The Morning After

Yesterday, America reconfirmed what it had done four years ago in electing Barack Obama President.  And in doing so, it took another huge step in the reinventing of the United States of America.  It is a beautiful thing.

Yesterday, with his huge victory over the Republicans, President Obama entered the history books as the equal of Woodrow Wilson, Franklin Roosevelt, Lyndon Johnson, and Bill Clinton, all 20th Century Democratic presidents who accomplished significant achievements in advancing the progressive cause of an America of freedom and justice for all.

In defeating the Mitt Romney campaign--and all of the plutocratic and fundamentalist forces that were marching behind him--Obama again demonstrated his political genius.  He and his political lieutenants once again put together an electoral coalition that prevailed against a determined political foe.

The Republican Party and the conservative movement are in disarray on this day after.  They held onto the House of Representatives, but lost both the Presidency and their attempt to regain control of the Senate.  The Tea Party movement especially suffered some pretty big defeats. 

The FOX team of contributors in particular has a lot of egg on their face, after the sordid attempt by Karl Rove to overturn the decision of the FOX network (and their Decision Desk) to declare Ohio (and therefore the Presidency) for Obama.  It showed the split between, on the one hand, their more 'reality based' people and, on the other hand, their ideological spinmeisters.

Dick Morris, with his crazy talk about a Romney landslide, should be quietly but firmly led to the door.  Why does Fox put up with people like him, when he is so manifestly wrong?  It is laughable.  And Karl Rove should also retire to whatever estate he has in Texas, because he has had his day, but that day is over.

And what in the heck is with Donald Trump?  Revolution?

Unfortunately, the Rightwing Fun House, with its crazy mirrors ideology, will keep distorting reality and warping the minds of millions of Americans.  It's too much a part of our culture, present and past.  But fortunately, we have a majority of this country who haven't fallen for their 'psychotalk', as Ed Schultz would put it.  And that majority spoke loud and clear yesterday!

So now we get to move forward, with a President in the White House who runs a cautious (and now experienced) foreign policy, who continues to bring our economy back from the brink, and who is committed to trying to craft common sense, centrist solutions to our country's problems.

President Obama now has both a fresh mandate for his leadership, and the grounding of four years of experience and maturity in office, which should help him hit the ground running.  Amen to that.