...And the Tea Party is wearing those purdy Ruby Shoes! As a new resident of Washington, D.C., I have been soaking up all the greatness that is our Nation's Capital over the last two weeks - and also the anxiety of two-party politics. In retrospect, those voicemails from Obama and emails from Franken were not in fact friendly reminders to vote Dem but rather alerts of a storm about to hit D.C. Now, in the wake of the election, it is clear that the GOP has taken a giant majority of the House and secured some additional seats in the Senate. I'm wondering HOW this happened, WHY, and what the FUTURE holds.I have been once again blown away by the collective amnesia of my fellow Americans. While there are a number of factors in this election, including campaign finance changes, the Tea Party, and the economy, two of them identified in the exit polls have really got me heated: (1) jobs and (2) inability to pay mortgages. This is where amnesia fits in: HELLOOOOOOO America!!! The GOP is responsible for our current economy and we have done nothing but complain since Obama failed to waive a magic wand and "make it all go away" once elected. I believe we are a patient and resourceful people and our history backs that up. Nonetheless, we are a country full of amnesiacs who just voted back in the party who brought us the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, the mortgage crisis, the PATRIOT Act, expansive corporate tax cuts, failure in NOLA, and a squandering of a record surplus, to name a few.
I realize that this is a simplified conclusion of what has happened and I get it that people are pissed at the job the Dems have done. But we as a country have not done enough ourselves and I think we are always looking for quick fixes NOW: liposuction, botox, diet drugs, microwavable meals, etc. Lasting change doesn't happen over night and have you ever thought that our country not falling apart IS a sign of it getting better? As this election shows, FEAR and ANGER are some powerful motivating factors...and the best decisions are always made while under their spell, right? RIGHT?? One thing is for sure, our country is looking mighty RED these days - incidentally, the representative color of fear and anger.I can't help but feel we had too much to drink, are feeling a little horny, and called up our ex to remember "the good times" with a friendly visit. When we wake up, I sure hope it'll be worth it...
