A lot of my built up stress is gone. I guess I didn't really know how much this election had been affecting me but I have to say there is a bit more spring in my step. That's not gloating that is just an honest physical reaction. In related news, I'm now down 23 lbs for my pre-Pennsic weight and still dropping. With luck, I may get back to one day being able to squeeze into my size 34 jeans (I've given up hope of ever fitting into the size 32s sitting in the back of my closet). Clare however is now out shopping for size 4s. Can you believe it? Two kids and now back to her college weight? I'm sooooo proud of her I can't begin to express how happy I am for her reaching her goals. It really is easier to lose weight when you are doing it with another.

Anyway, back to politics. I've read a number of post election articles that also give me some hope that the conservative message is one that crosses both radical and cultural lines. Across the board, Republicans saw gains in areas of the electorate that are typically Democratic strongholds. Bush won 52% of the Catholic vote (up from 47% in 2000), 45% of the Hispanic vote (up from 35%) and 24% of the Jewish vote (up from 19%), 11% of African-Americans (up from 9%), and 48% of women (up from 43%). Most of his women voter gains came from married women and even more so from married moms. It just makes me feel better knowing that people are becoming less likely to buy into the "evil racist sexist Republican" line.

These cross-the-board trends show that it is not all about turning out the white protestant male vote but rather offering an agenda that appeals to broader audience. One interesting fact for you is that blacks in Ohio won the election for Bush. If Ohio had followed the national trend of 11% of blacks going for Bush, the Republicans would have lost the Presidency. Instead, 19% (though some polls say 16%) of the black community checked off the Republican candidate. In a state where 10% of the votes cast were from African Americans, that's a little over 104,000 votes...enough to avoid a recount anyway if not win it for him outright.

So, when your hear the old song and dance about how white Christian males are what stole the election for the President you ought to look at them like they grew a third eye. Just because it sounds good and fits with your view of the world doesn�t mean it necessarily squares with reality. The Republican party will continue to expand their base because it is in touch with the American culture and the American people.

One final thing (and this is my only really, really, really, really, really, really, really hard line moment of the day...avoid reading to avoid risk of being "offended"). Which is really worse: "rule of the many" or "rule of the few?" In our country we count on "majority rules" as a way to guide America through it's creation of laws and programs (and yes, it should always be buttressed by consideration of the minority). When your ideas lose out in the court of public opinion, you don't really have a leg to stand on when you demand your ideas be implemented anyway. You can ask but you cannot demand. It is time for the minority party to start negotiating with the majority and leave those oligarchical views of superiority behind.

Anyway, for them what care...

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