When their fantasy becomes our nightmare

I was wildly wrong on my election predictions. I expected the large voter turnout to be much more of a plus for Kerry, and honestly, I have way too much pride in my country to see such a failed Presidency continue. Before this morning, it was really hard for me to imagine this group getting an endorsement from my fellow citizens. But I realize now that unlike previous years, when a progressive candidate could count on independent and young voters to make the difference, there were a lot of voters that made their way to the booth for other reasons.

I've framed this election in pretty stark terms in the past month. The harshest language I think I've used is saying that America is divided between the 'informed' and the 'uninformed'. That statement raised some ire when I posted it over at Centerfield, but the ugly truth is that according to recent polling, approximately 50 million people showed up at a voting booth yesterday still believing that the War in Iraq is going well. The battle to make people aware of the reality of Bush's war was lost. Apparently, when the Terminator stands up and assures people that there will be a Hollywood ending to it all, reality doesn't stand a chance. Americans expect happy endings.

But it's the extent of that blind faith that is alarming. Reading reports of crowds of Bush supporters reciting pledges of support for the President shows a new level of faith between a leader and his followers in this country that should be very worrisome. It should remind people of places like Cuba and Iran, where dissent becomes forbidden and the leadership is not questioned. This is what separates the first-world from the third-world, and we're not going to convince a lot of people in the Middle East to become democratic by acting like a third-world country.

The United States was founded by independent thinkers that fought for their right to be freed from coerced assent. Over time, whenever that libertarian core of this nation was challenged by those seeking more control, the ones fighting for liberty always won. That spirit carried America through 200 years of occasionally difficult times, making this country the most influential country in the world, the flagship model of a first-world economy, and the international symbol for freedom and democracy. But today, we've foolishly let 9/11 convince us that the things that made America great will no longer work. And the rest of the world is nervously adjusting to our new attitude.

I'm not sure yet how Ohio is going to turn out. The exit polling yesterday showed that Kerry should've won fairly easily, but this morning, I'm seeing new numbers that make it appear closer. I won't speculate what happened there, but I've hoped that if there were a brighter spotlight on the election this year, the Bush Administration wouldn't be able to pull off another Florida. Let's hope that's the case, and either way, let's not give up until this country once again believes in the principles of independent rational thought that our founding fathers fought for. Otherwise, the rest of the world will find others to put their faith in.