. That does not mean that it rivals the events of 911 or any other such horrific monstrosities, or that I am IN ANY WAY comparing it to any catastrophic historical event. What, now we

291. WELL SAID!!! So many poeple on my friend’s list were saying the same thing!! It is not a tragic day!! 9/11 was a tragic day and so was 12/7/1941, the day pearl harbor was attacked. I do not understand why everyone got so crazy of this election. Thank you for sharing!! 🙂

292. Dear lord, Brenda thank you for that brilliant, reasoned response to a very confused and fact-challenged post. Sadly, it is quite representative of many that I read. Vetting the facts before posting unfortunately seems to be an exception for many. Certainly, there are many reasons one might object to actions of the Obama administration. Putting them forth only strengthens our democracy, because we grow most by listening to diverse voices, not just those that echo what we believe. But many of the political opinions I read fit the facts to their preconeived beliefs rather than allowing their beliefs to be shaped by the facts. It happens on both sides of the argument. The most patriotic thing one can do at this time in history is dust off those critical thinking skills. That will do more to build our democracy than just about anything else I can think of at this moment.

293. While I agree that the re-election of Pres. Obama is/was not a “tragic day” for America….the move of its people to the Euro style of living is. I just can not subscribe to the belief that its better to sit back and let the government (tax payers) take care of me insted of working hard to provide for me and my family. I truly believe there are people that need assistance….but there are far too many that are taking advantage of the system. They have got to the point that there is no reason to work as they know the government will hand them everything they need. Unfortunately the Democratic party has latched on to this and know that this will keep them in power as long as they continue to foster the idea that “We will take care of you no matter what”.

294. Joe has the information. Obama was actually in the Senate and voted to let Barney Frank and Dodd run wild over the housing markets with FANNIE and FREDDIE. Then when he gets to office, he makes it Bush’s problem, Really?
     I think the blame game is over. Moving on……. I will be happy to credit anyone with success, but to be teflon and not take any responsibility for actions you did in the past, that is false information.
     And, Jo, thanks for a very nicely done article.

295. Thank you, thank you, thank you! You said it so well. Thanks for summing up my thoughts in one fantastic blog post.

296. I think by Obama phone, Jim meant the free cell phones you can get when you are on foodstamps.

297. Thanks for the great post.

     As for everyone on both sides still playing the blame game–if there is anything that approaches tragedy in our economic/political situation, it is neither that the Republicans or the Democrats did anything. It is that there is no longer compromise. We’ve had a two party system forever, and problems have come and gone, and over time we’ve done pretty damned well as a nation. The system can work. So please, a little less “they started it,” or “yeah it’s a bipartisan problem BUT it’s way worse on THEIR side.” Get over it! Insist that your elected officials start acting like adults, and rediscover civility and compromise. Because if you think the route to a healthy nation and democracy is crushing the other side and having it all your way, well, history is choked with nations that found disaster by following that route.

298. I just wanted to say “Thank You” for such an insightful posting. I have shared it in hopes others will get the message. It saddens me to see so much hate being spouted. Again, thank you.

299. Fantastic post! You are so right and tell it like it is. I will be sharing!!
     Thank you!

300. Well said, Jo. Keep believing, and we’ll get there. For example, I just picked some rainbow-colored stuff out of my cereal this morning, and had NO IDEA where it came from until I read your post – so we may be closer than you think. However, I’m afraid we live in a world where an alarming number of our co-inhabitants don’t know the words to “Kumbaya.”

301. incredibly well said..of course, i am one of the many who are ecstatic that Obama was re-elected but have friends who are not. one thing for all to remember is that not 1 man runs this country (we are a democracy, not a dictatorship)….and we survived 8 years of Bush and are working our way out of all of the problems he helped to create and nothing is solved quickly, especially in our democratic system where the 2 parties will fight each other tooth and nail just because they can. anyway, well said!

302. I agree some things need to be put into perspective. and “tragic” is a bit harsh, when you’re right there is a lot of real tragedy. But you said: “But you also woke up in the same country where you are Free to express your religious beliefs, Free to speak your mind…” however as a Catholic, my freedom to express religious beliefs has been blatantly disregarded and that makes me fear for our country.

303. Sad and Tragic day? This wonderful left and right paradigm our politicians have created for us is working wonderful. Isn’t it? When I read comments like “Repubs did this and Demos did that”, I wonder why wouldn’t it be “Politicians” did this or that? If you really believe that the two parties haven’t been working in concert with each other, you might really want to take a weekend and research the facts. I know it could be time consuming, disheartening, or even boring. But if you do it, it will be an awakening. You’ll see how both parties have created unelected bureaucracies that are trying to take control of food, water, land resources and personal property. The only thing Sad and Tragic, is that we re-elect them.

304. I agree with the comment that “lazy class” is a slur. Its an easy way to blame people you’ve never met or interacted with for the problems we all face together. “Those people” are always to blame. It was once the Irish immigrants, the german immigrants, blacks, Hispanics… We all do this together. And yes there are a lot of people out there who aren’t looking for jobs and rely on welfare of some kind. But I guarantee if work was available the vast majority of people will take it. But if you’ve ever known any people in this “lazy class” (which you haven’t otherwise you wouldn’t be labeling them as “other” from yourself) you would understand the extremely difficult hurdles of finding and securing long term employment. You’d also understand the insecurity and lack of living compensation at many jobs. Let us not forget that the majority of Walmart workers ALSO accept government assistance. These people clearly aren’t “lazy class.” They are victims of an economic incentive to make workers part time and cut compensation.

305. For good or bad, the president of our country gets more blame or credit for how the country is doing than he deserves. Remember, most of what really happens in our country isn’t determined by the scant 4 years a given pres. is in the WH – it’s how the PEOPLE of this country act – everyday, year after year. Take ownership of our country and don’t dish it onto the politicians – (e.g. the blame for the mortgage crisis can be divided between the banks being greedy and people irresponsibly borrowing way more money than they should have). Same with healthcare (e.g. take responsibility for your health, don’t blame a system). In another 4 years we get to practice democracy again (2 years for Congress). In the meantime, take a breath, hug your children, get to work. Just my 2 cents…

306. I read the article… Your perspective seems a bit off… As NDAA wasnt mentioned nor was the fact that 911 was staged. Also you failed to mention how after the bailouts not a single banker was brought to justice, nor did you mention how the current FDA Czar was a former big time Lobbyist for Monsanto.

307. Well said. I had a fb friend exclaim her disappointment with the election outcome and decided to “go wait for the world to end in a month”. Bit dramatic, no?

308. Jim,
     Good luck in your job hunting. It’s hard to imagine you are a college graduate based on your grammar and spelling. I hope you have someone double checking your resumes.

309. That was when we had presidents who did not seem bent on destroying everything the country used to stand for.

310. While I was mentally nodding my head through the whole post, my very favorite line came at the end. “Because unlike our fair nation, this website here is a straight up dictatorship.” More power to you!

311. The thing is Catie, this is a Christian Country

312. I was simply skimming the numerous responses, good and bad, to this blog. Unfortunately, I landed on yours.
     President Obama has a great love for this country. If you review his books and speeches, you’ll see that his views are consistent from the beginning. Those views speak to his great respect, love and understanding of this country and its diverse citizens. Set aside whatever bias (political, religious or racist) you clearly harbor and truly pay attention to what he says and how he governs; after doing so, it will be impossible for you to honestly retain your view. You may not agree with his philosophy or his choices, but you cannot deny his love for this country.
     Your comment is baseless and insulting. I could not let it go unanswered.

313. Thanks for speaking up for what a lot of us are feeling! I like your style!!!

314. What a great article and so true! I just can’t believe how people seem to forget how worse off we were 4 yrs ago.

315. THANK YOU!!!!! Well said!!!!!! Some needed to hear this!!!!

316. I feel better knowing there are people like you in the world. Thank you.

317. So glad to find your blog; I posted in a similar vein today. If I have an overriding feeling right now it IS fear… Fear that we will fail to come together for REAL CHANGE. Fear that we will continue to focus on beating the other guy, rather than doing the work necessary to grow our economy, create jobs and ensure prosperity. Fear that what divides us will grow so insidious that turning toward one another will become, dare I say, impossible.

318. I just wonder if the 50 million children that have been aborted since Roe v Wade would feel the same way. 3,900 children a day, approximately 45,000 per year. I wouldn’t exactly call us a great true and free society. That’s more children then all the wars total, 6 million Jews, 4 million Catholics in WWII alone. One only need look at history to see where these current policies are leading us.

319. very well said, i fought for our country and to hear and see what you had from the heart has given me hope for our fellow country members. Its been a long time since i felt when i read your post.
     Thank you again

320. Thank you. I read what you have to say. You opened my eyes to your point of views. I agree with you. I will honestly say that the one i voted for is not i the whitehouse, but i have no hard feelings towards the man. He will do the job he was elected to do. Who to say that if the other (Romney) would of won would do a even better job. As you said this is not tragic, 9-11 was tragic. THank you.

321. There’s no other way to say it: You’re lying.
     McConnell made his remarks in an interview that appeared in the National Journal on Oct. 23, 2010 — nearly two years after Obama was elected president. The interview took place on the eve the of the midterm elections. The interview is relatively short, so we will print it in its entirety, with key portions highlighted.
     NJ: You’ve been studying the history of presidents who lost part or all of Congress in their first term. Why?
     McConnell: In the last 100 years, three presidents suffered big defeats in Congress in their first term and then won reelection: Harry Truman, Dwight Eisenhower, and the most recent example, Bill Clinton. I read a lot of history anyway, but I am trying to apply those lessons to current situations in hopes of not making the same mistakes.
     NJ: What have you learned?
     McConnell: After 1994, the public had the impression we Republicans overpromised and underdelivered. We suffered from some degree of hubris and acted as if the president was irrelevant and we would roll over him. By the summer of 1995, he was already on the way to being reelected, and we were hanging on for our lives.
     NJ: What does this mean now?
     McConnell: We need to be honest with the public. This election is about them, not us. And we need to treat this election as the first step in retaking the government. We need to say to everyone on Election Day, “Those of you who helped make this a good day, you need to go out and help us finish the job.”
     NJ: What’s the job?
     McConnell: The single most important thing we want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one-term president.
     NJ: Does that mean endless, or at least frequent, confrontation with the president?
     McConnell: If President Obama does a Clintonian backflip, if he’s willing to meet us halfway on some of the biggest issues, it’s not inappropriate for us to do business with him.
     NJ: What are the big issues?
     McConnell: It is possible the president’s advisers will tell him he has to do something to get right with the public on his levels of spending and [on] lowering the national debt. If he were to heed that advice, he would, I imagine, find more support among our conference than he would among some in the Senate in his own party. I don’t want the president to fail; I want him to change. So, we’ll see. The next move is going to be up to him.

322. Love the update!

323. STANDING OVATION. (Yes, I’m yelling. You deserve one.)

     My little sister unfriended me on Facebook yesterday because she’s one of the ones who laments what our world is coming to. Meanwhile, she painted all those who voted for Obama as abortion-loving, pot-smoking, hateful, racist (!!!!!!!!!), vengeful, Godless, irresponsible…ad nauseam. You get the point. I cried quite a bit, because I don’t get how people can turn into the kind of “Christians” who ignore that problematic rich man and the eye of the needle, and all of the teachings of Jesus that were about compassion, love, and helping the poor.

     Ah, well.

     Go, Empress Ashline!

324. Matthew, there is something radically wrong with you. This president has been relected with the worst economic record since the great depression. The economy is going over the cliff….and don’t blame George Bush for that as he tripled the deficit in 3.5 years. It turns out that Obama’s childhood mentor, Frank Marshall Davis, was a communist. However, through Frank Marshall Davis, Obama had an admitted relationship with someone who was publicly identified as a member of the Communist Party USA CPUSA). The record shows that Obama was in Hawaii from 1971-1979, where, at some point in time, he developed a close relationship, almost like a son, with Davis, listening to his “poetry” and getting advice on his career path. But Obama, in his book, Dreams From My Father,refers to him repeatedly as just “Frank.” You can certainly tell where this is going…

325. Sunny, contrary to what you believe, abortion is legal in this country up through the whole gestation period; i.e., nine months, as in the day before a baby is due to be born a “mother” can choose to abort her baby.

326. I just want to say that I really enjoyed your article. I don’t feel that it was a sad and tragic day, but I also don’t feel that it was the best day either. I don’t like either Obama or Romney. I felt that neither one of them has this countries best interest at heart. Life goes on. No one we elect will ever be able to make everyone happy. We all have our own beliefs and they will always be different from others. It just saddens me when everyone just keeps attacking each other because they don’t believe in the same things that they do. I read a lot of the comments and I chose not to get angry about any of them. We all can feel what we feel, and say what we say. When we attack each other and start name calling, it is very disheartening and shows that no one can be truly open minded to every ideal. No one takes the time to stop and to listen to why the other side feels the way they do. It is impossible for everyone to believe in the same values. We just have to move on and make the most with our lives. You never know if today will be your last living day. It is what it is and if we constantly bicker and complain, then we will never grow and prosper. This country is great and I am happy to be able to live the way I do. We all have to make sacrifices in our lives, and I choose to live each day to its fullest. It is great to be able to choose what to believe in and what to sacrifice in your own life. Sometimes you even have to sacrifice your beliefs for the greater good, but just make sure you follow your heart when you do. A little sacrifice can go a long way.

327. US Supreme Court Justices are nominated by the current President, presented to the Senate Judiciary Committee for investigation, then accepted or rejected by the US Senate.

     Please. How often does this even happen during a Presidential term? And your statement is incorrect.

328. The author is too young to realize how creepy and irreversible socialism is. It creates self perpetrating dependency, so 47% will turn into bigger and bigger chunk of population. I heard a notion that if founding fathers were not free and rich, the constitution would look very different. So this day may be like October 25, 1917, even if it didn’t look that tragic, it turned the history for worse. Baba Vanga (31 January 1911 – 11 August 1996), prophesied even that the 44th US president would be black and he would be “the last one.”
     http://prophecies-2012.blogspot.com/2011/02/baba-vanga-prophesied-44th-us-president.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baba_Vanga

329. The auto bailout? Thats odd that you say that right after people blame Bush but it WAS BUSH THAT STARTED THE BAILOUTS!!! Yes, the problems started while he was in office but it was Dems that were in charge of the house & senate for the majority of the time. Bush started the financial reform, Bush started the bailouts. Bush started us in the right direction. The housing problems started in 1991 when Clinton passed his law saying ANYONE could get a loan. well, all the years later the housing fell because ANYONE could get a loan but not everyone could pay their loans. Its rediculous when people make their statements just from Obamas talking points. Maybe you should actually KNOW or read to find out what you are talking about before you post.

330. Amen… doesnt matter what you say.. they will never read anything to see if what they are saying is true, they will continue to keep using “talking points” that they have heard from Obama because hes just soooo cool. Its quiet pathetic. You can learn a lot from people that have no clue what they are talking about though.

331. No, actually it was Clinton’s action of the deregulation of the housing market that led to the collapse in 2008. People need to be responsible for their own actions, not what the president is doing. If people know they can’t afford something, then they shouldn’t get into it. It is simple math, but clearly people don’t seem to care about their own education to learn how to properly manage the people. Please understand it has nothing to do with the president on how we do as a nation, but you yourselves. Look in the mirror and point at yourself because it is you, and it is me that have gotten us into this mess. While I may be doing okay and have a full time job there are still ways that I can help improve other peoples lives so they don’t feel lost. We all have a duty to serve, and if you aren’t helping your neighbor, then you have failed.

332. I believe in your right to free speech, as the founding fathers did. However, I also believe in separation of church and state, as our founding fathers did. Our constitution must be interpreted in the absence of religious beliefs. Equality for all men=marriage equality. If that conflicts with your beliefs, don’t marry someone of the same sex. The right to privacy=my ability to make decisions for my body. If you your religion permits abortion, don’t have one. I don’t understand why it has to be more difficult than that.

333. Kelly eliminating and unfriending are nowhere near equivalent. What about all of the racist remarks people were making? As a minority am I suppose to gain an “appreciation” for racism just because people have the right to say what they think? It’s a social network and I don’t want to socialize with people with extreme and hateful views I will unfriend them.

334. now we all have to work to become that one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all….That is where our strength and greatness begins and ends…lets work together for the good of all and remember the cliche “united we stand, divided we fall”. lets stand united

335. Elaine, the Second Amendment is not being struck down and Diane Feinstein has no ability to enact anything through the UN that trumps the US Constitution. someone is inciting fear. Ask yourself why would someone want to destabilize our country?

336. I really appreciate what you have said. I’m not happy with the election results, but I will pray for our president to have the wisdom to know best how to direct out country in the next four years. Thank you so much for posting this.

337. Who is to blame for the fiscal cliff? The “obstuctionist” Congress is! Now that Obama received a second term, let’s see if the divided Congress wants to finally play and get things done. Their focus should be on moving this country forward, not their own agendas…

338. I’m not sure what you think that Cliff is composed of, but it is quite literally being created by the republicans. Otherwise, we’d pass a debt package as every congress has done since the 60’s.

     As for Food stamps and other forms of temporary relief…. guess where those came from? And guess where those people would be without it….. begging at your door.

     I’m so ready for all these conservatives who are willing to fix everything without government assistance, to get off their asses and do it. Because in the history of the country they’ve never gotten us even close. You might take care of your grandma, but what about the grandma in Detroit with no surviving family? What about the kids whose parents are rotting in jail for drug possession? When are you going to start helping someone other than the neighbor and your family? You keep arguing to take care of it, and yet it doesnt’ seem to actually happen enough? Thats where the rest of us come in, cleaning up all the gaps and problems you create with your misanthropic nonsense.

339. Well when you say it like that, it makes me laugh out loud….. and then cry.

340. I wonder if you would have written such an impassioned piece if the Presidential election result went the other way?

341. Terri, you might want to check the definition for JOB. Obama has held several government jobs.

342. Your comments are so true. I was born in this country and don’t always agree with the politics. When and why have we become such a divided nation? The republicans and democrats won’t even talk across the aisle. They all need to get down off their high horses. Not one of them is any better than the other. When we suffered the effects of 9/11, everyone was trying to help no matter their color, religion or nation of origin. It was wonderful to see.
     What bothers me the most now are the idiots who rant and rave over our election and its outcome. Those people need to grow up and start acting like responsible adults instead of two-year-old children.

343. So very well put. I appreciate the ending the most (and your follow-up with rainbow poop).

     My best friend and I don’t see eye-to-eye on abortion. What I respect about her is that her family is walking the talk of their faith and trying to help women choose life for their babies. Yes, she REALLY wants a law to take away my right to choose, but her family’s time and money are helping these women find homes, skills, and sustainable employment.

     Can more of us look for grass-roots ways to make a positive impact to this world instead of enacting laws that further divide us? We really are not all that different.

344. You’re AWESOME and I wish EVERYBODY was as smart as you!!!! 😉

345. Why is everyone blaming Obama for what Bush did!!! You guys are stupid!!! It took Bush to mess everything up in eight years – Obama has only been there for four years and it takes more than four years to fix the mess Bush put this country in. This is sad….putting a picture of 9/11 on here and using it for an example for Obama’ reelection. Who ever put it on here is a ignorant ass!!! Get a clue!!!!

346. Nope Paul…wrong again. If you want to talk about getting familiar with “REAL” history, then you’ll know that none of this was precipitated in 2007. In 2007, the problem was already in full-swing, with the horrible aftermath to come. The “REAL” behind what precipitated this whole thing began back in 2000 when Senator Phil Gramm successfully managed to put and end tot he Glass-Steagall act, which were essentially bank regulations established after the Great Depression in 1929 to ensure that we never ended up in such a mess again. When Gramm succeeeded in killing Glass-Steagall, the regulations on banks were rolled back and they were back to doing the same n0-good stuff that landed us in the depression in the first place. What else happened in 2000…oh yeah, BUSH was elected. This all happened under his watch, and hence, he is partly to blame for allowing this. By 2007, you had a lot of people already living in houses they couldn’t afford, riding high, living the life. It was a direct result of what Gramm did in 2000, and even moreso, a direct cause of why we are all suffering today. Glass-Steagall needs to be reinstated, so we can get back to holding the banks to financial responsibility and accountability, which is what Gramm and other Republicans fought so hard against when they had Glass-Steagall killed.

     That, Paul, is the “REAL” history.

347. Terence how can you say there is no “Lazy Class”? What about all the people that receive government assistant and don’t even try to find a job or they will not work at a fast food job. Just because they fell they should be paid more. Some of them keep getting benefits by staying enrolled in “online” school . For which they receive Pel grants so they can pay there bills. I don’t have a problem with people getting help but I do think that people need to help them selves at the same time. I am tried of going to work and paying my taxes so other worthless people can stay home and watch T.V. all day.

348. Laura, your chicken little cries of pending doom and Martial Law indicate your lack of knowledge on how our government works. The federal government is forbidden by law from using troops against the public. Only the National Guard can do that and there are 54 of them. YES, 54, one per State and four territories. They are comprised of citizens living in the community who take great pride in their responsibility and aren’t likely to round up their neighbors.

349. Well said. I had similar thoughts the morning after. In different words…

     “Easy, folks, we’re losing focus here. I don’t know what exactly the focus is supposed to be, but hating on each other based on what happened last night is certainly NOT the focus. Our states, sure they might still be united. Our people? As divided as I have ever seen. Blame whoever you want, but the fact is clear to me; this country is being destroyed from within. Name calling and finger pointing is elementary. It’s not my place to tell you not to act like a child. But my country still affords me the freedom to tell you that you ARE acting like a child. No one is “stupid,” “dumb,” or “ignorant” based on who they voted for. They are FREE because they were allowed to vote for whoever they wanted. Just because things did not go your way doesn’t mean you need to stomp your feet and flail your little arms. Yes, things are changing. Things are evolving. As we grow as a species, we learn to adapt to such changes. It might not always be the change you or I are looking for, but we need to adapt nonetheless. This is not the ‘70’s anymore. Everything in our lives has advanced. Even methods of dishonesty. One great thing we might consider using from the 70’s… Unity. Right now things are the way they are. You cannot argue with that. We are not going to change them tonight, next week, or even next year. It will take a lot of time and acceptance. Hating each other and turning ourselves into assholes because we didn’t all get our way is not going to change anything for the better. It only perpetuates our downward spiral. Yes, we are the laughing stock of the world right now. I think we’ve earned it. We can change that, though. It has to start with us being nice to each other again. That being said… Please shut the fuck up and have a great day.”

350. In all actuality, more people are on public assistance due to George W. Bush. Fact is, welfare usage rose in 7 out of 8 years during Bush’s presidency. The country was reeling from his failed economic policies, and he knew it. He then took steps to relax the requirements to quality families for public assistance, and thus created a situation where MANY more families were able to take advantage of it, which he openly requested that they do. He made sure that he made statements to let people know that this public assistance was available, and that they should take advantage of it.

     Once Obama took office, the numbers simply continued to climb, due tot he steps Bush took to loosen those qualification requirements. If you want to blame Obama for anything, blame him for keeping the Bush policies intact, but not for causing the issue, as so many (like Newt and his crew) would have you believe when they call Obama the “Food Stamp President”. That is actually no doing of Obama’s.

     And those, as they say, are the facts. Don’t believe me, look up “Obama Food Stamp President” on Snopes.com. They are unbiased and simply seek the facts on everything. They have no political agenda or baises.

351. Thank you Jo!
     A friend shared this on fb and I for one am happy to have had the opportunity to read it. I have been trying to calm some of those on my fb page as well. I have read countless posts stating our voters are “mindless drones, stupid, anti-christian, dim-witted morons, free loaders” etc. The list goes on and on. People need to take a step back as you said and realize that yes, things may not have gone how they wanted them too but guess what… we have the freedom to cast our vote and be heard. That’s more than we can say many people have around the world. Minnesota was one of the few states that also tackled the issue of gay marriage so that too sent people spiraling into a tailspin of emotion (which didn’t help my fb page to remain PG13 at times).
     Here’s to the next 4 years and all of them after that!
     Again! Thank you for helping to put things into perspective for folks!
     Alison

352. Light, need help loading the truck? Glad to see you go, my oath to protect the constitution is a lifetime oath and not one of convenience. So you go now and i’ll let you know when it’s safe to return. Don’t let the door knob hit you on the way out.

353. I like your article. I was feeling pretty relieved and good until I started reading the comments. I too, am worried about the uncontrolled spending and the effects it might have on my children and grandchildren. All I could say after the election is Heaven help us. We are going to need it.

354. your words are absolutely inspiring. Thank you so much for posting this.

355. Incidentally, the Bible hasn’t always said that human life begins at conception: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/slacktivist/2012/02/18/the-biblical-view-thats-younger-than-the-happy-meal/

356. Amen Diane.

357. Beautiful message!

358. Thank you for this post! It is exactly the thing at least half of our country, if not all of us, needs to read (and better yet consider and comprehend) right now! As for me, anytime you get that group together to “join hands and sing Kumbaya while rainbow colored unicorn poop falls from the sky”…I’m there, count me in! Thank you again for some much needed and very astute perspective!

359. To read this you would think that Americans are whiney, blame game addicts with nothing better to do than cry foul on the other team. A lot of different events got us where we are and it wasn’t any one person or one team’s fault. And its going to take cooperation on all levels and compromise. So rather than sitting in our corners and throwing baby food at each other, maybe it’s time we grow up and see each other as all being on Team America and stop fighting over things as if they were the last slice of pizza at an Italian funeral! This “my team has to win at all costs” attitude is what got us here and will keep us here unless we wake up and start smoking the electronic peace pipe and get to work!

360. Let’s all just step aside and make sure Mr. Knight gets everything HIS way according to what HE believes (or as he says “beliefs”)….screw the other 300 million of us.

361. “You can’t pick and choose what laws of the bible to follow” — I think that’s your rule, not the OP’s.

     Also, while my knowledge of ev bio is scant, I’m not sure it’s accurate to claim there have been any measurable effects of human evolution over ~2500 years.

362. You did a wonderful job capturing the sentiments that we all need to be reminded of. Thank you!

363. Thank you for this heartfelt post that obviously touched many of us.

     I thought it….I shared it….I believe it!

364. Well said! You’ve captured the important sentiments perfectly!

365. I respectfully disagree that we come together by “eliminating” those in our lives we disagree with. That just creates more separation.

     We come together by embracing those we disagree with, listening with an open mind, receiving the same courtesy in routine and respecting that while their are two sides to any issue, we both (or all) have to find the gray area, compromise and stay focused on the greater good….

     THAT’S how we come together!

366. Ugh! *return* not “routine”

367. Admiring the time and effort you put into your blog and detailed information you provide. It’s good to come across a blog every once in a while that isn’t the same outdated rehashed material. Fantastic read! I’ve saved your site and I’m adding your RSS feeds to my Google account.

368. Great view point Diane…and what is it that you are doing to make change other than voting?

369. Perfect! Thanks for stating what I have been thinking for the past 2 days!

     Wy macie piękny serce (serdeczny)

370. I am thinking you are a very young and naive person who has no idea who Barack Obama really is….

371. Thank you for setting an example, that if you don’t agree or even support the chosen leader, will you not succumb to disrespect either!

     I do not have a problem with people not supporting Obama, I have a problem with their efforts to destroy him (or any leader.) When you do that, you also step on each one of us…because he IS the leader of our country.

     Growth starts with respect….

372. Very well put!

373. Thanks for posting this, Jo. I do wish you had taken the article a step further though. The way I read it you seem to focus on those who are lashing out because they feel frustrated, nervous and deflated that their “guy didn’t win.” You seem to forget to admonish the negative reactions of those whose guy did win. I have seen a lot of the “in your face” and “take that…” type comments from the winning team that are just as bad as those comments coming from the losing team. Arguments can be made as to who’s doing it most, but does that really matter? We all need to become more aware of our actions and I hope that posts like yours will help us all wake up.

374. LOVE LOVE LOVE this post!!! I know some people are upset that Romney didn’t win the election. I know some people think Obama is going to destroy this county. It’s over. It’s done. Nothing can change this situation sans a tragedy. You can still have your voice heard, no matter who is President by calling or writing your state representatives. And PLEASE do not call Obama’s re-election a “Sad and tragic day.” Sad and tragic was 9/11. Obama wasn’t president then, so do we blame him for that? Nope. Do we blame George W Bush since he was president? Nope. Majority ruled and that’s that. I respect everyone’s political views, but being bitchy and name calling is totally uncalled for!!

375. Many inaccuracies in this comment but I’ll start with the one easiest to point out is blatantly false. Executive Orders. President Obama actually signed less of these in his first 4 years of power than President Bush did. Check out the official stats here: http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/executive-orders/disposition.html

     Frankly I have too much work to do to spend all afternoon debunking every crazy theory on here but this is a good place to start. Oh and USING CAPS LOCK does not help make your point. Thanks.

376. People sacrifice their lives everyday for our freedom. While the ambassador’s loss is tragic, and needless perhaps by some minds, his loss should not be considered any greater of a loss than the unknown soldier who stood at the forefront of battle. Freedom is a price, and these people made the choice to protect it. We should be honoring their sacrifice not blaming others for their loss. Friendly fire kills hundreds of people, so do we blame our military services for the tragedies of war?

     $17 trillion dollar debt did not happen through Obama’s hand alone. While the country is now awakened to our debt, it’s a bit ridiculous to blame it all on one President. Why do we blame another for something we have allowed to happen for years? Did Bush not contribute to this debt by initiating war? And many before him? This is the same, “I’m not responsible” mindset that got us where we are today.

     Does it really matter HOW we got here at this point? I wish people had the same passion, drive, disgust and anger for the child down the street that has no food, and the family across the way that has no home. The things we are “fed up with” is not what is priority! The future is important, but we have hunger, homelessness, jobless people right now in our country, struggling….and most of them have a lot less anger than those who have X-boxes and numerous TV’s in their house!

377. 171 to 140 in case you wanted the exact numbers.

378. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and helping people to put things back in perspective. AND, for letting all of us “share” YOUR thoughts on social media. It is appreciated!

379. This is actually a reply to “So Sick of this” Paul, below:

     Quite a stunning bit of blameshifting, Paul. Are you suggesting we were in good economic shape and rearin’ to go at the end of The Bush Disaster? You, and your ‘real’ history seem to forget (purposely, it appears, for the convenience of your argument) that (A) Dems had the House and Senate for about 3 months in ’08. Hardly enough time to get new stationery, let alone reverse the effects of Bush’s unfunded wars, Medicare part D, etc. and (B) every one of the thousands of thoroughly researched and corroborated rebuttals to your ridiculously uninformed point of view.

380. THANK YOU for saying so eloquently that which I can barely articulate. I was no fan of George Bush 2, but I never wished him dead; I never denigrated his wife, mother, children or family. Nor would I. I did call him ‘Zippy,’ just ’cause I liked the way it sounded (and he somehow reminded me of a yappy dog), but beyond that, I certainly never rooted against him (except of course at election time). I wish the people who are outraged that an articulate, highly educated, devoted father and husband with a loving spouse and two seemingly well-adjusted children, would step back, take a deep breath, and look closely at the policies he has proposed. Many of them were originally proposed during the Bush administrations…

381. Very well put. I would just add that the reason people are saying that it’s a “sad and tragic day” is precisely because they fear the very things that you are using to put this into perspective – unchecked terrorism and increasingly socialist (if not communist) policies governing this country. I can see how those who watch the main stream media for their news might throw their head back in laughter but our poor excuses for ‘news reporters’ are more akin to Pravda than the watchdogs of yesteryear, at least when it comes to reporting on their own kind (ie liberals).

     Just because it’s not being reported every night doesn’t mean it isn’t happening – massive QE3 dumps, the gutting of the military that’s scheduled for 1/2013, Obamacare kicking in . . . these are just a few things that have led to the massive lay-offs that started to occur the day after the election and will continue for months and years. That is just the tip of the economic iceburg not to mention foreign policy ideology that is leaving us far more exposed to events far worse than 9/11 (google Benghazigate).

     And then you have the policies and attitudes being nurtured and voted into law that are turning this nation into the Poland of old (or Cuba or Venezuala, whose leaders *love* Obama – wonder why?) that your parents fled. The ‘work hard, make your own way and be rewarded for it’ attitude (ie capitalism) that made this country so desirable to your parents is being villified as evil. It is being replaced by the covetous ‘the rich man owes me, he didn’t earn that’ and ‘the government needs to take care of me, that’s it’s purpose’ and ‘we’re going to punish you for being successful’ mentality (ie socialism, communism).

     I understand and agree with your sentiment – “appreciate what you have”. However I think it is exactly that appreciation that leads some to say that it’s a “sad and tragic day for our nation” – not from a lack of appreciation of what we have but because we don’t want to see it continue to be destroyed.

     P.S. pls do not misunderstand, Bush with his Patriot Act, passing the Rx drug rider for medicare and the first stimulus that we couldn’t pay for was just as bad. I don’t care if you’re a Dem or Rep, spending money that our great great grandkids will still be paying back and complete disregard for our constitution should be grounds for treason IMHO.

382. Thank you for the humbling reminder. No one could have said it better….

383. Thanks for the article!

     My one wish is that Americans could get a better handle on, and accept, the real facts. If we could at least do that, then we could discuss real solutions. Maybe that’s the point of the misinformation, to keep us from seeing the real picture.

384. L.R. if the Republicans lose the house in 2 years then it will be a tragic day..but until then hope for the best and expect the worse..God can still bless us if we turn from our wicked ways and put him first in all that we do..Our only prayer is that the Reps. keep the house in 2 years or there will be no more 2 party system and the dems/liberals will control everything then..but everyone in congress needs to get off their behinds and stop the fiscal cliff from happening in Jan.. we can get our country back !!!! we need bi-partisanship more then ever at this moment..put your political differences aside and get this country headed in the right direction !!!!

385. Oh for the love of all that is fricken holy. Would you PLEASE get off the cross, some people need the wood. Someone disagreeing with you and calling you out on your crap isn’t persecution. It is NOT censorship its called a exercising the free market of ideas. It is what our forefathers fought for.

     Also what you are describing with biblical law is what is known as a THEOCRACY, where a country is ruled by religion NOT liberty. So you are just here and now declaring yourself a unpatriotic wretch who wants to do away with democracy and the constitution. You have no right to legislate your religion in this country and I am sick and tired of people attempting to push their own dogma on others. You are free to disagree with who the president is but as an American you are required to respect the office. You are also free to express your distaste for abortion and gays, just as I am allowed to express my distaste at you being a narrow minded ass. What you are not allowed to do is enforce your faith on others. I know you long for the days when you could force people to become Christian and burn heretics at the stake but alas we have grown as a people and value individual liberty and humanity over trying to prove how holy we are by persecuting others.

     For once adhere to the teachings of your prophet and learn to accept and love all of mankind rather than looking down your nose at others while proclaiming how much holier you are.

386. This was SO well written and IS the perspective everyone desperately needs regardless of political preference. Thank you for so eloquently stating what we ALL needed to hear. I shared this article to everyone that needed it in my life. You = awesome.

387. Also, I think Rosemary seems to have missed the point. And probably watches a lot of Fox “News”. OK, I’ll shut up now.

388. Ya know…I think the Dems and the media are also fear mongers. I wish everyone would start working together and take some stinking responsibility for their behavior…including Democrats. You are not above reproach.

389. Obama didn’t destroy the country in the past 4 years, no reason to think he will in the next 4.

     What will happen? More of the same. He will try to increase the taxes paid by the wealthy. He will continue to invest in alternative energy. His health care system will take hold so that more people are insured. He probably won’t start any wars. Federal money won’t be spent on abortions, as it currently isn’t. He will continue to try to find ways to support American companies, like he did with the auto bailout.

     Even if people disagree with these things, they are not going to tear our country apart.

390. You said in one sentence what it took me several wordy paragraphs to convey – we’ll see if my response actually gets posted 😉 – Good job

391. I used to work in politics so I have a lot of friends on both sides of the aisle. The vitriol I have seen spewed on Facebook was disgusting. If you’re unhappy with the outcome that is one thing, but some of the things that were posted are inexcusable in any arena. I can handle the fact that I might have different politics than some people, but what I can’t handle is people who don’t respect those differences. The same people who will tout “America is free! Democracy rocks!” track back on all of their words when they don’t get their way. It’s sickening, saddening, and maddening all at the same time! I have so many other feelings about this but I’m at work right now and don’t want to get all worked up about it!

     Thanks for this post! It’s wonderful!

392. I too come from what was once a third world country.Brazil many years ago.From what I remember my father saying there is no better country in the world than Canada and the USA.My parents fled the Bolshevicks and Communists in Russia in 1929 and fled to Brazil. There was a little more freedom in SA! but it was military rule.Now they are a free country.It took almost 100 years to get there.It still has a long way to go!I kiss the ground of north America.This is indeed a FREE nation! If we do not like the government we can always re-elect a new one.That is Democracy at it’s best.We came here in 1950 and I am grateful!

393. God made only mankind in his image. We are uniquely singled out bearing the image of God above any other creature. He is the sole object of Christ’s redemptive love. Christ went to the trouble of dying for our transgressions against God by becoming a human first. He went through the process of being put in a womb and being there for 9 months like any other, then born under the human conditions (without sin). Certainly The preexistent Son of God was a person, and he was a person in the womb.
     God said to Noah “Whoever sheds man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed; for God made man in his own image.” (Gen. 9:6) God points out that man is unique he is worth more than animals.

     On September 11th, 2001, Islamic terrorists killed almost 3000 innocent people who were peaceably trying to live their lives. On that same day, 3500 sweet babies died from abortion in America. This, all at a time when there are lines of people, all waiting to adopt these holy innocents. Every day, over 3500 babies are murdered by abortion in the United States. That’s over 1.2 million abortions every year. Obama supports these abortions, Romney doesn’t. To me, Obama’s re-election IS tragic to those babies.

394. Jo, what you wrote was wonderful and TRUE. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and reminding us all.

     To all the Negative Nastie Nellies…WOW. I hope y’all realize that President Obama will still be President tomorrow and y’all will wake up and still be a miserable mess. No one president can be “everything” to everyone. There will be things we agree and disagree with but to be so hateful about it? Really? There was a time, not too long ago, that it didn’t matter what person held that seat, HE WAS RESPECTED!!! The level of respect or shall I say the lack of respect for one another in this country is shocking. What is even more shocking is that I am sure many of those hateful people have children. The President alone (1 person) cannot change this country for the better; it has to be the people as well! Oh and the President does not make “all” of the decisions on his own. If we cannot come together and stop tearing each other down, it is going to be a long road…much longer than 4 years people. There is passion on both sides for what people believe and each side needs to be respectful of that. Life is not black and white and neither is politics; unfortunately it seems to be treated that way. The thing is when we have candidates running they tell us what we want to hear, what they would “like” to do or change and what their vision is. It doesn’t always work out that way and to say that Romney would “save” our country is a bit dramatic because how do we know “what” he would have done? How do we know he wouldn’t have changed is promises after he got in? How do we know? WE DON’T!!!

     The bottom line is this is OUR country and we all need to make it better. My hope is that we can all come together and make our country great again. It is my hope too that both political parties can come together to make our country great again.

395. Sometimes though being plunged into chaos is exactly what we need. Once that happens I pray that all the politicians will see that it will take being bipartisan to get anywhere. If we truly want to continue being the greatest country on earth we need to stop head-butting over blue and red, democrat or republican, or one side vs the other. We need to come together to fix things and to put our once great and United nation, which is now a greatly divided nation, back together and back on course.

396. I completely agree with your sentiments. However, if I can be bold enough to interpret what some may really mean by them saying “it’s a sad and tragic day” is because of where we see our country headed because of how the people voted and we are seeing a trend. I do not think Obama is an evil person but his policies and ideas are bringing this nation closer to a socialistic country–like the one your parents and many others fled. I am concerned because this is what a small majority of the people are voting for, thinking that it all sounds so good. Let the government take care of all our needs. I saw this election as a major point in writing the history of what our country will become and by the people
     Speaking and voting for Obama our nation has headed down that socialism path and even though we have the opportunity to vote again in 4 years, I don’t think we will get off this path. And that is what worries me–I see the principles and the standards of our nation as forever, slowly being eroded away. And again that is because the majority of the people are voting for that.

397. Matthew,

     Well said. The vitriolic, racist and scaremongering rhetoric from what was formerly the Republican party definitely woke up a beast. When you can see the forest through the trees, it’s clear that Obama is far from the worst president EVER!! A daily dose of right-wing media has created a warped mindset about what type of president Obama is.

     For me, it’s refreshing to see that we no longer need the vote of the racist, ultra-religious, white, male to elect a president. Any party that continues to cater to them will eventually be extinct. Any party that continues to pretend that the minority/women vote aren’t important, even vital, will be extinct. I for one cannot wait for the modern Republican party to go away. Their ideology is absolutely repugnant.

398. You are not getting the point that to some people (read SOME) it honestly, truly is a long-term tragedy because the effects are not a simpleton’s “only 4 years.” The effects are longer lasting. The blog author said it wasn’t sad because it’s only 4 years.
     The point David clearly made that you failed to grasp is that there is indeed a reason for some to be sad and call it a tragedy, because it will directly impact 30+ years of America’s course.

     I hope this explains it to you.

399. One short sentence……………….Count your Blessings America and quite complaining

400. “Teach your children that diversity is the cornerstone of this country” – Liberty is the cornerstone of this country. That is why the election results are so tragic to constitutionalists like myself. Our nation has been on a path of growing government and statism for generations, under Republican and Democrat leaders alike. That path has been pumped with steroids under the current administration. Among other reasons, this is a great country because of its founding, because of the greatest governing document ever written, and because of the people that want to defend our heritage and culture. As government grows, liberty shrinks. They truly are inversely related. It is tragic that our citizenry seems to accept this at an enormous rate.

     Furthermore, it is ridiculous to say that the state of our country as a result of the election cannot be tragic because the litmus test for tragedy is the 9/11 terrorist attacks. That is like saying that that rape is not tragic because murder exists. People are not just disappointed because their guy lost. This isn’t a sporting event or a game. People are worried that America is on a slow fade toward tyranny.

401. Right on! Thank you so much for the reminder that what we have is precious and worth protecting, and WILL ENDURE!

402. Wrong Yepper. This country is secular, with a majority Christian. There are other practicing religions in the United States. There are people who don’t practice at all. Forcing any one of those outside of your Christian faith to believe what you believe invalidates the entire idea of freedom of religion. This in turn ties into freedom of choice or freedom to marry. Once you begin to write laws from a moral (religious) perspective, you’re stepping on the freedoms of other citizens in this country.

     You as a Christian are free to believe that abortion is wrong (so don’t have one) or that marriage is between a man and an woman (so don’t marry someone of the same sex). But you cannot force other citizens in this country to agree with you because of ‘God’ and still claim this country is a free one.

403. You should say, ‘was a free country’. Not for long. You have to be blind to see that we are losing our rights every day. He is turning this nation into a musslim nation. Wake up people!!!

404. Jo – Hugs to you – yours was a beautifully composed statement. I apologize for all the hateful comments that I see have been made re your statement. Ignore them. Meanwhile, I intend to see if I can help my community for future elections, and help my national community by being of service, especially to all those on the east coast…

405. Meh… First off- the Fiscal Cliff is just a recession maker, we have lived through that, it would be unnecessary, and it is a pretty good case for fiscal stimulus (in that if you believe that reducing .gov spending and raising taxes is going to be a negative then you are arguing that maintaining this de facto stimulus is a positive so you are at the same time also making a case that we are in a zero bound deflationary period- all of that justifies selling US 10 yrs or 30 yrs at historically low rates and spending to create GDP growth… but I digress) but the fiscal cliff is NOT a cliff, it is a ditch.

     First the can gets kicked from Lame duck to the double lucky 213th congress, and then a grand deal on tax reform either happens or the R’s filibuster to a stalemate and THEN we get the “fiscal ditch”. IMO that would be a bad political move because while the electorate aren’t quants with macro skills they will feel the pain resulting from gridlocked induced recession and another credit downgrade. So 2014 could get dicey, as in the electorate might Etch-a-sketch congress. Either way it is a natural function of efficiencies… yes I do believe that… and whether congress inflicts great pain now and endures the slings and arrows of the failed stand-up comedian Grover Norquist and the Tea Party, or else they stomp the can flatter than the 2014 economy and reap the whirlwind of a larger constituency, it is all going to work out in the end. This is the US after all, where we come to correct solution after all else has been tried.

406. Thank you for putting into words what I was feeling. I was un-friended by someone after I pointed out the irony in her post comparing Obama to Stalin and Hitler that if he were truly just like them she never would have had the freedom to post that opinion. I am ok with the unfriending as my facebook page is so much cleaner and looks more optimistic.

407. so sad to hear that you hide behind your bible. you state that you dont judge. but you dont approve of adam and steve and dont approve of gay marriages or abortions. so you are judging those people who are not christians and do not have the same beliefs as you do. i am catholic, but i believe in abortion. not for myself. but i dont believe that my religious views should dictate what other women should choose to do with their own bodies. an easy understanding for a simple mind as yours, just because i like chocolate ice cream doesnt mean that everyone in the entire free world should eat it. i have no right to force them to eat it because i think it is the best. it is what is the best for me. i think it is perfect. but others might like vanilla. i am not going to force people to like it just because it is my belief or i heard in church that the pope eats chocolate too. you said the bible is your law. fine and dandy. yet you speak highly of CLINTON? REALLY? i guess i missed that verse in the bible where it says blow jobs for a married man are okay when given in the oval office….i must reread. i think you better put down your bible or get off your horse in kentucky or virginia(yeah,i am judging) and realize that saying you dont hate any sex needs to change. you have to start thinking about not hating who people have sex with!!! put down your bible and think for yourself and realize you are insecure and have no beliefs of your own. free will. america. freedom of choice. tragic.

408. Really! Where are you going?

409. I agree totally.

410. Michael, haven’t you heard? Only white men are eligible to love America.

411. Excellent points, well said. Thank you for sharing this perspective~ sorry you have so many haters leaving comments.

412. Amen

413. Molly,

     You should have put a comma after lazy and after together. Instead of focusing on grammar and spelling focus on the facts. The market plunged only hours after Obama was elected. Regardless of how the economy looked in 2008, he has had a large impacts on the lack of progress since then.

414. To be charitable, one of the arguments conservatives made was that Obama’s foreign policy is weak and far too accomodating to “Islamofascism.” While I don’t believe that argument is grounded in too much reality, it’s at least a rational argument (as opposed to say, climate change denial), and if you believe that, then it’s easy to see how re-election could have tragic implications. Such as a second 9/11.

     Just a thought. I’m saving my real scolding for the people who tweeted pure ugliness like “The nigger won again.”

415. This is one of the best things I have ever read. This article will be an eye-opener for a lot of people!

416. HUH? A one party government? The balance of power was completely unchanged in this election. The checks and balances created by our Constitution are unchanged by this election.

     This kind of ignorance doesn’t lend much credibility…

417. Jim,
     Just curious, did all of those people from the “lazy class” show you their Obama phone and proof of unemployment & food stamp benefits? That must be one hard gym membership application! In addition, isn’t it also strange to see that those people from the “lazy class” are at the gym? Don’t you have a stereotype for that too?
     I hope you don’t ever end up fired, hungry or in need of making an emergency phone. I would hate to see you at the gym with an Obama phone, food stamps or unemployment benefits. I hope you don’t get sick and need to see one of those doctors supplying healthcare too all the unemployed/underemployed workers. Lastly, I really hope you don’t end up taking out some student loans for your graduate school opportunity. I would just hate to see you having to take advantage of any of the amazing loan repayment programs Obama created for people like yourself. That would be tragic.

418. To be fair, as someone who believes that life begins at conception, to me (and many others), ANYONE supporting any kind of abortion is JUST AS bad as these terrorists. More life will be lost each year from abortion than terrorism.

419. Thanks for writing words a lot of us needed to hear.

420. Thank you so much. Unfortunately, many people these days seem to be so angry. I am on a mission for peace. I seem to be battling many who have been totally brainwashed by sensational news, propaganda movies, etc. I pray that we can come together as one nation and be able to compromise. I personally suffered from our horrible economic conditions at the beginning in 2006-2007 and feel that it will be a very long, hard road to recovery, but the only way we can begin to get there is by all working together.

421. I’m with you on everything but the poop (rainbow colored or not). LOL

422. Thanks for expressing my sentiments exactly. More unicorn poop please!

423. It was “folks” not terrorists who brought the towers down.

424. One of the best writings I have seen since the election. Very well said. I have lived in the US all my life. I have been voting for 48 yrs now and not always to my favorites get elected, but I know we have to accept what is and try to work together as a nation to improve our great nation. My daughter posted a picture yesterday that made her sad and mad. Someone had painted the words :Americ is dead” on a fence visible from her front yard. She now has the job of explaining it to her 6 yr old daughter. We are not dead. We may be bruised (not by the elecion, but by all things), but we are not broken. We need to work together, Congress needs to work together with the President to heal those bruises. America is alive!

425. Amazing post. Beautifully written, as most stuff that is from the heart. And it is EXACTLY how I feel…thank you for giving me the words.
     Liz

426. And I’m not… and I am old enough to know.

427. You do know that “God” was not originally included in the Pledge of Allegiance, right? It wasn’t added til 1954.

428. Um, no, it isn’t. The founding fathers, those people whose corpses the right keep trying to dig up to rally patriotism, actually disagree with you.

     Thomas Jefferson himself coined the phrase, “a wall of separation between church and state”, and Joel Barlow, the diplomat who represented the United States for then-President John Adams (and was a chaplain to George Washington’s unit in the revolutionary war) explicitly mentioned in his draft of the Treaty of Tripoli, which was approved by the senate, secretary of state, and President Adams, the following, “As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion”.

     So there it is, right from the mouths of the people who built this country, written by the hand of a man who personally served both God and George Washington. Being in the majority does NOT make the United States a Christian nation any more than it is a white nation.

429. Jo,
     While 9-11-2001 was one of the MOST tragic days in US history, 9-11-2012 was also tragic!
     The truth about this administration will come out, and when it does many may join the ranks of those saying this electric was tragic!
     http://thecable.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2012/11/08/benghazi_documents_available_to_senators_only_when_they_are_out_of_town

430. Another tragedy left over from the schrub era was the ill conceived war in Iraq

431. So its okay for Obama supporters to BASH Romney supporters because Romney supporters do not believe in the same things that they do…. but its okay for Obama supporters to say well this is the “right” way to vote. AND vice versa.

     THIS is what is wrong with this country.

     I support gay marriage. I don’t think its anyones business who marries who.

     I also think the whole “Romney will set womens rights back 50 years” is bogus. REALLY? You want to be ProCHOICE… Choose to close your legs. If you cant afford birth control you cant afford a baby. I think vacations are fun… do you pay for my family to go on a luxury vacation? Because you do not need sex to survive so clearly its for enjoyment…I should not have to pay for your silly consequences. If you are raped I think you should have the right to not have the baby. And if anyone REALLY thought he could just snap his fingers and overturn Roe v Wade…you need to stop watching advertisements as your source of facts.

     I think it is ludicrous that I am considered a bigot, homophobic, and a racist because I voted for Romney. I CHOSE to vote based on what I felt was the most important issue to ME which was the economy and felt like the other direction was better. I felt that way not YOU that is why it is MY vote not YOURS. You should accept who I voted for just like I accept who you voted for.

     I get back and forth dialogue, but hate breeds hate. You wonder why the Senate and House don’t get along… just look at this ONE board…

     Can’t We All Just Get Along

432. Umm, regardless of the exact date, repugs have blocked most anything Obama has proposed. They are petulant, recalcitrant children who don’t care about the good of the people or the state of the nation. Let’s hope they see the light and that it has not worked and that they learn to cooperate. Perhaps they need to go watch some preschoolers learn to share and how to work together.
     http://www.tnr.com/blog/jonathan-cohn/96591/mcconnell-villain-who-me#

433. This is interesting I’m seeing a lot of stuff in the comments below that are still people pointing fingers at one person or another person. How interesting is it that this person wrote a blog pointing out that you have a choice here and freedoms here (I am not interested in getting into a battle about our freedoms) that many other countries don’t get to have. Who cares who’s fault it is? Really truly. Your guy didn’t win, oh well. Next four years will be interesting, and when that is over good we have another election. You get to choose again, how amazing is that? You have a choice. If you voted awesome, if you didn’t vote please don’t complain that one or the other guy won, that’s annoying, because you made the choice to allow everyone else make the decision for you. This is hard, for everyone, no matter what decision you made.

434. 9/11/11 was a very tragic day I’ll never forget.

     The re-election of Obama, however; was not tragic.

     My opinion is whomever’s in the White House (regardless of whether you’re happy about it) needs to be respectful. I’ve said that from Day 1.

     I’m quite sure running a whole country is no easy task.

435. Thank you very much for putting things into perspective for some! Everyone has the right to be fearful or joyous, depending on their views. However, no one who lives here and has the right to vote should feel or voice such disgrace in an outcome. This is how democracy works. This is why we live here!

436. Here’s a song I just wrote about the political divide in this country

     http://youtu.be/PKC6u1jujho

437. Well said! I couldn’t agree more. Instead of arguing about which party is to blame, why don’t we use that energy to work together to solve the problems we are facing. Lets face it, if we things to change, than that change has to start with us. Politics is a massive cluster where no matter who the president is, it’s difficult to make changes. However, people working together can make changes. Far more than we believe we can. So maybe stop arguing and begin working together!

438. As another mother of a special needs child…I couldn’t love you or this post more!!!

439. I was for Romney, I am a Catholic Conservative. President Obama was re-elected and he earned the vote of the country. The liberties which our founding fathers gave us must be respected. We are the envy of the world because we have the power over our elected leaders with our vote. God works in strange and mysterious ways ……. Keep the Faith

440. Thank you.

     I have seen references to the US becoming Socialist, that we are now under slavery and that those living in blue states effected by hurricane Sandy should be left to perish since Obama won. You have addressed this consisely and eloquently. I’ve been too emotional about some comment to reply rationally.

441. You say: “Also, all I have seen with Obama is failure.”
     http://whatthefuckhasobamadonesofar.com/
     Go here to educate yourself and feel a bit better about our nation. Unless you want to feel crappy, then keep your eyes and mind closed.

442. No, I am not happy about most of the election results. Can I do anything about it? Yes, according to The Church of Jesus Christ Latter Day Saints, (Mormon) has instructed us to pray for our national leaders in our personal prayers and in our congregations. We invite Americans everywhere, whatever their political persuasion, to pray for the President, for his administration and the new Congress as they lead us through difficult and turbulent times. May our national leaders reflect the best in wisdom and judgment as they fulfill the great trust afforded to them by the American people. As I read FaceBook today, I am surprised at the amount of negative comments from both Democrats and Republicans. What’s done is done. Now we need to unite and, again as Sherri said, Let’s “get our houses in order”. There is a song that says, “They will know we are Christians by our love.” Let’s love one another; Christians, Jews, Catholics, Muslims,
     Sikhs, etc. because we are all brothers and sisters, one big family.

     THIS IS FROM AFR TALK:

     ….After the election is over, I can predict (and guarantee) the following results:
     1. God will still be on His throne.
     2. Jesus will still be King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
     3. The Bible will still have all the answers to every problem.
     4. The tomb will still be empty.
     5. Jesus will still be the only way to heaven.
     6. Prayer will still work – it will still make a difference
     and God will still answer prayers
     7. The cross, not the government, will still be our salvation.
     8. There will still be room at the cross.
     9. Jesus will still save anyone who places who places
     their faith and trust in Him.
     10. God will still be with us always-He will never leave us
     Or forsake us.

443. This is what I posted on my wall yesterday: WE THE PEOPLE….Let’s get on with the business of being the UNITED States! If you are happy/unhappy with the elections yesterday…keep that spirit alive and Write to your congressman/women and put action to your opinions.

444. Very well said! You are right tragedy is not a good word for the re-election of President Obama. It is frustrating and irritating and a little scary becasue I feel like so many others that he is trying to take our freedoms and turn us into a communist country but we need to all calm down and regroup and remember what tragedy really looks like and deal with what next! The past is the past and we can’t change that we can only move foward and remember those tragedies that make us who we are and press on!!! God Bless

445. Awesome rant. I it!

446. Really? you are going to go after someone because of their spelling? Jeesh! SMH

447. I guess that having a Chapel at the Air Force acadamy (in fact 2 of them, one for Catholics and one for Protestants) and having mostly Christian chaplains isn’t enough for you. There are Christian chapels on many bases. I don’t have a problem with that, why do you have a problem for a sacred space for others

     Until recently Wiccans couldn’t even have a symbol of their faith, on their tombstones.

     There was NOTHING wrong with spending some money to give them a place to worship. By the way, what you just called a ‘temple’ is in reality an open area.

     http://www.usafa.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123187157

     Try some FACTS

448. @Jim: The fact that your coffee shop didn’t work out is no one’s fault but that of its management team.
     How about that? A recent college grad who didn’t suddenly get offered the moon? You didn’t tell us your field of study. All that Republican stuff about supply and demand… Is there any demand for someone of your qualifications, whatever they may be?
     Thank you for “supporting the lazy class.” Whoever they may be. FWIW — I worked my butt off for 38 years. I happen to be unemployed at the moment. The last company for which I worked shipped most of its jobs to China. TYVM to the Bain Capitals of the nation.
     A “tragic day”? By no means. You may personally consider it a tragedy because you perceive yourself to be victimized. I hate to tell you this, but a significant portion of those food-stamp people are working their butts off for substandard wages. A significant portion of those unemployed are, as am I, victims of the corporate-raider mentality. You may consider it to be “tragic” because your preferred candidate lost the election. Get over it. I made the best of it when George W. Bush blew away the balanced budget and started unfunded wars. It’s time to start acting like an adult rather than a petulant child.

449. You said, “I do not believe in gay marriages, I do not believe in abortion.” Do not believe in it all you want, it IS REALITY. How can you not believe in something that is happening, that is real and is legal? Now, if you said, “I don’t support gay marriages or abortion.” that I understand. Don’t get gay married or get an abortion. But trying to control other people is just not your business.
     Keep your bible in your church, where it belongs, but keep it out of my laws and my rights, okay?

450. Good grief Charlie Brown!! Listen to all of you people…the world is not going to end, Barack Obama is not going to ruin this country, and he is not a terrorist. There were MANY Presidents before Obama that contributed to our economy tanking. Say what you want, your beliefs are yours. You don’t have to try to convince me, I don’t care what side you are on. All I am saying is that maybe the best way to make a change is to stop bitching about it and expecting someone to do it for you and do it yourself…Stop bitching about it, get on the phone with your elected officials and tell them that they need to start getting along. The problem here is that no one wants to be the one to admit that maybe the opposition has a better idea. No one wants to be the one that backs down…I teach my 3 boys that sometimes, they can’t have it all their way…a lesson that I think politicians on both sides need to remember. If you think that Mitt Romney would be able to do it any better…I’m sorry, but you’re wrong. I don’t care which one was elected, neither one of them are going to be able to pull our economy out of the toilet in any satisfactory amount of time. I’m just glad that I live in a country where I was allowed to vote. That I live in a country where my kids can attend school without ridicule. Where I get to make my own decisions based on my own values because of the armed forces that we have protecting those rights. Instead of bitching about it, be thankful.

451. Hi there! I found this post from two “friends” on FB who shared it.

     I totally get your point about the comparison to terrorist. That was a stupid remark for sure.

     I also respect you as a fellow blogger — whoop whoop!

     However (you knew that was coming) … I am one of those people being vocal. But it absolutely has nothing to do with diversity (I go to a very diverse church). It has nothing to do with being a bad loser, or that my “team” lost.

     I am vocal because of the right of the unborn and the morality of this nation. Not that I think people don’t have a right to vote however they desire.

     So — just so you know, I shared your post on my FB page (even though I can only guess that you and I probably have two different points of view on this issue).

     Bless you,
     Beth

452. “The thing is Catie, this is a Christian Country”
     http://www.alternet.org/story/155985/5_reasons_america_is_not_–_and_has_never_been_–_a_christian_nation

453. What a wonderful post! I know my daughter was dismayed to read post on her Facebook feed so many outrageous comments. I told her to hide or de-friend those people if it upset her so much. I hope she shares this post on her page. We need to come together as a country as there is so much to be done. Thank you for an excellent perspective!

454. It’s tragic that so many citizens voted for the same policies that put Greece into turmoil. It’s tragic that so many Americans voted for a health care law they never researched.
     It’s tragic that our financial system is falling apart, and like a college student with “daddy’s credit card” our president keeps “charging it” to China with out a budget (you try that one, tell me how well it works for you)
     It’s tragic that stupidity out numbers intelligence here in the United States!

455. I guess the tragedy is really in the way we are all acting… like spoiled children who expect the framework of American government to act like a vending machine. Put in a vote and get out your favorite brand of leadership. This blaming, victim thinking and behavior, bickering, name calling is shameful. I imagine our forefathers looking down on us right now, shaking their heads. If you only take one day out of 365 days to vote and the rest of the 364 days do nothing to better your country and the lives of your fellow Americans, then you have no reason to complain. You have every RIGHT which you are openly exercising by the comments above, but there’s no integrity in it.

456. Also, David, if the Supreme Court were actually doing what they were supposed to, their political beliefs would not affect their vote. They are supposed to uphold the Constitution and decide whether laws are constitutional. They are NOT supposed to give their personal opinion, beliefs, or “interpretations” of what they think the Constitution meant to say. I would worry about the fact that our Supreme Court is using their own personal beliefs to shape their decisions much more than who the president will choose next.

457. How can you say the country “just acquired a one-party government”? The Republicans still have a majority in the House, the Democrats have a small majority in the Senate, and there were even a few independents elected. How is that any different than under previous presidents, Democrat or Republican?

458. Sonya,
     I’ve been on food stamps before – my husband had a full time job when we were getting that help to feed our children. Newly out of the Air Force, we just couldn’t make enough money. So – lazy – no! Need a hand up? Yes.
     Don’t paint everyone receiving assistance with the same “lazy” brush. Sometimes it’s just the circumstances they are in at the moment.

459. Well said, Mr. Maffett!

460. If this country just did become a one-party government (which judging by state and local governments all around the country that are still in GOP control; see: my home state of Nebraska), maybe it’s because the GOP has crappy/non-existent ideas, have contributed little of value to national politics, and tried to push an extremely out of the mainstream social agenda and they reaped the electoral fruits thereof. They have been slowly digging their own grave since their Faustian bargain with the religious right and the former Confederacy in the 60s.

461. Personally I am 100% proof that children don’t necessarily carry the same beliefs or values as their parents. My mother was and is a hard-core Romney supporter, and one of the idiots declaring it a “tragedy” that Obama was re-elected. and yes, I think she’s an idiot in this respect.
     So many people are STILL blaming Obama for not instantly fixing the mess Bush caused. However they refuse to acknowledge the fact that the REPUBLICAN Senate BLOCKED almost EVERY measure Obama brought to the house. Over three HUNDRED times… more times that ANY other term before, during any number of terms COMBINED.
     Perhaps if the Republicans would pull their heads out of their asses long enough to actually VOTE on the merit of the measures presented, instead of blocking the vote from going through JUST because it’s from Obama, the country might have a better chance at recovery and things being fixed.
     I personally HATE political parties and think they should be outlawed. To hell with which “side” you’re on. All I care about is what you HAVE done and what you want to do… And that’s all that should matter.
     The real “tragedy” of this election is that people are behaving so badly, making such awful, hurtful and uncalled for statements.
     A friend and I were having a discussion and came to the conclusion that if Washington, Jefferson and the others who created our Constitution were to somehow be able to visit our time, they would appalled and horrified by what has become of the country they founded. This is NOT what they intended in the slightest. They wanted a free secular (NON-religious) country where the people had a say in the government and were free from persecution for having “different” beliefs or opinions.

462. Fortunately not everyone is christian. Men should have nothing to say about what a woman does with her body. You don’t believe in abortion DON’T HAVE ONE but you have no right to tell me or any woman what she can or cannot do with her body.

463. Lom, Clinton signed NAFTA on his way out opening the gateway for jobs to be exported to foreign countries at cheaper cost to corporations. Bush also had to deal with 9/11 AND Katrina, not to mention the wars- how could money not be spent? And yes, the Iraq war was misguided and a huge waste of money for what seems like a familial vendetta on Hussein, but should we have not chased after those that caused 9/11 in Afghanistan? There is no infallible President, there is only Presidents that try to do what they think is right. We can argue shortcomings of our Presidents all the way back to Wilson who decided he was going to push a big government and established the Federal Reserve.

     Our freedoms have been diminished slowly but surely over the years but nobody seems to notice until you realize one day that you used to be able to choose something or do something and now it’s all regulated as if you can’t think for yourself.

464. Wow. Well said! Thank you for posting this! Sharing with friends and family (and the friends who ex-friended me when they learned that, while I’m open to discussion, I’m not just going to swing their way.)

465. Let me just step in here and say that you are correct, no one is preventing Sheather from living out his Christian beliefs… not yet anyway.

466. It seems to me that this is one of the comments that should have been deleted as disrespectful. In any case, if we have more people receiving assistance it is because we have more people needing assistance because of the bad economy. What are those people supposed to do when they lost their jobs because their companies went bankrupt? You seem to be one of the people who assumes that the “masses” are unemployed because they want to be. That may be true of some, but most of the people receiving benefits are people who, through no fault of their own, lost their jobs and now need help. What is their alternative?

467. How does Jim even know if the people signing up are on food stamps? When I signed up for 24 Hour, they did not ask me what type of assistance I got.

468. Fact check #1: Some of the more prominent founding fathers were not Christians, or had some radical revisionist beliefs about Christianity (think Jefferson Bible).

     Fact Check #2: The Pledge of Allegiance was written in 1892 by Bellamy, who was a Christian socialist. The original Pledge did NOT include the word “God.” It was later adopted in 1942 by Congress. At it’s first use by Congress, it did not use the word “God.” The word “God” was incorporated through an act of congress in 1954 under President Eisenhower, who had been recently baptized as a Presbyterian.

     Reality check: Just because certain religions were not at the forefront of American history when the country was founded does NOT mean that they shouldn’t be part of its policies now. The whole idea of the separation of church and state was so that not one religion or religious sect would reign over others and so that people of certain beliefs would not be persecuted (i.e., systematically mistreated) for their beliefs. No one is persecuting Christians in America. There is no threat on Christian faith. You can still practice your religion freely without fear of persecution. Christians are free to express their views at the offense of others. And in fact do so. Some Christians even offend other Christians with their belief systems. That is not what defines freedom of religion or expression.

469. What’s tragic is how few people realize what’s going on globally, unjust wars, killing innocent people, indoctrinating children with ridiculous nationalism (as if the people of the world are that different), poor quality education, poor quality foods, flouride in our water. Americans are generally being lied to, divided, poisoned. WE are to blame, and our crime is apathy and ignorance. Is it not tragic that upon re-election, drones were immediately sent to Yemen? Is it not tragic that hours after re-election the US backed the UN on the arms treaty, likely resulting in infringement on our second amendment right and more innocent lives lost? The tragedy is in the big picture. The tragedy is the allowance of a market-based economy to transcend laws of morality, decency, and respect for the environment. The tragedy will become ever so obvious as our economies all collapse, more wars ensue, and the people are brought to their knees begging for big government and corporate fat cats to save us and throw us a bone. But, it doesn’t have to be that way. Wake up, people. The world, with all due respect for all its beauty, is headed toward tragedy if we do not immediately alter our methods for social and economic progress. Some of us aren’t upset “our” guy didn’t win. Some of us simply lament that the people are ultimately losing.

470. I’m amazed of all the people that are taking this so badly. I’m a Republican from Massachusetts and a Small Business Owner and I DidNot Vote for Mitt Romney. Everyone should ask them selves 1 Why did Mitt not run for reelection for Governor after only on term and 2 why did he not only loose Massachusetts by huge numbers but also every state that he ever lived in or worked in too. That tells me that the people that know him best don’t trust him.
     Be Safe.

471. Most of the comments I’ve read support for Obama. First he said that if he could not fix the economy, ( It’s worse then when he was elected.) and bring unemployment down to 5.3%. ( It’s much higher.) That he would not run for reelection. ( He Did.) Second he has spent and barrowed more then any President in history. ( More then the 4 previous Presidents combined.) Third he has forced his Obamacare down our throats. ( Taxasion with out representation, and unwanted by most.) Fourth he used executive privlage to hide just how badly Fast and Furious went wrong. ( Hundreds killed by Mexican cartels, with weapons provided by Fast and Furious.) Fifth and most important, He let four Americans die in that Libia embasy. He ordered all forces to stand down. He turded down repeated pleas for help from the embasy. Two hours after the attack he knew it was an Al-Cida attck, then for almost five weeks said it was over some stupid vidio on the enternet. For this one reason Obama should be tried for murder in the first degree, four counts. Along with numerous counts of misconduct.

472. you don’t even understand who really runs this country.
     BANKS.
     9/11 was an inside job and the real tragedy is that this is a nation of zombies with all 5 senses dimmed and lost hearts riddled with selfish ans unsuitable lust for material and superficial happiness.
     people need to take responsibility for the global collective and fight against the cooperate slave drivers that aim to moot our lower class lives for their benefit.

473. and*

474. That should be turned down.

475. If you are an NPR listener, you might want to check out last weeks episode of This American Life. It was about politics in the US. One of the points made that in all of the people who were interviewed for the stories- no matter what side of the discussion, the interviewees made a comparison to Natzi Germany. Really?

476. No, it is NOT a Christian country, and never was.

     “In God We Trust” was adopted as a motto in 1956.
     http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_God_we_trust

     The leading founding fathers were neither Christian nor even Deist, but rather supporters of “Theistic Rationalism”.
     http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Founding_Fathers_of_the_United_States

     The founding fathers, who came from a variety of backgrounds, very specifically did not want religion involved in the government. Your revisionist Christian-Right philosophies do not make it suddenly so.

477. Considerably, this post is really the sweetest on this notable topic. I harmonise with your conclusions and will thirstily look forward to your incoming updates. Saying thanks will not just be sufficient, for the phenomenal clarity in your writing.

478. Sorry, Yepper. This is NOT a “Christian Country”. It is predominantly Christian (78.4% Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_the_United_States), but that leaves that other 21.6% who are free to worship (or not worship, as the case may be) as they please.
     Christianity and God are not mentioned in the U.S. Constitution. If you do the research, you’ll find that most of the Founding Fathers were not “Christian”.
     Source: http://freethought.mbdojo.com/foundingfathers.html
     Subscription to Christian principles is not the same as membership in Christianity. You’ll find that most of Judaism, for instance, subscribes to the same principles.
     We all have opinions. We all espouse thoughts of one flavor or another. But if you’re going to state something as fact, please do the research or let us know whose research you’re quoting. Otherwise we’ll write you off as a sore loser.

479. BRAVO & Amen!!! Thank you & this is the very 1st comment i’ve ever left anywhere. 😀

480. Johnny, you’re a little unclear on who was president while 9/11 happened. That would be Bush Jr. Prior to Bush Jr’s presidency there was evidence that the Clinton administration’s intelligence was aware of the growing threat Bin Laden and Al Qaeda posed to the US. Bush Jr. put off warnings about Bin Laden in favor of focusing on Saddam and Iraq. There was intelligence about the possibility of large scale attack on the United States by Al Qaeda while Bush was in office. This information was either brushed off or ignored.

     To be clear, 9/11 had shit all to do with a ‘weak’ foreign policy and a lot more to do with ignoring the threat Bin Laden and Al Qaeda posed to the US. Historically, the mess in the Middle East has to do with Israel and the borders which divided up the holy land. It also has a lot to do with the US’s strict support of Israel. Muslim extremists have no love for the United States, but this really has nothing at all to do with the US’s perceived weakness.

481. Please know how much I adore you for your wonderful words. It is like you read my mind! Outside of me coming from Memphis, Tn. 🙂 But this is a truly beautiful point of view and I wish SOOOO many people on my FB page would take the time to READ this with open minds as opposed to hearts filled with hate. I pray for them and I pray for this country. It is the most amazing place on earth. Everyone needs to understand no matter what you believe learn to respect others since you want the same respect!

482. Um, no it’s not. It’s a country with religious freedom. It is not run or governed by Christianity, I don’t live by your religious law. Therefore, not a Christian country. So, the thing is Yepper, you’re wrong.

483. It will never be a one party country. If the Republicans can craft a platform that appeals to more than just white upper class males and religious fanatics, then they can win many hearts and minds. Keep “tragic” in perspective. Finally, Bush cut taxes and didn’t cut spending, started the orgy of borrowing from China and 1 totally unnecessary war that cost trillions. Obama added trillions more in stimulus. Fair to say that both played a hand. Fair to say that both could have been avoided.

484. That’s right Megan. The companies that took the bailout are very near bancruptcy even after having taken the “so called bailout”. It’s truly a joke that they call it a bailout, like ah, for who? Solyndra??? As far as I’m concerned they should have let the auto industry go belly up because the free market takes natural care of itself, no government interception necessary. Instead, in the guise of a so called “bailout”, a word that makes the public feel artificially comfortable, it has only denied a hastier and mor thorough recovery. Since when can the government run anything and if they had money to bail anything how about starting with their own ineptly run operations such as the United State Postal Service, or even better the Veterans Administration. What a joke! It’s like the pot calling the kettle black. But furthurmore the government has regulated and over regulated the auto industry, banking, and many others such as mining, so much that we can’t be anywhere close to competitive in America. Yes, our government is the crimnal here. There has never been a government in our whole world history that has ever been able to run a business. Russi, China, North Korea? Just try to find one. It takes the free market to do that and why you might ask? Because the free market has to answer to the public that supports them. The government NEVER does. The government decides and you take what they give you whether you like it or not. The way they do that is to eliminate competition and then guess what the quality is after that. You will have no other choice. Everyone learn their history and forget what those wildly Liberal teachers taught you in school. THEY WERE WRONG.

485. As someone else mentioned, check your grammar–and especially punctuation–and your argument would be more credible. And check your history. If all you can see with Obama is failure, you need glasses. He saved the American auto industry. He ended the war in Iraq. He got rid of Osama Bin Laden. He gained the respect of the rest of the world. Polls of other countries showed overwhelming international support for Obama. He maybe didn’t accomplish everything he wanted to or that you would have liked him to, but it is a gross exaggeration to say you see nothing but failure.

486. Wish people would stop lumping all New Yorkers together. Yes downstate the votes were nearly 2 to 1 for Obama. But upstate the statistics were reversed with nearly 2 to 1 for Romney. Because the population density is much higher in downstate, their votes trump upstate votes. This has been an ongoing issue.

487. Ester, our Founding Father’s were composed of many religious beliefs. This country was not founded by Christians or by a Christian God.

     No one is trying to offend Christians. We’re attempting to preserve the idea of a secular government and the separation of church and state. The idea, or mention, of A God or Your God in secular government buildings or in secular public schools violates the separation of church and state. Your solution to this is to attend Christian private schools, which have no connection to taxpayer money.

488. My brother, whom I love dearly, is depressed like I have never seen. All I can do is remember when Bush and the US Supreme Court stole the 2000 election. I called my democratic congressman’s office and sobbed to his secretary. The saddness is overwhelming. He has been told that the American that he loves no longer loves him. Really, it is like being jilted by the love of your life. My heart goes out to him but my sympathy is not a balm

489. An instantaneous tragedy like 9/11, it is not. But, a “Tragic Day for Our Nation” it IS. On 11/06/2012 America gave up on “The American Dream”. This too, will be a pivotal moment in history, when America said “It is what our country can do for us, it is not what we can do for our country”.

490. Oh come on.. give the guy a break. There is something to be said for correct grammar (and being an English freak I’m usually the one to say it) but a few hiccups here and there like in Jim’s post is not reason enough for such a patronizing disclaimer on your post. You know some people actually do have problems like dyslexia and believe it or not, they are still entitled to an opinion. This is about an election not a spelling bee…

491. I agree…I don’t care which side you are on, it’s only going to get worse until people start realizing that the only way it’s going to change is to cross the party line and work together. Instead of trying to convince others that your way is the way to go, I think the better option is to stop bitching about everything and just get it done.

492. I love this!! I agree.

493. Read this based on a link from a friend and I’m so glad I did! Hoping we can all find a healthy perspective again 🙂

494. Last time I checked, the House was firmly Republican-majority. Yup, still is.

495. A one-party government? In what sense on earth do we have a one-party government? Are you aware of the outcomes in the House and Senate?! And are you aware how effectively the Republicans in Washington have managed to stop Obama from doing almost anything these past 4 years? This is no dictatorship and indeed, what you write here is just the kind of extremist rhetoric that Jo’s article is all about. In most countries of the world Obama would be considered a right-wing politician. He is no communist dictator. Keep things in perspective, dude!

496. A LOT of us remember Mitch McConnell’s vow to make sure Mr Obama was a one-term President, no matter what. I’m proud of our country that in spite of McConnell’s best efforts, he failed.

497. amen sister….

498. BUSH WARNED THEM? Are you delusional? Bush started two unfunded wars and told everyone not to worry and go shopping. He warned us alright “I have earned political capital and I intend to spend it.” He did, and spent us into a near depression.

499. Very eloquently said! I applaud you for saying what so many have been thinking, myself included. I am just as angered by those whining about losing as I am by those bragging about winning. As I read through some of the comments, I am absolutely shocked at some of the other poster’s naivety or downright stupidity. Seriously, there are people out there who still subscribe to the notion that 9/11 was staged? Shame on them. That person probably thinks the holocaust was staged as well. The person who is angry by the bail-out? Well I work for one of those companies. My firm has repaid the federal loan back to the government in full with interest.

     The Mid-Atlantic states of our country just suffered horrendous devastation at the hands of Hurricane Sandy. That is a tragedy as many are homeless, cold and desperate for assistance. But despite this we got out there and voted as is our privilege and obligation.

     I voted for “the other guy”. Am I devastated that he did not win? No! I just pray that our Congress will get it’s act together and work with this president so that we can work as one to repair what previous leaders have screwed up. Leaders of both parties… This is where we fail. The inability to make true compromise for the good of our country.

     Thanks for letting me vent.

500. No, Yepper, it is not. The First Amendment states that Congress shall make no law concerning religion, which was intended to prevent this country from becoming a theocracy. John Adams stated in the Treaty of Tripoli that this country is not a religious nation. Most all of the Founding Fathers were deist or agnostic, not the hardcore Christians so many people seem to think that they were.
     I myself am Christian and I am relieved that our country is not a Christian one, no matter how hard the politically active wings of some churches have tried to push Christian agendas through the legislature. Our country is not a Christian nation, but it is a diverse and welcoming one where all people, regardless of what faith they do or do not practice, are welcome. As long as they aren’t pushing those beliefs on me, just like they don’t want my beliefs pushed on them, America’s going to get along just fine.

501. Thank you for this… I think every person no matter what party they affiliate with need to read this and really think about it.

502. Ok a couple of things.

     1) you are correct the Mitch McConnell did not make the “one term President comment until 2010. That is only because the republicans were effectively out of power until the 2010 elections. So as soon as the got dealt back into the game, House leadership made it known that they were not going to work with the President. They chose party over country.

     2) I doubt that the President will be offering amnesty to 12 million Latinos ( I am assuming that is whom you are referring to) , our immigration problems would not be solved by a simple blanket solution, but even if he does , Republicans have themselves to blame for effectively creating a “one party” system. The Republicans put forth policy in such a tone deaf manner, that it created an environment were it appeared that the right just didn’t not like ” brown people” . Even without a change in our immigration policy 50,000 Latinos turn 18 every month, and the are concentrated in places like Florida, Arizona, and Texas. It is a demographic nightmare for the right, and they have no one but themselves to blame.

     3) If the Republicans become a Minor/ regional party it is not the end of our nation. Political parties have risen and fallen throughout our nations history,and if Republicans continue to listen to the most vitriolic of voices from the far right maybe the Ash heap is where they belong, so there is room fro a strong center right conservative party again in America.

     In the end that choice is going to be made on the right. So quit the histrionics and engage your leadership.

503. Funny that you believe Mitt Romney is a strong leader. Didn’t the state he used to govern vote for Barack Obama? What sort of leadership skills does that boast?

504. I am NOT a Democrat! I am NOT a Republican! I AM AN AMERICAN!!!!!! Because I am an AMERICAN who IS registered to vote, I do what all AMERICANS who exercise their right… I vote according to my concious and what platforms seems to be the lesser of two evils. I then pray for those who are in authority…as the bible tells me. Every 2 years we have a chance to make our wishes known, but because we choose to side with a person/party/platform instead of uniting and demanding that they, Capitol Hill, THE BIGGEST WELFARE SYSTEM WE HAVE, work together for OUR…AMERICA’S…good. Because the needs of Americans are so different, we will probably never be on the same page. ALL of Capitol Hill made this mess. Yes, we need to balance the budget. Yes we need to reduce debt. Yes we need to protect our children and elderly. Yes we need to protect education. Yes we need to work to keep Big Business here in America. But somehow we have to find a way to do it without hurting each other and being prepared to sacrifice to acheive this.

505. Great post!

506. So well said I am sharing on my facebook page!!

507. For the generation that is heading into education and into the work force as well (teenagers and young adults) it will be tragic. The baby boomers and retirees shouldn’t have to worry so much, obama will just spit government care in your face. This young generation will suffer and pay, it’s not all about the present.

508. Thanks for putting a little perspective out there.
     There’s been a lot of drama… this is the first election i’ve ever really seen friendships ended over. It was personal for a lot of us.

509. Thank you!!! Well said!

510. Easy, tigers…

     This isn’t a place to tear one another apart about who’s at fault; it’s a place to consider good sportsmanship, perspective, and the privilege of being Americans. I have friends who are furrowing their brows, filled with fear this week. I have friends who are smiling, filled with hope this week. And it’s okay to discuss both, openly, because we are Americans. And it’s okay for me to be friends with both, openly, because we are Americans.

     Those who choose to play the blame game and toss around insults, especially in response to a thoughtful, open-minded post like this one, only hinder progress for all of us. Our country is not perfect, nor will it ever be, but you do have the opportunity and the right to make a difference in whichever way you feel is best. Please do it politely.

     I say keep loving our country, and “XXX Bless America” – and you can enter the word of your choice – because you’re an American!

511. You are so right! Everyone needs to stop the childishness!!! All the high-fives! All the tears and mourning! Not necessary! America has a system in place for checks and balances. Executive, Legislative, and Judicial Branches are there to make sure we don’t become Socialist or Communist! Wish they would take a paycut to start working on the deficit. Their salaries would definitly pay some bills.

512. How utterly and simply true this is. I love that a friend shared it…and that I got to read it. Thank you.

513. The “upper class”? What “upper class”? Do you mean the rich? Oh, the poor rich people!

514. Pingback: Shocking secret Obama victory video leaked | Blackwatertown

515. Wow, Cowcharge really has a republican bur up his backside. You can join your fellow white racists and move to Australia, but keep in mind that they have a gay prime minister, free healthcare and Religion doesn’t run politics there. HA! book a flight moron…

516. What a lot of bitter, uninformed, divisive and polarized people there are here. This is now the Divided States of America and the sheep who watch Fox and MSNBC should be ashamed of themselves for being so easily manipulated and letting their worst natures vomit out of mouths and keyboards.

     So much ignorance and anger – what on earth happened to you people?

517. You know – the great lord Cthulhu could rise from the sea. Who knows? I sure don’t. I’m not a mind reader, so he may just rise up and throw this world into a thousand years of darkness. So! Let’s just toss it into a sentence to get people riled up because we can always use the justification of ‘you never know!’

     Logic = sound.

518. Pip,

     Thanks for pointing out, with such a level head, that this is a nation founded on religious freedom. Our separation of church and state is fundamental in our continued freedom and success.
     This is a good point to keep in mind for this lively discussion.
     I laughed out loud when I saw the comment above that this is a “Christian Country” (thanks for that Yeppers). It is not. This is a free country and wouldn’t it be great if our freedom pulled us closer together.

519. http://www.cbpp.org/cms/index.cfm?fa=view&id=3252

     Sorry to burst your bubble.

520. I feel like some of these comments missed the point

521. I am very excited to see that someone realizes what we are headed toward Cowcharge. Thanks, it makes me feel so not alone! Let’s hope 4 years isn’t long enough to get this done!

522. Please enlighten me what exactly they did in 2008 because I clearly remember knocking on doors of seniors in forgotten neighborhoods who were preyed on to change their fixed rates into ARMs in 2007. The housing crisis has been an issue prior to 2007 as well so I don’t think this was a “Democrat” issue more than a GREED and and a predatory issue.

523. I apreciate you’re comments about terrorism and the economy. Bush ignored warnings from all over the world about attacks coming to the U.S. he used these attacks to start two illegal wars. And tanked our economy. Pres.Obama was left to clean up the mess. It’s a lot harder to repair than destroy. Especially without help from the other half of the government. Who are the patriots the ones who destroy or the ones who repair?

524. Yepper,
     Sure. Christianity is the dominant religion in this country. However, it is not a Christianity-GOVERNED country. This is a secular nation. Ever heard the term “melting pot”? It’s what this country was built on. Not shoving one religion down someone else’s throat. Not EVERYONE is a Christian in this country, and they are free to decide for themselves. Laws restricting the rights of citizens can’t be made in a SECULAR nation if the only argument they can provide is God. I believe any one in this country can have their own personal relationship with God without using that relationship to judge and restrict the rights of others who may or may not share those beliefs. If “Adam” wants to marry “Steve”, how is that going to affect me or the way I choose to live my life? It’s not. At all. Is allowing gay marriage going to hurt any straight couple’s marriage. No. Is letting a gay couple get married going to somehow turn straight people gay? No.
     And how does “Jane” deciding to have an abortion affect you or me? Again. It doesn’t. No one is trying force people to have abortions. It’s called pro-CHOICE. Not pro-abortion. I am completely pro-choice, and I CHOSE not to have an abortion when faced with an unplanned pregnancy because it wasn’t right for ME. I have no valid reason to enforce that on someone else.
     Maybe “Adam”, “Steve” and “Jane” don’t believe in your God. Come up with a valid argument why these things are so wrong that doesn’t involve religion. This country is built on freedom of religion (which includes the right to not believe in any religion) and the right to pursue life, liberty and happiness, provided you’re not encroaching on the rights of others trying to do the same thing. I think that’s all “Adam”, “Steve” and “Jane” are trying to do. Pursue their form of happiness, which isn’t taking away any of your rights or mine.

525. Unlike Dubya or Romney, I think Obama is sincere in trying to lead the country to a better place. Maybe if he didn’t have to deal with tantrum-throwing GOP’ers who are intent on not working with ANYONE besides themselves, things would be a lot better.

526. Yepper: no, it’s not. It’s a country of religious freedom, and freedom FROM religion, if that’s what one chooses.

     You know, Land of the Free and all that Civics class stuff that christian fundamentalists seemed to have dozed through during high school.

527. This sums it up the best!!!!! I have seen and heard some really disgusting things this week and it makes me sad! Jo, you did an amazing job with this and I must share it on my facebook page! Good job!!

528. How DARE you add perspective and insight to our ongoing tantrums!!?? We’re not interested in reason, we’re going for pure emotion!!

     Very well written. Thanks for the wise counsel.

529. I disagree with Jim’s claims and his sentiment, but his grammar and spelling, while not perfect, are excellent for a college graduate. Ask any graduate student who has to grade upper division undergrad papers, or any HR rep who has to slough through entry level resumes. Yikes.

530. I am with you Chana. Your statement is soooo true….

531. I couldn’t have written this any better. Thank you for writing EXACTLY how I’m feeling.

532. Be specific about the socialist direction the country is going in. It seems that Americans in general haven’t a clue as to what socialism actually is. I’m curious what you think this entails.

533. Awesome! Well said & I like your dictatorship!

534. Well said Sara…

535. Thank god I’m an atheist. This bonkery isn’t getting us anywhere.

536. I cannot believe that someone finally remembered the four Americans who were brutally killed in Benghazi while our president watched. Thanks

537. Thank you shared it to my fb page. really needed this right now

538. I say it was a tragic day for one fact alone: Obama’s attitude towards the nation Israel. What every President must know is that we need to have Israel’s back, not push them to give up what little land they have – land that they are entitled to. I realize that the majority of Americans are not God-fearing, but whether you believe in God or not, He is our Creator. God says that those who bless Israel will be blessed and those who curse Israel will be cursed. We, as a nation, have not been blessing Israel and we are seeing the results … Katrina; unprecedented tornado seasons; heat records; drought; Superstorm Sandy and the current nor’easter that is battering those same towns hit by Sandy. Anyone interested, should read “Eye to Eye – Facing the Consequences of Dividing Israel” by Bill Koenig.

539. Jo, I saw this post shared by a FB friend of mine. And your feelings resonate with me. I do believe we need to all work together. Though I voted for Obama and believe he is the man for the job wholeheartedly, I believe that the polls were a good indicator that he still has to earn the trust of the many who don’t believe he can help us. I know they can’t all be unreasonable and hateful. I know they are scared and hardworking people who pay their bills, pay taxes and want to leave this world a better place – just like I. So I remember to hear them out, to meet them half way if they let me and always remain kind and considerate whether I am dealt the same courtesy or not. I am here today able to enjoy the extraordinary privilege of being called an American because my parents believed in a dream that they could come here and make a life for themselves. I don’t take the freedoms I enjoy for granted because my parents raised me to remember that it is a gift, a blessing. I know I am not alone. I would like to see in 4 years progress in attitudes, in helping hands, in tolerance and through excavating our purposeful selves and inspiring those around us we will see the change as a nation. I believe there is power in one to change the world and it starts at home, with each of us. Thank you for writing this and for the reminder that there are far worse ‘tragedies’ than re-electing Obama.

540. Ohhh you mean two years into his term…. when republicans took over congress? ? That would make sense that THEY are the ones who swore to ensure Obama fails! ! Don’t forget that the nothingness Obama Has done is purely because of congress’ refusal to approve anything he has proposed. Including the end of the “temporary” tax cuts that bush put into place. If all the money hoarders in the country would pay fair taxes instead of expecting the poor to pick up their slack our DEBT would be greatly reduced. Its simple math! !!! Btw lets all remember what TEMPORARY means when the rich republicans think they are entitled to pay less taxes.

541. Thank you!!!!!!!!!!

542. “so all those checks and balances invented by the founding fathers just became null and void. I’m sure the Dems will rejoice at this, but the rest of us, who believe in the Constitution”

     Such as…separation of Church and State so that Religious views would not be involved in the making of Law? Yes….we see how well that has played out for a specific party who loves to push their Religion into what should and should not be a Law.

543. Thank you!!!!!

544. Well said in the spirit of getting to live in a great country.

545. I also agree with Sheather – it’s a child, not a choice. It’s never, ever right. I know someone who was a product of rape and would never wish that she weren’t born. I also personally know someone who was the victim of rape and also got pregnant, yet loves her child unconditionally. My sister was told when she was four months pregnant, that she should abort her child, since it was going to be born with many birth defects and probably, not live to be more than a few months old. She lived to be 3, with in home care; they loved her like they would any child; and Never, Ever wished she had aborted that child. Think about, God created these human beings.

546. Joe….You don’t know your history…….You have been listening to Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh too long. The economic mess was created by President Reagan when he opened our government to Corporations. We are heading towards a Fascist State because of him. Go back in history (Italy-WWII). Corporations ran their government and they failed. The Republicans are trying to do the same here by controlling the Legislative, Executive and Judicial branches of our government. They already have the Judicial (all the corrupt judges) the Legislative (all the lazy no-show representatives and NOW they wnat the White House. Imagine what kind of a MONOPOLY we would have!?!?!?!?! I sure as hell would not want to land on Boardwalk with them in FULL control.!!!!!

547. In Oct 2010 McConnell was, unfortunately for the country, describing the Republican mission since BEFORE DAY ONE.
     “…the Republican plot to obstruct President Obama before he even took office, including secret meetings led by House GOP whip Eric Cantor (in December 2008) and Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell (in early January 2009) in which they laid out their daring (though cynical and political) no-honeymoon strategy of all-out resistance to a popular President-elect during an economic emergency. “If he was for it,” former Ohio Senator George Voinovich explained, “we had to be against it.” ”

     Read more: http://swampland.time.com/2012/08/23/the-party-of-no-new-details-on-the-gop-plot-to-obstruct-obama/#ixzz2BfvrEBRT

548. “So quit the histrionics and engage your leadership.” One of the best, to the point, statements I think I’ve read on any blog, forum, +++ Sums up so much.

549. Very well said! What this country needs now, at this moment in our sometimes glorious, sometimes tragic history, is for people to pull together and make a good difference in the way we govern and are governed. The simple fact is this: Obama was re-elected. He is our president and all of the name calling, denigration, vituperation and outright scandalous talk is not going to change that one whit! We need to get over ourselves and get back to the business of making this country what it is…the best place to live and prosper.

550. Sarah, yours is one of the best posts I have seen on FB in many years. Thank you for your insight. I’d love to meet you. bobhillstrom@gmail.com

551. COWCHARGE

     You sound just as dumb as Joe….”The statement about making Obama a one-term president” started the day he became president. Just like the questioning as to weather he was a legitimate American Born person. You have to be STUPID to think that one could become president if he/she was NOT born in the US. I came to the US from Argentina when I was 10 y/o and I already knew that I would not be able to become a US president. Did you know that when you were 10 y/o.

552. It’s not the volume of Executive Orders but what they affect.

553. WORD!!!

554. Some facts on the “obamaphone”

     First and most importantly, it wasn’t started by Obama.
     http://www.factcheck.org/2009/10/the-obama-phone/

     The finger pointing. It’s inefficient. Inefficiency is definitely not helping the problem.

555. It is a sad day for America! We just elected a President who stood before us for 2 weeks and blatantly lied to us about a terrorist attack. He made up a story about a video and told that all over the world, even at the UN. An innocent American was arrested for making a video which had nothing to do with the attack! What happened to free speech? In fact we found out that there was NO PROTEST! Our intelligence community testified under oath that they never told him there was a video involved & that in fact there was no protest! Then we found out that there was a military presence there within an hour, and they were told to stand down by the White House! They watched the attack in the situation room in the white house and sent no help while our citizens there fought for their lives for 8 hours! It is disgraceful. Why are they lying to us about a terrorist attack? I honestly can not believe one person in America would vote for this man for this reason alone!
     Furthermore, it is a sad day for America that a President was elected who denies God and His principles. Christian people are in mourning, because our nation elected a wicked man. You may not agree with us, and that is ok, but you may not dismiss our feelings. They are valid and real!

556. Get over it people. The election is over and Obama won. Now, deal with it, and start working together and with the president to bring this country all the way back to where it was before. My God, if you continue to cry like little babies, nothing will get done. Just for once, be an adult, suck it up, and move forward.

557. Completely ignoring any political discussion on this post, because those who turn this political have missed the point.

     LOVE this. I was sickened and sad to see the insanity the day after on Facebook. I had to walk away from my computer for a time.

     I am PROUD OF MY COUNTRY. No matter who sits in the White House this land OF the people, FOR the people, run BY the people. That has not changed, and although there are strongholds of civil rights I feel have been under attack in the past four years, and will be under attack in the next four, one president can not, and has not, managed to fundamentally undermine our Constitution.

     Very, very well said. In four years, we get to do this all over again. Because we live in America.

     btw… I voted for Romney.

558. Thank you! Thank you for reminding! Thank you for making my hair syand on top of my goosebumps! Thank you! You are a fantastic writer! Point blank! I say thank you!!

559. Jim….if you are an entrepreneur and found yourself jobless then apparently you took interest in a failing venture. Better luck next time. I started my “one-man business” 4 years ago and I am doing fine so far.

     We are NOT supporting the “lazy class”! I have met many of what you call “lazy class” people and ALL happen to be white…if that makes a difference. Unless you were referring to…shhhhh….minorities……..

560. Not necessarily Lori .. you should hear what is said about Maggie Thatcher – hmmm … but then she was a woman!!!

561. What a great post. Thanks for writing it. Also, “straight up dictatorship” LOL!!!

562. Thank you gill.

     I fear the day that the people who think they have the best of intentions accidentally create a theocracy. So, they can believe what they like, but our country is not, and shall never, run on biblical law.

     A lot of my vote (against Romney) decision was because of the supreme court placements. I worry about those who rise with might against the lifestyle of the middle east, only to advocate a similar situation over here. And if one cannot see how the slippery slope of “life begins at conception” and “God’s definition of marriage” being written into law can slide easily into a controlling theocracy, I am surprised.

563. Wrong…..
     In 2008 through 2010 the House and the Senate were controlled by Democrats.

564. Well said, indeed. Someone else said after the election results were in – tomorrow we will wake up to the same families/friends/jobs, etc. We will still live in a country that embraces the right to vote as we wish – many countries do NOT allow this even in their so-called “free elections”, which if you follow news events at all, realize they are NOT. Those who are frustrated – and it is many of us, yes (even myself on some subjects) – should remember 4 years ago, the thought “put out there” on election day was this: it would take all of us working together – not one man who is supposed to be a miracle worker. A man who walked into a divided congress and inherited a ton of serious issues. Our job is to make sure we keep on having our voices heard by our senators and representatives, mayors and aldermen, governors to improve legislatures that will improve our lives and not put everything on one person. This is our world and our job to take care of it.

565. The only trouble with Obama winning is that we will hear it’s Bushes fault for the next 4 years. It is time Obama grows up , gets rid of his ego ,and takes RESPONSIBILITY for his actions.

566. Nope sorry, but fox news was forecasting the end of the world within days of the president being sworn in. And saying that your main goal is to make Obama a one term president at all, at any time, is ridiculous. With so many real problems to face, to make that a goal is completely inappropriate.

567. i’ve been completely horrified the last two days at the number of stories i’ve heard about people who have extended a conciliatory hand to loved ones who did not vote the same way–and had it slapped back, rudely and viciously. it’s as if people now think that if you don’t share a political party, you must be out to get everything the other holds dear. i have to say, watching the recent spate of ads, i can understand why people are being led that way, but i’m appalled that it’s bleeding into families and friendships that were otherwise solid. i think you are spot on about the fear-mongering and the exaggeration that has led to this. thank you.

568. Thank you! I’ve been feeling so surprised, and a little sad, over the comments so many online friends have made. People forget just how fortunate we are! Beautifully written!

569. You’re an idiot.

570. Did you idiots not read the article? Shame on you. Jesus.
     Why not, instead of biotch and compain…pray….not
     add more anger and hatred, pray to God that the jack arses
     in Congress actually realizes they are scaring the crap
     out of Americans…it is THEIR responsibility to think of
     the American people and stop letting their ignorant pride
     get in the way. What happened in the past is in the past.
     Can’t do anything about it, but think of good thoughts
     and pray for the future. Sheeze.

571. President Obama was NOT the President in 2008! He took office in 2009. Protest with signs, pickets, posts, whatever but please follow the codes for the American Flag. Not for me but for all those who FOUGHT for that flag! Please do this in honor of Veterans Day. A politician losing an election is not tragic as that heartfelt story states.

572. I’m so very glad a friend shared this on Facebook. Thank you for putting into words exactly how I feel.

573. Wait… After reading all the posts about Jordan’s reply, I take back my reply… You’re all idiots.

574. Thank you for writing this!

575. Exactly. And don’t think, btw, that I didn’t see many, many posts declaring how “TRAGIC” it would be if Romney was elected. …It’s just as important to be a gracious winner, something I’ve yet to see so far, save for very few friends. I wonder, how gracious would they be if the outcome were different?.

576. I see people are still rehashing the past here. Let’s be optimistic for awhile. I believe that our reality is what we make it. If we walk around with our heads down, wringing our hands and saying that Obama and the Democrats are going to bring about the end of our country it will happen because we didn’t make it not happen. I personally felt that Romney would be the ruination of our country, and not for the obvious reasons. But whoever is in charge, it is the people of our country who make or break us in the end, not the politicians. I could sit around badmouthing Bush, since he was president when I lost my job, my home, my retirement savings and ended up filing bankruptcy when I couldn’t find a job for the next 3 years. I choose instead to chastise myself for not having diversified my background, taking on additional training and preparing in case I had to make a late life career change. I could have prevented what happened, but I was too complacent. America is too complacent as well. We are all in this together, and if we work together we can turn things around. Forget the past, concentrate on the future.

577. Why?

578. This is exactly what I felt. More then half the country voted for Obama, and yet the next day there were so many people posting things about how stupid and uneducated Obama supporters are. Let’s face it, any help for the economy is going to come from Congress not the President. He is only one man, and whether that man was Romney or Obama, most of the work was still going to be done by congress. There are 537 people who make up the Senate and House. If they actually work together there is no reason that between the over 500 of them, they can’t fix the problems we are facing. I voted based on which candidate I thought would do a better job with things like foreign policy, gay rights, woman’s rights, environmental issues, and education and technology advancement. And after doing research and listening to the debates, and reading statements by both men, it was clear that Obama has a plan for these things. Romney didn’t even have a clear stance. He was so concerned with the economy and nothing else that it seemed he hadn’t thought about any other issue. Am I happy he won? Yes! And if that makes me stupid and uneducated I’m fine with that, cause I know over 50 million other people feel the same as I do.

579. FOX “NEWS” KEEPING THE IGNORANT MISSINFORMED

580. You speak of land of the free .but we elected a president who is now gonna dictate what health care we MUST purchase or be punished , I’m sorry taxed. Forcing churches who beliefs against abortion to help fund it!!…FREE?? ..sounds more like your opening

581. Couldn’t have said it better

582. Calling those who voted Obama terrorists is a bit extreme, we should all know too far left or too far right is not good in any situation. There is a middle ground. And while no this isn’t the end of the world this is the begining of the end of free America, you will soon see when having to wait 5 months to bring your child to see the specialist he needed yesterday. The governemnt thanks to Obama may now control what I do and what i choose to spend my money on, they get to penalize me during tax season should I not conform to their wishes. Our education system has gotten worse every year since Bush took office. And Obama promised to fix alot of things, a lot of things he FAILED to deliver on. He is working slowly and sneakily to take our rights away little by little so hoepfully no one notices. And it’s working , In the helath care bill he passed, there is a section which states the president may if he feels they are not doing their jobs properly, fire the VP and the speaker of house. Just to let you know a country in which there is one man with absolute power is called a dictator. They are trying to kill our 2nd amendment rights and in 4 years we will be so far from free it will not be funny. The people who voted Obama are not terrorists, they just let a sneaky one back into office. I would love for everyone to work together and hold hands singing kumbiyah while rainbow unicorns poop fell from the sky, that sounds wonderful actualy, but we are so far from world peace thanks to politicans t will never happen.

583. To my frustrated Republican friends..You will always lose because your party is AFRAID of Gays, Immigrants, Muslims, Latinos, Young People, Progressive Women, Unions, Abortion Rights, Black People, A Diverse America, Poor People, Climate Change, Non Christians,Gun Control,etc. etc. etc. Time to stop being afraid and join the rest of us on this Planet….

584. Puts things into perspective. The election is over, we need to move on.

585. Perfect, thank you so much. I’ve been wanting to post something today to respond to all of the nasty postings, the despair, the calling for a revolution…it just goes on. So, thank you, I’m going to share…

586. You are so competent at writing, you might have been an English teacher.

587. Jim, I really empathize with you. I was in my third year of college when I swallowed the “bitter pill” that I couldn’t work and go to school at the same time because my school didn’t have the classes I needed. After I left college, I was let go of my job and had a son. I started a tea company. Things were good though. Then, my husband was let go from his job of 8 years because someone didn’t “like” him. Needless to say, we’re on welfare. We’re on unemployment. He and I work tirelessly to make sure our family through working sporadic clerical and design jobs. Let’s stop pointing fingers. Let’s learn a little more about people before we start judging. Since then, I have accepted a of job and he has some interviews. I am unsure of continuing because this job thinks that since they pay me minimum wage, they can treat me like that as well. We’re not in a rush to accept jobs that are manipulative and abusive which is why I have recently started helping start-ups in employee relations. America is in need of reform, but we need to start rebuilding. One thing we need to start doing:
     1.Take responsibility
     2.Stop blaming
     3.Teach financial literacy
     3.Employers should treat they’re employees like people
     4.Work together (doesn’t mean agree)-in policy, in work, with each other

588. You know why people say it is tragic. It is because there are those of us that still believe the Bible and what it says. It is tragic to justify a woman’s right to her body, but deny that same right to the living being inside of her. Where is the unborn’s right. It is tragic to go against God definition of marriage. Marriage is God’s institution, not man’s and to try and redefine it is what will bring our country down. Anybody with half a brain can see that our country is going so far away from biblical principles and we will soon pay the price. God will not be mocked. That is what the map of votes is so red instead of blue. At least there is still a majority of people who still stand with God and his law, not man’s. Yes it is tragic.

589. Thank you for speaking my thoughts more clearly than I could. (We need a word for benevelant leader, as apposed to “dictator”, which carries connotations of unfairness.) I appreciate you focused authorship.

590. I hate to break it to you, but people are still losing their houses, people are not getting jobs, and folks are not spending money. Social programs are not the answer, no where in our constitution does it say that the government will “take care” of us. Small business owners, classified as being rich, are unable to hire due to anemic sales. They are the life blood of our country and they can’t make it. All of this talk about raising taxes so the governement can “take care” of people is a bunch of bull. Hard working people are paying the price. Take a good long look at your pay stub sometime, do you really want less money? If you are barely making it now, how is raising taxes going to help you spend more money? The only way out of bad economic conditions is for consumer confidence to go up, get money flowing. These “super rich” people that get thrown under the bus for being smart businessmen because they invest their money in places they actually get a return on their investment, foreign countries! They would bring their money home if they weren’t going to get squeezed by our government to pay their “fair share”? Fair? What is fair? Who’s definition of fair? If they bring the money home, the stock market goes up, your 401 K goes up, your home value goes up, you spend money, the store owner has to hire people to work in his store, and unemployment goes down, more people paying into the system instead of taking ouf of the system….not very complicated. We live in a democracy, based on capitalism, not “fairness”

591. I’d just like to say thank you. Thank you for reminding me to have some perspective and of our many blessings here in the USA. God bless you!

592. well said, you must have voted for Obama. But anyway let the Romney follower mourn. They have that right.

593. 1)First of all, Romney never said he was going to cut FEMA. He said he wanted to give more responsibility to the individual state so that things could be managed better. 2) NY and NJ are historically democratic states, so your point in moot. Of course they voted Dem, they almost always do!! 3) Last time I checked, which was this morning, 49% if the population is receiving some sort of govt assistance. And you are trying to tell me this hasn’t become a “gimme” nation over the last 4 years? Please. This president is desperately trying to follow pin te footsteps of his non-existent daddy. Big govt, no middle class.

594. I couldn’t have said it better myself. You are the type of people I want to be surrounded by always. It’s refreshing to see another person who recognizes how truly great this country really is. I posted something similar on my facebook just yesterday because I too was disgusted by things some people had to say of our country. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.

595. Excellent! Here’s the problem, as I see it: the rhetoric from BOTH SIDES has been ratcheted up to the point that each candidate was saying the other’s positions and policies “are going to destroy America.” Not “my ideas are better than his,” but “that other guy is going to destroy America.”

     After months and months of hearing this kind of talk, it’s easy to see why people have taken on such ugly rhetoric themselves. We desperately need some sort of return to ethics and truthfulness in campaign advertising.

     If I’m selling widgets, and I run an ad saying my widgets are the best, I’m in the clear. But if I say the other guy’s widget will cause you harm, I have to either prove it, or remove that ad and possibly answer to a lawsuit. Shouldn’t we hold political advertising to at least that minimum standard?

     In Canada, you can’t get the Fox News Channel. Do you know why? Because Canada has a law that states you can’t call yourselves a news program if you knowingly broadcast something that’s untrue. To be fair, MSNBC might run into the same troubles in Canada. But again — shouldn’t that be the minimum standard for news broadcasts? That they be true?

     When I started in journalism we didn’t have “fact-checkers.” We WERE the fact-checkers. We need a return to that minimum standard. We need a new and updated version of the Fairness Doctrine.

596. With all the additional money involved in politics today, it has been a challenge finding out what the truth is within all the media that bombards us on radio, TV, the internet. etc. It is hard to imagine that one of the top interest of super-rich who make up a large par at of the contribution to super-pacs are interested in the needs of the average person. Yet, it seems that the many people let themselves be influenced by their message, even when the message lacks credibility. We’ve all heard things like Obama is not an American, that he is going to take away our guns, and turn us into a socialist state. I live in a county with high unemployment and many are needing a hand-up from the government; yet they view the person who is trying to help them the most as the enemy. I used to be more like them than I would like to admit. We can’t afford a nation of people like I used to be. Our problems are too big and too important to not get our vote right.

597. What history books are you reading Paul, the same ones that say global warming is a lie?????

598. Thanks! Excellent post. This is one should be shared.

599. Someone else may have already stated this, and if so I apologize…

     I think the problem might be, that there is a good portion of our country who truly believe President Obama is a terrorist, and is actively trying to destroy our country. While I really hope most people exaggerated to an extreme extent…after listening to this group for years…I’m afraid that some are dead serious.

600. Amen Chana, that’s exactly what has occurred.

601. Thank you. I have shared your post on Facebook with my friends, family and colleagues because I think it is time for everyone to turn down the heat. Things are going to be all right. The dire, radical, immoderate language is a symptom of something other than one’s side losing an election.
     I remember when the Democrats expressed things with this language. It was during the Vietnam War and Watergate. The Democrats took a chill pill and grew up. So will the Republicans. The small minority left will continue baying at the moon no matter what.

602. Thanks for your honesty, perception, humanity!

603. What a beautiful message to put things in perspective. In spite of current struggles our nation is facing (economic or otherwise), we have so much to be grateful for. Thank you for writing this!

604. Tragic for millions of otherwise healthy babies, who are/will be aborted for the sake of convenience! Oh what are messed up nation we have become… 🙁

605. YES! It is NOT tragic and it is NOT over!! However, the constant berating (from either side, which includes sharing articles like this) needs to end! YES! The photo is of terrorists! That’s why Democrats must STOP blaming Bush! Protecting your country is not free or easy! He was a wartime president which no one ever wants to be, but as one you cannot sit back and do nothing! You must FIGHT to protect our land!! You cannot sit back as Clinton did in ’93 when the towers were struck and NOTHING was done!! The Democrats agreed with Bush all the way – right up until election time! THAT is where some of this division started! And the constant BLAMING of the last 4 years must end!! his wife rattled off all of Bush’s ‘mistakes’ during their campaign and in the next breath, ‘but her husband never blamed him, she got right to work!’ Let’s all pray and HOPE that if things go awry we are ABLE in 4 years to have the OPPORTUNITY to begin to fix things with whoever the new president is!!!!

606. I’m getting a little tired of people pontificating on the auto bailout and saying things like, “they should have let them go belly up!” and that it was unfair to the other American auto manufacturers. I’ve got a fact for you that is not going to jive with your narrative. Here is a clip of Ford CEO, Mulally on Fox News. If you think the Auto bailout was a bad thing or didn’t really matter, you should listen carefully to this clip. It gets relative at about 58 seconds in. I hope you listen to someone that knows better than you or I.
     http://gas2.org/2012/09/21/video-fox-news-gets-a-lesson-on-civility-economics-from-ford-ceo/

607. I am so glad that I am not the only person in the world who feels the same way. Amazing post, couldn’t have said it any better myself.

608. Wasn’t it Republicans who pushed what became the Medicare Plan D Prescription Drug Program and supported by GWB and signed into law in 2003? And wasn’t it the Democrats (and some truly fiscally conservative Republicans) who complained about it being completely unfunded and — knowing it would pass no matter what — tried, at a minimum, to include a provision that allowed the federal gov’t to negotiate lower drug prices for Medicare beneficiaries but the Republicans actually included in the bill provisions that prevented the fed. gov’t from doing so?
     And isn’t that the very same bill that has cost the US taxpayers over $60 billion dollars a year? The same one that is expected to cost as much as $150 billion a year by 2019?
     Just wondering…

609. Nice post Jo. Sorry to see so many divisive comments. People can’t just let well enough alone.

610. One of the best responses I have read thus far. Just too bad it won’t be read or understood by those who need to see it the most!!!Great job.

611. to Pam..concerning the Postal Service, first off, it is not a Govt agency as such, it is what can be called Quasi-govt. It is regulated by the govt, but not funded by the govt. The USPS gets NO taxpayer money. The reorganization act makes that very clear. The act also states that congress is notsupposed to use any postal revenue since it is not part of the federal budget. However, on more than one occasion congress HAS included the USPS in it’s budget, in the years that it runs a surplus in funds. Then congress takes those funds from the USPS to use to fund different projects they have included in its budget, and after taking the surplus funds, then removes the USPS from the budget. Thats part of why the USPS runs in the red a good part of the time. Also, the USPS has been mandated by congress to also set aside money to pay retirement benefits for current, and future employees that have not been hired yet, for the next 75 years. And that money can also be used by congress if it sees fit toward balancing the budget, and it is never repaid. Theres alot more to it but to long to explain.

612. I would love for you to tell me which bills Obama came up with that congress blocked from passing that had helped Veterans? Would it be the one that would cut their coast of living allowance? Or was it the bill in which he would not allow retired Veterans to get a yearly raise to keep up with inflation? Could it possibly be the bill that turns military retirements into a 401K that the soldier cannot draw until the age of 65 because it is unfair that we have a retirement that pays us the day we retire? Now here is a question for you, Service Members who sacrifice their freedoms to serve and protect the people of the United States and their allies against all enemies foreign and domestic, should have the same retirement that some who has sacrificed nothing for the better good of man kind? Oh and this bill to change the military retirement is to pay off the 15 trillion dollar deficit by save the tax payers 500 billion dollars over the next 10 years geez saving that much in 10 years will never pay off the deficit and wont even keep up with the interest and inflation of the deficit. Also in this bill they are cutting the service members education benefits while they are currently serving and cutting the education benefits for the service member’s spouse education benefits. Now tell me how it is fair that us service members must suffer the burden of yet another one of Americas problems while the people we are here to protect are unwilling to pay their fair of taxes and to cut out all useless programs that only promote the lazy to continue being lazy and to not be productive members of society. So his vision is to take from the .1% of the population let the other 99.9% continue to live without feeling any of the consequences of all this care free spending, how do you find this fair for those who are sworn to protect you? And if you think that soldiers do not protect you then fire all of us and take all the defense budget to PBS, Welfare, Obamacare, and all the green peace crap people want and you will see within hours we would be invaded by a foreign nation and all of our allies would not be there to protect us because there is not other military on the planet that the rest of the world fears than the U.S. Military. So please enlighten me on how congress is ensuring Obama is going to fail? Is it because they are keeping the benefits for the service member so they will continue to serve or to continue funding DOD projects to stay one step a head of our enemies? Please before commenting step back do some research and comment with some sort of intelligence and step out of your invisible protective bubble that keeps you from seeing the world for what it truly is, a harsh cruel place that is full of turmoil, violence, and hate. it doesn’t matter who the president is as long as they start to take from the majority and not the minority that only 1% over the entire population is part of. We have sacrificed enough for this country, when will it stop and the lazy will start to care for themselves?

613. Love this post…will definitely be sharing. Bless you and your little one with special needs. It’s a difficult, emotional, and amazing thing to be a parent.

614. Wow – thank you!

615. Are you sure we are going to be able to vote again in 4 years?

616. So not true – you need to check your “facts.”

617. DID ANYONE ACTUALLY READ THE POST? SHUT UP AND QUIT YOUR FIGHTING. GROW UP, PULL UP YOUR PAMPERS, AND FIND A WAY TO ACCEPT THE CURRENT STATE AND DO WHAT YOU CAN TO BE HAPPY! I DON’T CARE WHO WAS ELECTED PRESIDENT, IT WOULD NOT CHANGE THE FACT WE ARE IN A MESS. THERE IS NO QUICK FIX! THERE IS NO SUPERHERO GOING TO MAGICALLY MAKE ALL OUR PROBLEMS GO AWAY! GET REAL PEOPLE, YOU ARE A TRAGEDY TO THIS NATION.

618. I am sorry Yepper – this is not a Christian Country. This is a country in which it’s Constitution allows all people to practice whatever religion they so choose (or no religion at all). The Founding Fathers made that perfectly clear when they seperated church and state and made the First Amendment the freedom of religion.

619. Sad that the spirit of this message is lost on so many of you.

620. Amen! This is so absolutely true and I agree with you word for word. These political campaigns truly bring out the worst in people. I don’t understand how everyone thinks they look good by bashing the “other guy”. I’m waiting, sitting back, watching for the posts that speak positive about THEIR guy! Yet that doesn’t happen, I haven’t seen one single post that was positive. Calling the “other guy” names like they are a bunch of preschoolers. It’s ridiculous. They don’t sound intelligent. And it’s funny to me that even if Romney had won the election, if he didn’t follow through with all his promises then those people who were for him in the first place will then hate him as well. You can never win 100% as President and I give credit to anyone that is willing to take on such a difficult job. Thank you for your post, it NEEDED to be said!

621. In the technology sector, they have the idea of fail faster. I worked for a boss whose mantra was ‘test and measure then adjust’. There sure are a lot of opinions, but there is no perfect answer. But not trying anything at all is the ultimate fail.

622. It’s racist code. Those who say it’s tragic just are unhappy that a black man is in the White House.

623. Scabbeus….it is only because OUR government has a food stamp program that we do not see our neighbors in soup lines, or “stale bread” lines. The unemployment benefits are also a stop-gap measure, otherwise more people would be living in the streets. Maybe if people could grasp the concept of “unified governing”…and work together for the good of the masses. Then we will see this country rise back up and regain her status as the leader of the free world. Anything less, and we may face a Depression of major proportions.

624. The SAD AND TRAGIC part about this FAILED president getting re-elected, is that he wants to change our US FLAG, US CONSTITUTION, and he is bowing down to other countries which in the long run will weaken this country!!! This is among alot of other things. And Yes, this world is going to HELL IN A HANDBASKET, and his election/re-election is part of that!

625. Thanks – I needed that and you are so right!

626. Pingback: The Living Color Blog » the little things & the big picture: taking it all in

627. Thank you!

628. First, this article is terrific!!
     Next, I agree with what you say, Chana, but will add one bit. Let’s not hope, but demand better days. If you live in an area where these obstructionist congress people represent, let them know full well enough is enough! Let them know that any more of such tactics will lead to their removal from office with their replacement being someone capable of putting ‘us’ first, someone who learned in elementary school how to play nicely with others..

629. I agree with you. Dissappointing, but to call it sad and tragic is to give up. Are we not Americans! My great greatgrand parents on my mother’s side came here from Italy to look for a better life, I do not know much about them other than they were Italian and Catholic. Slowly generation after generation my family worked their way up to a better life. I believe my great grandparents would be not only dissappionted, but disguested in the well fare mentality that got Obama reelected. You heard me. What got him reelected, igorance, class warfare, well fare mentality, the fictional war on women, unions and some likely voter fraud. We have become a nation that values security before liberty and I fear we will loose both. Obama is not the problem his election is merely a symptom. The next four years will be a very difficult fight for those who are not willing to sacrifice liberty for security. You do not seem to understand the damage he can do in the next four years. 1 The Supreme Court, it is possible there could be two more vacancies in the next four years the appointment of a judge to the Supreme Court has repercusions that last for decades. Obama care is designed to slowly strangle private insurance until we go to a one payor system. Should this happen, I fear it will take an act of God to undo it. Taxes, Obama says he wants to increase revenue, what he wants is to increase taxes on the rich oddly enough you can do one or the other but not both. Increases in taxes, stiffles the economy which actually lowers revenues. When asked about this the President was quoted as having said that it didn’t matter as long as the rich paid their fair share. In the last year he has been effectivly ruleing though exective order. I’m just waiting for the day he goes too far and gets himself impeached.

630. BRAVO!!!

631. Kat, the comment about HOPING Obama failed was about hoping his miserable policies don’t get passed. Guess what, they did get passed and that is why we haven’t recovered. Giving money to a large corporation that is able to go through bankruptcy like any other country is it only unconstitutional but economically stupid. We are in for more unconstitutional behavior from Obama (like his dream act, forced health insurance, prevention of oil drilling permits, illegal and dangerous fast and furious gun schemes, and denial of protection to our consulates and embassies worldwide). That is the reason people call Obama’s re-election tragic. It has nothing to do with Romney losing and everything to do with statists winning.

632. Thank you for the article. Congratulations to your parents for being able to leave the tragedy they were living and raise such a level headed daughter. When George Bush was elected for the second time I was frustrated and I was a little scared. But I respect the Office of the President of the United States. I respect my Constitution and I value its words. Many of the comments on this page solidify the fact that our country is broken and divided which is heart wrentching. I would argue that if we can’t get beyond the desire to be right, if we can’t respect others ideas (even if they are fundamentaly against our own), if we can’t begin to remember that we are the “United” states then that will be a tragedy … one I hope I do not see in my lifetime.

633. AMEN!!

634. It seems everyone on the left wants to ” Blame Bush “. The House and Senate was controlled ( Majority )by the Democratic Party 2006 through 2010. That being said. The last two year of George W. Bush term was limited. Its true he owns the mess because it was his term. The first two years of the Obama administration was a Majority. To use a blanket statement that this is Bush’s fault is just not true. Ive attached a site from factcheck.org. If you want to see for yourself :
     http://www.factcheck.org/2012/06/obamas-spending-inferno-or-not/
     Just sayin….

635. I really don’t care if anyones likes this or not but this obama guy is the only president to ever blame the previous administration for EVERYTHING that has went wrong yet takes the credit for EVERYTHING that has went right. He’s a farse!

636. Thank you jb! Exactly what I was thinking. All the hate, anger and disrespect is what is tearing this country apart. When W was elected, I was as worried (or more) as some of the folks posting here, BUT he was a elected by a majority of the people (well, the second time, but we won’t go there). I didn’t call anyone names for voting for him. I didn’t hate people for voting for him. And I had several close friends who voted for him – they are still close friends – we just disagree on some issues. We need to learn to live together, respect each others opinions and learn to compromise for the good of all of our people. Remember this is the UNITED States of America. Indivisible (or did we forget that part of the Pledge of Allegiance?). United we stand, divided we fall.

637. Can’t wait for the world to end so people can just shut the fuck up. No more bullshit. No more lies. No more racism. No more greed. No more complaints. No more whining. Enough already. No one values our country. All we do is talk shit and bring everyone down. Who wants to live in a world like that?

638. Typical leftist comment to those who would want to protect liberty.

639. Regarding having some perspective: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technology_in_The_Hitchhiker%27s_Guide_to_the_Galaxy#Total_Perspective_Vortex

     Joking aside, I wish more people were as grateful as you are. I had to unfriend someone who claimed to genuinely believe that Barack Obama was a terrorist sent to the U.S. to destroy it. Kenyan communists and so forth. I wonder if she really truly did believe that. Like you said, things would be MUCH different if this country were taken over by terrorists.

640. Superb, Jo!!

     This is for all of you who have written earlier saying Obama hasn’t done anything but give us grief and aggravation:

     A “short list of President Obama’s accomplishments in SPITE of the Republicans doing everything in their power to handcuff him.

     1. Passed Health Care Reform: After five presidents over a century failed to create universal health insurance, signed the Affordable Care Act (2010). It will cover 32 million uninsured Americans beginning in 2014 and mandates a suite of experimental measures to cut health care cost growth, the number one cause of America’s long-term fiscal problems.

     2. Passed the Stimulus: Signed $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act in 2009 to spur economic growth amid greatest recession since the Great Depression. Weeks after stimulus went into effect, unemployment claims began to subside. Twelve months later, the private sector began producing more jobs than it was losing, and it has continued to do so for twenty-three straight months, creating a total of nearly 5.2 million new private-sector jobs.

     3. Passed Wall Street Reform: Signed the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (2010) to re-regulate the financial sector after its practices caused the Great Recession. The new law tightens capital requirements on large banks and other financial institutions, requires derivatives to be sold on clearinghouses and exchanges, mandates that large banks provide “living wills” to avoid chaotic bankruptcies, limits their ability to trade with customers’ money for their own profit, and creates the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (now headed by Richard Cordray) to crack down on abusive lending products and companies.

     4. Ended the War in Iraq: Ordered all U.S. military forces out of the country. Last troops left on December 18, 2011.

     5. Began Drawdown of War in Afghanistan: From a peak of 101,000 troops in June 2011, U.S. forces are now down to 91,000, with 23,000 slated to leave by the end of summer 2012. According to Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, the combat mission there will be over by next year.

     6. Eliminated Osama bin laden: In 2011, ordered special forces raid of secret compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, in which the terrorist leader was killed and a trove of al-Qaeda documents was discovered.

     7. Turned Around U.S. Auto Industry: In 2009, injected $62 billion in federal money (on top of $13.4 billion in loans from the Bush administration) into ailing GM and Chrysler in return for equity stakes and agreements for massive restructuring. Since bottoming out in 2009, the auto industry has added more than 100,000 jobs. In 2011, the Big Three automakers all gained market share for the first time in two decades. The government expects to lose $16 billion of its investment, less if the price of the GM stock it still owns increases.

     8. Recapitalized Banks: In the midst of financial crisis, approved controversial Treasury Department plan to lure private capital into the country’s largest banks via “stress tests” of their balance sheets and a public-private fund to buy their “toxic” assets. Got banks back on their feet at essentially zero cost to the government.

     9. Repealed “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”: Ended 1990s-era restriction and formalized new policy allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly in the military for the first time.

     10. Toppled Moammar Gaddafi: In March 2011, joined a coalition of European and Arab governments in military action, including air power and naval blockade, against Gaddafi regime to defend Libyan civilians and support rebel troops. Gaddafi’s forty-two-year rule ended when the dictator was overthrown and killed by rebels on October 20, 2011. No American lives were lost.

     11. Told Mubarak to Go: On February 1, 2011, publicly called on Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to accept reform or step down, thus weakening the dictator’s position and putting America on the right side of the Arab Spring. Mubarak ended thirty-year rule when overthrown on February 11.

     12. Reversed Bush Torture Policies: Two days after taking office, nullified Bush-era rulings that had allowed detainees in U.S. custody to undergo certain “enhanced” interrogation techniques considered inhumane under the Geneva Conventions. Also released the secret Bush legal rulings supporting the use of these techniques.

     13. Improved America’s Image Abroad: With new policies, diplomacy, and rhetoric, reversed a sharp decline in world opinion toward the U.S. (and the corresponding loss of “soft power”) during the Bush years. From 2008 to 2011, favorable opinion toward the United States rose in ten of fifteen countries surveyed by the Pew Global Attitudes Project, with an average increase of 26 percent.

     14. Kicked Banks Out of Federal Student Loan Program, Expanded Pell Grant Spending: As part of the 2010 health care reform bill, signed measure ending the wasteful decades-old practice of subsidizing banks to provide college loans. Starting July 2010 all students began getting their federal student loans directly from the federal government. Treasury will save $67 billion over ten years, $36 billion of which will go to expanding Pell Grants to lower-income students.

     15. Created Race to the Top: With funds from stimulus, started $4.35 billion program of competitive grants to encourage and reward states for education reform.

     16. Boosted Fuel Efficiency Standards: Released new fuel efficiency standards in 2011 that will nearly double the fuel economy for cars and trucks by 2025.

     17. Coordinated International Response to Financial Crisis: To keep world economy out of recession in 2009 and 2010, helped secure from G-20 nations more than $500 billion for the IMF to provide lines of credit and other support to emerging market countries, which kept them liquid and avoided crises with their currencies.

     18. Passed Mini Stimuli: To help families hurt by the recession and spur the economy as stimulus spending declined, signed series of measures (July 22, 2010; December 17, 2010; December 23, 2011) to extend unemployment insurance and cut payroll taxes.

     19. Began Asia “Pivot”: In 2011, reoriented American military and diplomatic priorities and focus from the Middle East and Europe to the Asian-Pacific region. Executed multipronged strategy of positively engaging China while reasserting U.S. leadership in the region by increasing American military presence and crafting new commercial, diplomatic, and military alliances with neighboring countries made uncomfortable by recent Chinese behavior.

     20. Increased Support for Veterans: With so many soldiers coming home from Iraq and Iran with serious physical and mental health problems, yet facing long waits for services, increased 2010 Department of Veterans Affairs budget by 16 percent and 2011 budget by 10 percent. Also signed new GI bill offering $78 billion in tuition assistance over a decade, and provided multiple tax credits to encourage businesses to hire veterans.

641. I’m sad because I think many of those who wanted Romney to win are hoping that Obama’s presidency will be a failure so they can be proven right. I hope that if he had won I would be praying that I had been wrong and that our country would become strong and even better. Everyone should be hoping for a successful four more years and then have their chance again.

642. From what I could stand to read – it seems that ALMOST everybody has missed the point of the original post. Nothing will ever get solved by insisting that it wasn’t “My Guy” who got us in this mess. What do we do from here? NOBODY is going to have evrything their way. It’s time for the governmaent to sit down and talk! This dilemna will have to be solved in steps. There is no magic bullet. Agree on something and do it – agree on something else and do that, etc, etc, etc. I would like to thank the person who originally started this conversation. It’s a shame it went down the toilet so quick. As far as I can tell, the people venting are the problem regardless of the “side” they take.

643. Mary, I have to disagree with a couple of things you said. Yes Obama did end the war in Iraq, but have you checked on the stability in that country lately? It turns out it isn’t all that great. And second of all the Osama Bin Laden thing I totally disagree with you on that one. That wasn’t Obama. That was Seal team 6 and our Intelligence Agencies all over the world. All Obama did was said was go. That Operation had been kept under raps since 2007. Oh guess who was in office then. The same Man that everyone wants to blame after 4 years for our economic woes.

644. “Even without a change in our immigration policy 50,000 Latinos turn 18 every month, and the are concentrated in places like Florida, Arizona, and Texas. It is a demographic nightmare for the right, and they have no one but themselves to blame.” Enuff said.

     Conservatives need to look at the numbers. If the message does not include a majority of the people, you cannot win. There is no secret formula…

645. Gaucho, you are a complete moron. Reagan headed us towards Fascism? Maybe if you could stop being a bigot and open your mind to possibilities other than what the left has drilled into your brain, you might have a thought worthy of someone reading.

646. Hugs to you! And thank you, so very much, for reminding people what tragedy really is. May your day be filled with peace and blessings.

647. To Jo: Your perspective is thoughtful, respectful and educational to remind us what true tragedy is. People have gone over the top, as if the world will end. In the end, the people who believe in extending a helping hand so that we’re not alone defeated those who believe “I got mine and I don’t care if you get yours.” Pure and simple. The heart won.

648. Get to elect again in four years? That’s what the Germans thought in 1933.
     And what had their leader done leading up to that? He promised to fundamentally transform their nation. He endeared himself early on to the trade unions, promising a better life if they would support him. He issued executive orders reserving the right to unilaterally order the military to detain citizens of their own nation for no reason other than his say-so. He first took over the banks and the auto manufacturers before commandeering most heavy manufacturing to retool it to militarize. He kept prison camps open where people could be imprisoned indefinitely without due process. He implemented nationalized health care so that the health decisions of the population could be controlled for the good of the nation (i.e. the old and infirm were allowed to die so that a great Aryan nation would grow from it).

     Those who cannot learn from history are condemned to repeat it.

     It may or may not be a tragic day for the nation. But it certainly sets a new narration into motion that could have us looking back on this election as the Germans look back on the Beer Hall Putsch. Don’t know what it is? (Of course you don’t. The liberal dept of education has dumbed down your public education to make you subservient).

649. While it is true in America that people can stand around water coolers and call the Commander in Chief of our great country an “idiot”, I have found that the person using language like that needs to look in the mirror.

650. Actually, if you all want to get technical about it… Our debt started with James Monroe (Our 5th president) Despite the warnings from Thomas Jefferson of starting to spend what we don’t have, leading us towards a national debt. Thomas Jefferson had it right back then, but Monroe was the one who started digging our whole!

651. Here’s part of the problem. Separation of Church and State is part of what America was built on. A good portion of American citizens are not Christian. So why do we have to follow YOUR biblical principles? I respect people of all religions, as long they refrain from telling me what I can and cannot do, how I must or must not believe/think. Diversity is part of what makes this nation so great, and it also means not everyone is going to think/believe alike. I have learned so much in my life from people who are from different cultures/religions/backgrounds, and it could only happen here. That is not tragic.

652. We have opened the door once again and the Antichrist has walked through it.

653. Thanks Jo for your words. When I first read the subject line, I was wondering if I’d actually be able to read the rest of the article, and I found, with elation, that I was able to read it and not get all upset and bothered by it. Way to stay unbiased. You did a great job writing your blog. Thanks again – awesome job!

654. This is just so well written and beautifully said. I too saw the craziness that exploded all over faebook. Totally disgusting the things that were being said. Racial slurs being thrown about as if it’s just a cookie thrown on a plate. I mean really! I was blown away and the unfriend button got used plenty that day. Our nation has faced greater problems than this. And seriously why is it a “problem”? as you said, in four years it’s all over again. We get to voice our opinions and place our vote. Countries all over the wolrd are hit with terrorist acts every day, communism exists and millions of people go hungry, including here in the states. What people need to focus on is what good has come out fo the elections. Changes are happening all over! Things are being brought to law that even just 10 years ago we thought we would have never seen. Let’s focus as a nation on the positives and how we, as community can go out and help the hungry and the homeless. Instead of standing around pointing fingers and cussing each other out.

     I sincerely applaud you for bringing this out and sharing it. I think it’s wonderful and you made great points. thank you so much for sharing!

655. Pingback: In Keeping with the Theme of Election Year… « Here's What… Life Truths as I See Them

656. Really what war was it that was unnecessary? Afganistan? When 9-11 happened there wasn’t one red blooded american that didn’t want revenge.

657. Jo, you certainly know how to put things into the proper perspective. It’s a shame I cannot say the same for those complaining here. I doubt many people posting comments understand the meaning of what it’s like to live in a country where you are suppressed, where your rights are limited much more than our rights here in America. To read some of these comments, you would think the world was coming to an end. No matter what outcome, life will go on. Perhaps not the life some want but what are they saying, that their life is more important than everyone elses life? If they feel that way, then they truly do not understand what being a citizen of this great country is all about. Just as people in this day and age misuse the definition of what being a hero is all about, they also misuse the meaning of what constitutes a tragedy.

658. Ok, so you are ALL mostly wrong.

     The makings of the financial mess are tied to the early 1990’s when both the Dems and Reps moved to amend and finally repeal sections 20 and 32 of the Glass-Steagall Act (1933 Banking Act). This allowed the cross over between commercial banks and investment banks which ultimately resulted in the financial crisis. Banks holding mortgages began to divide the mortgages up much like stocks and package them in portfolios much like the stock portfolios you probably hold as part of your retirement investments. The reason for the banks to do this is simple (and the same reason you do it). It mitigated their risk. If one mortgage defaulted they didn’t hold the entire mortgage, only a piece of it. And they had other mortgages packed with it that didn’t default, so they still came out ahead. This make the banks more likely to lend money.

     This was combined with the dramatic rise in housing values. The banks realized the properties were worth way more than the value of the mortgage. So they started trading these packages of mortgages as if they were a commodity, relying on the fact that the property values would keep increasing, and ultimately further driving up the values and resulting in a bubble that would burst. Because that is what happens in a “free market.” Bubbles form and they burst.

     The ramifications of this are what we are still dealing with. Because when the housing bubble burst, it had a horrible side effect. Our entire financial system is founded on one tiny thing: Banks lend money to each other and businesses. ALL THE TIME. All day every day. Small (by scale) short term loans. This rate they lend to each other at is what the term “prime interest rate refers to. Without this there is no economy. PERIOD. The housing bubble’s burst was so dramatic it left these banks in a conundrum: they had no idea how much their assets (the mortgages) were worth. They could not lend money to each other because they had no idea how much money they had. The original bank bailouts were to give them enough known assets to keep lending until they could sort out the mess. These bailouts were repaid (all of them within the first year).

     So, in conclusion the bailouts were necessary. They were necessary because of deregulation. One thing I think people of both sides forget is that the economic discussion is not just either/or. If it’s not completely free market capitalism, it doesn’t automatically mean it’s socialism. Socialism is when the government OWNS the means of production. There is a difference between setting rules to curtail some of the excessive peaks and droughts of capitalism and owning it. Regulated capitalism is responsible for the highest, longest lasting, and most widely shared periods of economic growth ever witnessed.

659. Pingback: Before you Tweet… « Life in China

660. Two states.. maybe more? Tick Tock… wait and see. Two states or more.

661. Wow Scabbeus! The United States of America is going over the proverbial cliff? When is this happening? How is this happening? I hope and pray that someone will grab you by the ankles and pull your head out off your ass!

     You people who keep spewing your rhetoric, listen up! Do any of you really know what the President of the United States actual can and cannot do? Have any of you EVER taken a look outside of your little bubbles and educated yourselves on how a democracy, YOUR democracy, actually works?

     I am completely disgusted with all of the mudslinging, finger pointing imbeciles who believe they know what they are talking about when clearly, they don’t.

     I am a Canadian who knows much more about your political system than you do! How is that possible? It is possible because what happens in the U.S. directly and indirectly affects us here in Canada. So for in our best interests, we watch and study what is going on down there so when it comes time for us to elect a party to run our country, we can either try to elect someone who will compliment and back the new President so that we can work together to make things better for EVERYONE or we can try to elect someone that will help to keep our best interests in line.

     Just because you THINK you know something, doesn’t mean that you actually do! It is the year 2012 for goodness sake! If y’all can type your ignorant comments on FB you sure as hell can surf the web and “edumacate” yourselves in your own political policies and the inner workings of your government. Maybe you should ask ABC to re-run the School House Rock series for those of you who truly need to learn how your system works.

     I am a proud Canadian who is proud to be a neighbour of the United States of America! Oh and by the way, just a little FYI, we do MORE for your country than your country does for us. So please, if you’re going to respond with some meek response like “of course you would be proud to be the benefiting neighbour of a super power” don’t. You’ll just end up making yourself look more ridiculous than you already do.

     Now move along and remember that it is not 1 man who will be mankinds downfall, but all of you who keep your head in the sand and those of you who suffer from “chicken little syndrome”…..the sky is not falling and we can put Humpty Dumpty together again. Always have, always will.

662. As one of the evacuees that desperately tried to escape the building shown in the photos, I am very thankful I had (and exercised) the right to vote regardless of who the winner of the election is. You are correct, many are confused about what a tragic day truly is. A tragic day is when Mohammad Atta (a man you never met or heard of) flies a plane into the building you are in trying to kill you (and successfully killing and injuring hundreds/thousands) because his religious beliefs are different than yours (well, he assumed that because he didn’t know us).

663. Tragic may only be overstating it when you refer to other terrible days in American history (i.e. 9/11/2001) as tragic.

     This certainly was a democratic election and we are blessed beyond belief and probably well beyond what we deserve to live in this nation.

     If, however, you believe that our President is taking us down a path that is largely at odds with its founding principles, it could be considered as tragic. A President that:

     – left 4 Americans to die in Libya..
     – ran a campaign that attacked his opponent for his success rather than the merit of his ideas…
     – sought to create division and strife between Americans based on income and gender…
     – executes American citizens abroad without due process…
     – believes in partial birth abortions…
     – has engineered the single largest shift of power to the Federal government under the ruse of it not being a tax…
     – has failed to uphold his duty and pass a budget…
     – was voted into office at the rate of 93% of persons inside of his race and largely as the result of the color or his skin vs. the content of his character or objective review of his job performance…

     is tragic.

664. “rainbow colored unicorn poop” made my night— and as many have said above- well said- thank you for making me remember how good we have it and how thankful i should be- every day 🙂

665. The sad and tragic day for me was the day 4 years ago the Senate majority leader stated his #1 priority was making our president a one-term president instead of working to serve our great nation like Congress is paid to do. Many sad and tragic days followed when members of Congress sat on their arses and took extended vacations instead of working together to fix the huge problems our president inherited in 2008, such as the sad and tragic war in Iraq that was completely pointless except to make Dick Cheney and Halliburton richer and aid in spiraling our great nation into the massive debt we must now work together to fix. It wasn’t old folks and their Social Security and Medicare that created the debt, despite what Fox News and the right wing blabs consistently. It was war, the destruction of other countries and the killing of humans, including citizens of our great nation.

666. Credit default swaps not consumers crashed the housing market

667. Most of the ones that took bail out money spent it on lavish vacations and huge bonuses for there upper ranks.

668. Dems and Reps are one in the same. You want some real change, vote Libertarian! Screw this two party system that has sent this country into a huge divide and down the shitter.

669. Ah Jim. Are you finished whining? Do you still need your Mommy to wipe your ass? I ask this because in EVERY non-third world country, the people who work have ALWAYS paid for the poor. ALWAYS. This isn’t a new thing. It’s been around since the beginning of time! Lazy Class???? Who might they be? Listen up Junior, at least they are not spending their food stamps on Beer and Cigarettes or Drugs!!!!! You are an entrepreneur but claim you can’t find a job???? YOU HAVE A JOB DUMBASS, your Coffee Shop, no?????

     Get off your high horse that you who are still wet behind the ears have no business being on because you have NO LIFE EXPERIENCE! 25 is a baby. You don’t have a wife, you don’t have a mortgage, you don’t have children, you are healthy so no health care costs for you, etc. Go beat on someone elses door that has all these things and has a major health issue and see if your statements and judgements are accurate.

     People who work and are middle class have ALWAYS gotten screwed. It’s not a new thing. Wrap your miniscule brain around that one. Go back to school and study that part of history. Maybe then you could get a job as a political analyst!

670. Ha, ha, ha….I agree…….

671. If you are under 45 u better hope he let’s 12 million and then some in if you want Social Security and Medicare…

672. “Those who are willing to sacrifice liberty for security deserve neither.

     To my frustrated Republican friends..You will always lose because your party is AFRAID of Gays, Immigrants, Muslims, Latinos, Young People, Progressive Women, Unions, Abortion Rights, Black People, A Diverse America, Poor People, Climate Change, Non Christians,Gun Control”

     I love freedom. If someone can put a gun to my head and tell me to convert or die, I am not free. If someone tells me I have to sencor what I say for fear of offending someone I am not free. If I have to pay someone dues just to get or keep a job I am not free. If the government tells me I am not allowed to defend myself even though I have commited no felony, I am not free. Climate Change, I don’t think we’re the ones afraid of that. We aren’t the ones yelling at the tops of our lungs the Climate is Changing and we have to stop it. As for the rest that thank you for showing off your ignorance. I believe that to secure the freedoms of one group we must secure the freedoms of all. I do not fear ethnic groups, religions, or anything other than would be tyrants.

673. Thank you for this post. You are not only honest, but also right. I don’t expect everybody to get it, but I think many can gain a little bit of perspective. I am an immigrant myself and I often feel that people (not only Americans, but people around the world) should be deported for a period of time to a different country, so that they can learn to appreciate what they have at home, and so that they can learn to appreciate what other countries have, even those horrible socialistic places with universal healthcare (include sarcasm).

674. Greg P – Yours is the most correct observation written in this conversation. The math doesn’t work and almost all of our spending policies all have annual escalators in them. The politicians won’t make any changes that will piss off voters and voters won’t vote for anyone who says they are going to make changes. It is unfortunate, but it is going to have to get much worse for this dynamic to change.

675. ATTA GIRL love the dictatorship attitude – people need to be reminded that welcoming comments does NOT equal welcoming ABUSE 🙂 And good article btw ;=)

676. Well said… and thank you for inspiring me to write my own little blog on the topic. I hope you don’t mind I referenced and quoted your blog. http://juliayeager.wordpress.com/2012/11/08/before-you-tweet/

677. Utterly powerful and resonates deeply with me.

678. This is so well written and as I read it, I knew it was truly coming from the heart. Thank You!

679. That’s why we need to totally revamp our tax system…..I believe the Fair Tax is the way to do that…not the Flat tax, the Fair Tax….www.fairtax.org………
     Businesses have plenty of money right now, they’re “afraid” to hire, so right now they’re over working their employees, but we shouldn’t have unions, right?
     We experienced the worst economic recession since the Great Depression and everybody thinks we’re going to turn it around in the blink of an eye? It’s going to take years, see the Great Depression…Besides, most Americans before the Great Recession lived within their means instead of above their means, you’d have more and more people doing fine…

680. I have been working limited hours for the last year. The jobs report isn’t looking very good, and my job depends on rich people who invest in the market to spend their money. During the last two months, with the prospect of a different president, work picked up. The DJIA has dropped 424 points in the last two days, I am not ranting, I am scared. In the last two days one contract has already been pulled. Tell me good news.

681. Joe, the expression “light-years ahead of” has been used for quite some time now to describe progress or growth in comparison with backward beliefs or countries.

682. I love & agree. My Great Grandfather was born in Ontario Canada in 1905, stopped going to school in the 3rd grade to start work for $7 a week, decided to hop on a train hobo style when he was 13 and come to California with a nickle in his pocket. My Great Grandmother came from England and when they eloped in 1923, they only had enough money for her train ticket so he rode behind the engine to start their life in California. He survived WWII and didn’t come home all 3 years until it was over. All of the elements that created our history and brought us here today are a miracle. When things seem difficult, know that they could always be worse. Instead of focusing on what you project will go wrong, go forward with the vision of a better possibility. Worrying the same as praying for what you don’t want. So lets keep our heads up, stick together, and love our Great Nation and all that It’s been through.

683. Couldn’t have put it better myself. AMEN!

684. That was well put. I have a great respect for how you put this into perspective. I think voting is a great privilege for all of us to have. Be proud at who you voted for regardless of the outcome because you are lucky to be able to make a difference in this great country.

685. Nicely written and I appreciate your candor. I am relieved that my country is not going back to the 50s and I still have choices…

686. Thank you for putting it so nicely.

687. You can believe whatever you want, nobody can stop you, but when you make a such a general statement as, “I supposely I am suppose to voice my opinion and not get persacuted, but I do by people that do not share my believes.”, and “It is people like you…” while in the same paragraph say, “I do not judge”, you tend to lose a little credibility. (P.S. that whole paragraph about wanting to charge pregnant women who have abortions with murder? Maybe you should leave that judgement to Jesus, too). Namaste 🙂

688. Most disturbing to me about the election results is that we, as a country, did the same thing that was done four years ago. The Congress is Republican and the Senate Democratic. This is more important to our nation than which man won the presidency. We have been stalemated through his first term and I see nothing to believe the same will not continue for the next 4 years. Until the two major parties get their acts together and begin working for what is best for all of us, we will all be disenchanted for some time to come. This is supposed to be a government “of, by and for for the people.”

689. Do you have the freedom to prosper and become wealthy? Do you use climate change to force mercury filled bulbs on the population? Or perhaps 600 volt- heavy metal filled batteries driving on our streets? What freedom forces a heath care system upon us with threat of imprisonment? And here is some fun freedom for the black readers: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BYVv4LY_KQ

690. A simple but heartfelt thank you for stating so eloquently what has been in my heart and mind since the election. Come on people get over yourselves. You are acting like a bunch of spoiled kids.

691. So very true. Thank you for puttingg those words out there. I agree 100%. Mental High five girl!

692. Absolutely perfect. Bravo.

693. Real change.

694. Respectfully….wrong. 🙂

695. GREAT FOOT IN THE BUTT OF REALITY!!! BRAVO JO!!!

696. We are better off than we were 4 years ago and we would be even better had the republicans who helped GWB create this economy, helped the President fix the problems. He has endured disrespect, and tons of outrageous statements made about him by the very same people obstructing his progress. We live in a free country and we just participated in an amazing opportunity to voice our opinion on how the next 4 years should go. God Bless America and keep our President safe. The president who was elected by a majority of the country with the most electoral votes and the largest popular vote in many many years will do his absolute best to keep us safe and our country moving forward. I for one am very proud to live in this country. I am a native New Yorker and was in New York on 9/11 and that was truly a day of tragedy.

697. Likewise….idiot

698. Please take the time to review the facts….we are in this finacial mess because President G.W. Bush waged two unpaid for wars while reducing the nation’s income by reducing taxes for eveyone.

     You are entitled to your opinions, but you are not allowed to create your own facts.

699. Okay. I’ve read the last “grammar” correction I can stomach. I’ve been an English professor for almost a decade, and while I will agree that good basic grammar and syntax DOES increase a writer’s credibility, even MORE important and of more SIGNIFICANT concern should be awareness of context and audience. This is an informal online forum, not a peer-reviewed, academic journal (I assure you that if those journal articles WEREN’T peer-reviewed, they too would have mistakes.

     So stop being pretentious. To point out incorrect grammar is weak argument in itself and undermines YOUR credibility. And you’re making those of us who TEACH grammar but RESPECT people look bad.

     Oh, and you might want to check your own syntax before you start throwing grammar stones.

700. I’m from KY, There is no way I could forget the vain hubris of Senator McConnell. Right now, I would vote for Yogi bear before I would vote for him! He deliberately wasted four years, that could have been spent recovering from Bush’s fiscal irresponsibility, just because he didn’t like a Black man in the White House!

701. Emily, you obviously are one of those people that don’t do your homework before you open your mouth. When Obama ran for his first term and told the world he was a “Christian” he lied, when he said he wanted to move America “forward” it was a rouse to fool all the young voters into believing he actually wanted what was best for America and not his own agenda. You clearly are blinded by his smooth talk and whatever it is that people find attractive about him being in the white house. I do not affiliate myself with either party because both of them are to blame for our current situation. However, if you really want to know the truth about Obama, you should do some research. He was groomed from birth to do what he is in the White House to do. He is a Muslim, raised to be a Dictator, following orders from people behind the scenes, people like George Soros, and Valerie Jarrett. They are all truly evil people looking to turn America into a facist socialist country. It has been in the works since Kennedy and 50% of the nation just voted yes for it. If you really think that having Republicans in Washington matters at all look at Obama’s record for Executive Orders. He has made over 900 in the past 3 1/2 years. The most any other president in an 8 year term has made was George W Bush and his was only 65. Read your constitution while it still exists, the President can override congress by filing an Executive Order (Prime example: Obamacare). He will override the voting process, call to order the military and wage war on the American people. He is already starting with the gun laws he’s beginning to enforce. YOU need to put things into perspective DUDE…..you don’t know your facts.

702. Two words can sum how i feel about this post: “Thank You”.

703. Unicorns don’t fly. You’re confusing them with centaurs.

704. Oops. I’ve been an English professor for almost two decades. I suppose I was wishing I was younger!

705. Amazing how the take responsibility party will say anything to not take responsibility. The first one-term statement happened early in Obama’s term. I wrote objecting and lamenting that such useless vitriol was what caused me to defect from the Republican party in the first place. Obviously, I won’t be coming back soon since every last person seems intent on blaming instead of being helpful, being blind to Bush’s faults instead of actually learning from them.

706. That does not matter since all the companies paid back the loans with INTEREST. But the truth of the matter is that they are in fact doing well. If you research you could easily find the truth. Instead you make blanket statements that have no facts.

707. Love this post! So very well stated. Obama getting re-elected is far from “tragic” and I, too, have been reading some horrible things on my newsfeed. People calling others morons, idiots, and unchristian if they voted for Obama. It’s appalling!

     I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve talked bad about Presidents (including our current) in the past for things they did or didn’t do that seemed insane to me. The thing is, it was about a policy or some stance that I didn’t agree with, not actually calling the President stupid. There is a difference. Calling your friends on FB morons because you don’t like the way they voted is rude, immature, and closed minded.

     The great thing about the USA is we can all have opinions and state them openly. It is a known fact that not everyone is going to have the same opinion as yourself, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have to respect the other persons’ opinion. You never know the reason behind a person backing a certain candidate. As long as research is done and you know the reason why you are backing that candidate, then you have my respect, regardless of whether you are Democrat, Republican, or an Independent.

708. You just don’t get what he wrote. You’re stuck on continuing to claim things that are blatant lies (probably heard on a your news station) and proving your bigotry. Voting isn’t about only what you want, but about what all the people want. As soon as you realize that this is not just your country but all of ours then we can get down to business of turning things around.

709. Sigh again at the petty, pretentious, pedantic grammar corrections — transparent attempts to make opponents feel inferior — as if you have never publicly made English usage mistakes yourself. Hell, I’m an academic, and I make them all the time. You all do NOT want me to go through these mean-spirited posts with my red pen. I ASSURE you that NONE of you have posted an error-free post.

710. It wasn’t a bailout, it was a loan, of which is nearly completely paid back to our government

711. What a great article you’ve written. I would have been one of the people thinking it was a tragic day for our country if Mitt Romney had been elected, though I probably wouldn’t have posted it. Thank you for waking me up.

712. That 9/11 was staged (if in fact it was) makes it no less tragic. I was there that day; those weren’t fake people jumping to their deaths.

     Bankers getting away with causing economic devastation is a travesty, as is the FDA’s being in Monsanto’s pocket. Neither is relevant to Jo’s point.

713. Sigh @ Adam and Steve. Why can’t those who are trying to impose their religious beliefs on me at least have original jokes? Geez.

714. Thank you so much, you expressed just what I have wanted to say and didn’t quite know how! Excellent point and very well written!

715. You hit the nail on the head. There were two candidates vying for the presidency so of course those people whose candidate didn’t win are disappointed. They should be honest and just say they are disappointed, or upset or unhappy. What they really shouldn’t do is show such extreme and utter disrespect for the candidate that the majority of Americans elected.

716. Hi.

     I thought I’d reply because you’re one of the few people with some sense of intellectual honesty. We can talk about emotions and overreactions of the citizens of the U.S. due to the election, but the real underlying problem here is the blatant lack of respect for intellectual honesty.

     We’ve reached an age of information overflow where everyone is a self-proclaimed subject matter expect of every thing they read. “Globalization of intellect” is the term I have used to describe it.

     So thanks for being honest. Everybody digs for truth, but the problem is people stop digging when they find the one they want.

717. This is a joke…That tradgey was because of our Government…..I do indeed fear that ONE day this Country will go under communism…By Obama…Seen @016 yet? Find it Watch it! Also google Goerge washingtons Dream Find that, read that. When Obama ruins this country I will Remember this post and ask what do you think Of America now!

718. I could not agree more. This is a truly wonderful piece of writing, and my own words won’t even begin to do justice to the excellent work here. Thank you so much for putting this out into the world, I hope folks take it to heart.

719. Very well said Linda.

720. Nice post, Jo. thanks! I’ll be checking in again and hope that you always make this much sense. The pressure is on! LOL

721. You (and so many other liberals) obviously have no comprehension of the Establishment Clause. There is no separation of church and state as you have defined it. Religious views have ALWAYS been at the core both the Constitution and the vast majority of our laws. Whether you believe that the Founding Fathers were Christians or Deists, NO sane person questions that most of our constitutional and legal system is founded on Judeo-Christian principles. To do so is the height of illiteracy. The establishment clause prevents government meddling in religion, not the other way around. It keeps the government from creating one religion to rule them all (thereby ‘establishing’ a religion that would ‘meddle’ in everyone else’s religions… see the logic?), but by no means precludes people advocating for religiously based moral legislation. Your moronic assertion would lead to the scrapping of the entirety of our constitutional and legal system. PLEASE educate yourself before your hurt someone.

722. sheesh everybody, this post is about LOVE!!! Take a deep breath and forget politics for a while…. I hope that unicorn poop taste like cotton candy 🙂

723. I can’t believe how many dumbed-downicans are on these threads. They actually think the Democratic Congress started the financial catastrophe? Where were they when von Bushe came into the presidency with NO debt, in fact a surplus. Do you Right-wingdingers remember the first thing von Bushe did in 2001? He cut taxes, mostly for the millionaires and billionaires who helped get him elected. Me? I got $300.00, but a person who makes one million dollars a year got a rebate of more money than we bought our house for, in 1992, “$125,000.00. So, while we got hundreds back in taxes, my medical insurance premiums through my employer QUADRUPLED during von Bushe’s two terms, while my coverage decreased and my out-of-pocket deductibles increased. So, while we are paying less in taxes, we are paying tons more in the private market, and the private companies have made profits beyond belief during von Bushe’s presidency. The last three years of von Bushe’s presidency, the insurance companies boasted recort profits, for three consecutive years, while at the same time people were being dropped from their policies and paying quadrupled premiums. “A mind is a terrible thing to waste”, but a dumbed-down mind has already been wasted!

724. Thank you for the most cogent and civilized comment I’ve read thus far!

     And thank you particularly for this bit of much-needed commonsense: “If it’s not completely free market capitalism, it doesn’t automatically mean it’s socialism. Socialism is when the government OWNS the means of production. There is a difference between setting rules to curtail some of the excessive peaks and droughts of capitalism and owning it. Regulated capitalism is responsible for the highest, longest lasting, and most widely shared periods of economic growth ever witnessed.”

     I’m sooooo tired of the words “socialism” and “socialist” being tossed around 9 times out of 10 by people who don’t have a CLUE what they mean. Likewise, “capitalism” isn’t some kind of pristine, perfect gift from the gods. Left completely unchecked, capitalism would carry us right back to where we were at the end of the 19th century: child labor; dangerous working conditions; subsistence pay; and no protection from exploitation by employers, banks, and other power-brokers.

     As in most things in life, MODERATION is the win-win formula.

725. Collectivism will fail this country like its failed before. Call me racist, call me anti-women….call me what you want. I will never shut up.

726. Now THAT is tragic.

727. LOL!!!

728. I expect the Pubs to start wrangling internally over redesigning their party dynamics. This election was a Republican fiasco at a time when Obama was most vulnerable.

     They took what was a more liberal Republican Governor and made him recant much of what he theoretically stood for. He went from designing Romneycare to denouncing Obamacare. He emphasized his religious affiliations as a Mormon Bishop and anti-abortion stance. He didn’t take strong positions against the fringe Republican rape gang statements. He shows up on Univision smeared in orange goo thinking that the Latino population won’t notice.

     He alienated many woman, Latinos, and moderates, and not surprisingly lost.

     Imagine how things might have played out differently if Romney, or McCain for that matter, had taken a moderate or at least religiously neutral stance on social issues, focused on a viable economic strategy instead of recycling the failed ideas of the Bush administration, and chose a non-nutter fringe VP, say a female professor instead of a creationist Tea Party member.

     The future success of the Republican party does not rely on the religious right. During good economic times as followed the Clinton administrations people are complacent and a religiously voting demographic can shift an election to just close enough that a bunch of Texas lawyers can handle the rest.

     In times of great economic uncertainty people care more about sound financial strategies than if two gay guys can get married. More people are also likely to come out to vote, and of course more people are registered Democrats. In this scenario the far-right religious demographic is just another minority, certainly relative to their power in electoral college votes.

     The Republican party will start to lean more moderately in the coming years as the Rove’s turn of the century strategies have consistently failed to win over woman, Latinos, and moderates, which in total are a far greater force than religious extremists and Tea Party members.

     As long as extremist candidates are being put forward the country will remain divided and these 49%/51% election results will continue with half the population telling the other half to fuck off.

     I feel unification will require moderate, fiscally-minded, and socially neutral candidates.

729. Please cite the portion of the Affordable Health Care Act which allows the President to fire anyone, especially the VP and/or Speaker. I have read the Act (have you?). Please be realistic. If you don’t like it, say so, but don’t make up things just to scare people.

730. Thanks for the good shake. That’s just the kind of shaking America believes in, not the tanks in the street after an election sort of shake.

     When you said meet at the bar to complain or celebrate I flashed to Rick’s American Bar in Casablanca and the singing contest between the Germans and French. Any suggestions for the Democrats song? The Republicans. Here’s one:

     James Brown doing I Feel Good for the D.

     Gladys Knight and the Pips doing Midnight Train To Georgia for the R.

731. Wow – a lot of you just don’t get it do you? You choose to use THIS website to still continue your political debates? Maybe you need to read it again! This woman from very brave parents just told you it’s time to stop bashing and trashing and DO SOMETHING!! I applaud you Jo for at least attempting to put life into perspective..apparently some people just don’t have it within their capability to go there. Thanks!!

732. Ford didn’t need a bailout at all. Why? Because the majority of the cars and trucks they make aren’t garbage. Plus, parts are swappable between the Ford version and the Lincoln version, which isn’ the same with GM cars. At one point, GM built 8 DIFFERENT 350 small blocks, and most major parts like cylinder heads, intakes, exhaust, etc… were not compatible.

733. well said!

734. To those of you that really believe Mitt Romney is a miracle worker WAKE UP. If he had been elected things were not magically going to turn around, it took years for this country to get in the shape it is and its going to take years to fix it. Whats tragic is the way people cannot seem to work together to get things straightened out. The rich want to get richer and keep the poor spending their hard earned $$ on what they are selling to stay rich. You walk into one of Trump’s casino’s he IS NOT going to walk up to you and say here’s $5000 go blow it and keep your money in your pocket, but he is calling for a revolution , really Trump whats up with that!! You will be lucky if they don’t lock you up for that one.

735. Jo, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!! You have written what I have been trying to say!! Well done!

736. So true and so well said!

737. I feel sorry for you, you clearly do not know God.

738. Thank you!!

739. @Joel
     You forgot “cap and trade” Obama’s effort to bring us down to another third world country……er, I mean solve global warming. You also forgot nuclear arms reduction treaties that see our weapons going down to nothing while Russia and China’s increase, and nuclear proliferation in Iran, and the implementation of Shirea Law in the United States. Obama already set the appointment up with the U.N. to discuss the nuclear weapons bans (March 16-18).

740. I honestly did not take the time to read every single reply. I stopped after about the first 10 or so because they all seamed to lean toward (without actually doing so) blaming the Bush Administration for the situation this country was in. If you remember correctly the Democrats took over control of Congress for the last 2 years of Bush’s Presidency.

     The pictures posted by Ms. Ashline show what really caused all of the economic problems we here in the United States are dealing with now, but the entire world. Due to the fact the attacks were on US soil it had a greater and quicker effect than on the rest of the world. New York City is the financial capital of the world. After the attacks President Bush did what virtually every other country in the world would have done had the attacks been on their respective soils. He retaliated, in my mind first and foremost for this great nation and secondly for the rest of the world.

     Obama’s bailout plan was an epic failure. To date not one of the now flourishing auto companies has repaid one dime of the bailout money. Repayment was one of the conditions. The bank bailout was an epic failure. All that did was give money to the people who did nothing to try to solve the economic woes facing this country so they could give their CEOs huge severance packages.

     I remember reading some of the answers that referred to the exit polls. For the most part Obama was winning the exit polls. However the one that everyone should have focused on was regarding the economy. When asked who the people felt would do a better job with the economy the clear favorite answer was Mitt Romney, by about 8% if my memory serves me right.

     At risk of sounding racist, but believe me I am not, I will close with this. Why do we as AMERICANS always calls blacks African-Americans or Latinos. Nothing pi$$es me off more than that. We are all AMERICANS. If your ancestors, much like mine did came from another country but are not Caucasian are you really any less AMERICAN than I am? If you reside in this country LEGALLY you are AMERICAN. My ancestors are from various parts of Europe, but I am not referred to as a German-English-Irish-Italian American. I am just called an AMERICAN. This country will never be as strong as we could be if we continue to divide ourselves based on the race of our ancestors. Why do we have to have Black History Month, the Million Man March, the Puerto Rican Day Parades and all the other trumped up bullshit reasons for these people to celebrate…. some of my ancestors came from Germany why don’t we have German History month?… wait we learn about Germany in school… I also learned about Harriet Tubman, George Washington Carver, Benjamin Davis Sr and a number of other US citizens of African descent… everyday should be United States of America Day not all the bullshit sub-cultures divided by ones ethnicity…

     I apologize for some of the language in the last paragraph.

741. wrong. just wrong. businesses invest the higher taxes get, because they dont want to “lose” the money to taxes. Apparently you didnt see the new study by the NON-PARTISAN Congressional Research System, that pretty much puts to rest the whole lower taxes on rich = economic growth idea. Hint: it doesn’t (you know what does stimulate growth? higher taxes on high earners)

742. During the first two years of his presidency, Obama had a Democrat controlled House and a filibuster proof Senate. How do you think Obamacare and Son of Stimulus was passed? The House passed 30 jobs bills from 2010 to 2012. All died in the Senate, led by Harry Reid (D). Senator Reid failed to even consider bringing any of those bills to the Senate floor for a vote. And the Senate has yet to pass a budget going on 4 years now. There is plenty of blame to go around, and it knows no political party.

743. @Joe,
     Remember how they called Bush a racist because the head of Fannie Mae happened to be Black and the Bush administration was stating that Fannie was out of control.

744. Joel, the bailouts had bipartisan support. I agree they were wrong, but most republicans supported them as well.

745. the nation has no “liberty” when groups of citizens are decided to be not deserving of that liberty. ensure equality for everyone, then we can try voodoo economics again.

746. Best thing I’ve read regarding the outcome of the election. Love it!

747. @Emily
     Did you read how Harry Reid is moving to change the laws of the Senate to dissolve the 60 vote filibuster rule so they can pass whatever they want along party lines with 51 votes. Talk about disbanding the “balance of power” our forefathers so soundly put in place.

748. – 4 is an incredibly small number when compared to the Afghan and Iraq wars started by the Bush II regime.
     – Mitt didn’t have”success”. He was a rich kid who was given money to be successful with.
     – Huh? How?
     – No, no, no. I meant Huh? How? here. My previous comment should’ve been- do the top 1% deserve to be called a class? Maybe an oligarchy? I mean, seriously, there’s only a handful of them.
     – As opposed to the popular GOP opinion of “even in the case of rape and incest” because “God intended it”? I guess we’ll just have to cut our losses there and move on.
     – Surprise! That actually happened under Bush II. It was called the Department of Homeland Security. Fun Fact! Look it up!
     – http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2012/apr/06/mitt-romney/romney-says-obama-failed-pass-budget/
     – Yeah but that math doesn’t work out in favor of your argument at all. African Americans only constitute 12.6% of the American population. Even with extraordinary voter turnout for African Americans, that still wouldn’t ever single handedly account for a presidential candidates election.

749. I don’t know about gracious. There’d be riots in the street. Funny how I didn’t see one Republican riot!!

750. Hi Jo.. this is the first time I’ve read your blog… hoping I get to read more sometime soon. Thanks for putting some of your thoughts down.. sadly it turned into a political “discussion” in the comments here. I’ve studied a bit about WWII .. particularly the plight of the Jewish people during that tragic time in history. Most people in our country do not understand hardship.. real hardship. The kind where your life is threatened every day. I also have a son with special needs… I too am so thankful that he was born in this time and in this country. Thanks again for your perspective.

751. I could not agree more! Well spoken.

752. I can’t believe how dumbed-down so many Righties have gotten over the past thirty years. All of you who entered the work force after Reagan took office have no idea the damage that man did to the middle and working class in America. You all should ask your parents about how things were in the sixties and seventies, in comparison to how things became after Reagan took office. I want you Righties to ask Vietnam veterans what they thought of Reagan and his policies, and how he cut their medical benefits, which von Bushe also did. I entered the work force in 1979, when Carte was President, and I got to witness, live through and suffer what happened, thirteen months later when Reagan took office. Six months into his presidency, and I was laid off my job at Argonne National Laboratory, because Reagan went over Congress’ head and had the lab’s fiscal budget cut in half. I, along with 2,200 other Argonne employees got our walking papers, and I remained laid off for sixteen months. But, when I went back to work, my medical insurance premiums had increased quite a bit, “Managed Healthcare” was born, and my salary increases decreased. Then, when Dubya took office, my monthly medical insurance premiums QUADRUPLED during his presidency, while my benefits decreased and my out-of-pocket costs and annual deductible increased. All of you out there younger than 52 years of age have no idea what you are politically talking about, and you need to ask your fathers.

753. Thank you so much – you have put into beautiful words what so many of us feel. I’m going to share this and ask everyone to please read it…..
     Again, Thank you and Bless you – you are an angel…. and exactly what this country needed right now!!

754. Free Mongering and People like You who buy into it are part of the problem I.R and not the solution. Riots if Obama lost the election… That was one of the worse jokes I heard during this whole election season. One that was used as a scare tactic to scare older people and just timid people into voting for someone with a record as bad as Romney’s was. Mister Silly Putty (mold me however you want me to be. I can be remolded again and again) has finally taken enough of a beating to give up! I HOPE!!!

755. heres an opinion from me. You PROBABLY, just a hunch, might be allowed to voice your opinion without persecution, if your very OPINION, did NOT include persecution in it. What does your ancient belief have to do with millions of americans being denied equal rights? the constitution says: ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. In fact, and thank the good lord, that YOUR, can i say RELIGIOUS, belief, does not have any sway over how i am able to live my life. Now this is the problem with america today. People think everyone has to respect their opinion. FALSE. we all have the right to HAVE an opinion. Just as someone else can have theirs. And the same amendment of the US consitution, that protects ME from your archaic belief that i cannot marry sometime, allows me to tell you that you are on the wrong side of history, and that liberty in this GREAT nation will not be stopped by the likes of you, or anyone who shares your opinion about gay marriage.

756. yikes…these comments are the exact reason why it would have never mattered who got elected, we’re at the point now where we’re so divided as a country that nothing will ever get accomplished. you should all be ashamed. if this country goes to hell, it has nothing to do with a single man, and everything to do with how we’ve lost our vision of what this country is meant to be. it used to be, that if the other side got elected, people accepted it and moved on, and tried to make the best of it. Now, all people want to do is give up and blame the other side, and scream from the rooftops that we’re doomed. it’s called manning up, pulling yourselves up by your bootstraps, rolling with the punches, etc. it’s an art that people have forgotten. In 4 years, good or bad, you people will still be bitching and moaning. stop being a bunch of damn babies and SUCK IT UP. All I see is a bunch of cowards and finger pointers. But unlike all of you PUSSIES, I was raised to be an AMERICAN. That means I’m tough, resilient, and I’ll be damned if i’m going to spend one day crying or complaining about something that is out of my control. And regardless of who the commander and chief may be, I will always respect him (or her). That used to be how all Americans were.

757. very good news,your are good boy!

758. Yes, a good perspective is always in order, but many of us feel that we are a great nation because God is on our side, and as soon as we turn our backs on him, that support is out the window, and the America that we know and love, will be gone. With this election, I feel that the majority voted for Obama because they believe in abortion and gay marriage, and don’t think that more debt is a bad thing. Some of us believe in the last days, and it becomes more and more scary to live in this world knowing that that day comes closer and closer when we start labeling things as ‘ok’. Yes, this isn’t 911, but many of us feel that the end of our nation is near if America continues the way it is, and when that day comes, we can look back on these days, and realize it was the beginning of the end. Many of us have the big picture now, and that’s why we are very upset.

759. for you people below that don’t know anything about FEMA, States do already have all the control. FEMA backs up and provides resources and support for State Gov’s to recover from large scale disasters that States themselves cannot handle. So Ronmey’s statement shows just how much he knows about how FEMA already and has been operating. As do the rest of you…

     It would cost far more per state to fund 50 separate FEMA Depts with all the levels of admin, response and equipment required to do the job. So if you want the States budgets to be higher, and for the ability of FEMA to be reduced, then yes, follow that bad policy idea.

760. To My Dearest President and Vice President,

     I am proud of you both. Despite the many attempts to see you fail, the disrespect and lack of support; you prevailed! We have work to do! May those who are wicked in their hearts become your foot stool, and finally support the efforts to move our nation forward!

     Congratulations! Cheers to making the last 4 count!

     Jess

761. I like your response, Rabbit, and agree.

762. People do seem to forget quickly! Bush was the cause partly look even broader tho Osama Bin Laden goal was not only to kill (that was only a shock factor) his goal was to bring us down ecomomically which he succeeded in doing! This which then leads to the blind blame game. It seperates us on all levels and so does greed which is the paper for the fire that will not burn out. #1 no matter who the President is he or she deserves the respect whether he was your guy or not. I wouldn’t want his job/ don’t pay enough to babysit all those adults who should be wearing diapers with all the whining they do.

763. So Paul, your premise is that this mess was precipitated since 2007?

     Sounds like you may be the one in need of a history lesson….

     The majority of the current deficit is made up of two things:

     Bush tax cuts and the ongoing costs of Iraq and Afghanistan (which though we are winding down we will be paying for a long time to replace destroyed military machinery and supporting the soldiers maimed in theater). We can debate all day whether Iraq was necessary or a good move (it wasn’t for a great many reasons….none of which involve me being a peacenik…I am not)

     As far as the housing issue that mess was begun in the 80’s oh ye of short memory. Remember all of the deregulation and weakening of regulation in the financial sector? Junk bonds and the S&L mess? Plenty of blame for the democrats and those you place blame on but had the financial sector been properly regulated in what and how much they could invest in the mortgage based securities it would have protected alot of the fallout.

     And for those thinking the market can take care of itself….yeah it doesn’t and hasn’t…..if you think most companies exist all on their own with no help from the government I got nothing for you….

764. Benghazi was the exact same TRAGEDY as this, except 11 years later and on the anniversary of the first one. It was a terrorist attack. And our consulate/embassy in other countries IS actual sovereign AMERICAN soil. And Obama did nothing to help those four brave men :'( Now THAT is a TRAGEDY of epic proportions :'(

765. Bravo! Kudos! Very well said.

766. It is still WE THE PEOPLE we should remember this

767. Well said! This is a great reminder of what patriotism is all about. Whether we agree with our current administration or not we should always take pride and be grateful for our country.
     Thank you for reminding people to be glad to be happy to wake up in the home of the brave and the land of the free. <3

768. Can You name them Megan?

769. @JIM: First of all, I’m trying to figure out how you know these people are on food stamps and unemployment just by scanning there membership cards at 24hr Fitness but maybe they told you as many people on public assistance are so willing to do. Who knows maybe they really did tell you though.

     Secondly, This claim that 49% of our country is taking hand outs from the government may in fact be true. But this number is not per individual, it’s per household. Just to clear that up. Also, did anyone stop to think about how many of those households could in fact be including… I don’t know… dare I say it……. Retirees. People on Social Security and Medicare, People who have worked there whole lifes and perhaps deserve to be taken care of now. I can guarantee you that more that half that number includes those households. Are those part of the “lazy class”? Just wondering.

770. Have you read the 2012 Republican platform?

771. Very well spoken, It is so easy to throw the blame on one person, but we all have to either find work, or create a business for ourselves, we have the opportunity to do that in this country, even with this economy you can still create something out of nothing, I have and I know many people that are doing just that Yes in this economy! Stop complaining people and help yourselves and help others by giving someone a job in what you create even if it’s small, things will get better, History is our best proof, this great country has been and has seen worst and we overcame those adversities, Change your way of thinking and you will change your life!

772. Agreed. Sub-prime lenders handed out loans to everyone who asked. No federal regulations stopped them from giving loans to people who really couldn’t afford it. I know as I saw it happen. I worked in the housing industry whenthe bottom dropped out. They handed out ridiculous loans with huge balloon paymentsRMS and through voodoo math convinced people with 500 credit scores they could afford a 100% mtg.