Someday We'll Look Back On This ...

Okay, so there are some of us who are not exactly thrilled with the result of the election. We have to ask, "What does it mean?" Right now, I think the answer is "I don't know." We know that it means the George W. Bush will be President for four more years, that he has more control in the Senate and the House of Representatives, and that he will be making numerous appointments to the Supreme Court and the lower federal courts. But, his control of the levers of power, while significant, is not the only determinant of where the country goes. With that in mind, I went through my reading list to see if anybody there could cheer me up. I looked in on Charles at The Fulcrum, since he is kind enough to visit here from time to time. Well, he was no help, since he really needs cheering up:

Today, more than ever, the title of my blog describes the country. We are poised on a point - a fulcrum - centered in Ohio, and the smallest touch could send us tottering in one of two directions. On one side is hope for a better future. On the other is fear and a never-ending "war on terror." I don't understand what happened to get us here and I don't understand what can be done to keep us from falling to the side of fear. I don't know how to reduce the dangers of that path forward.

He has every reason to feel discouraged, and he's identified one of the most significant concerns. On the other hand, Professor Balkin has some advice about picking ourselves up:

Now it's time for all of those who supported Kerry and opposed Bush to lick our wounds and contemplate the country's future. This is a loss, and a bitter loss at that. But it is not the end. It is the beginning of the future, and we have to have faith that things will eventually get better and that the things we believe in and the values that we stand for will ultimately win the day.

And Fred Clark at Slacktivist points out another important fact:

They won most of the battles, but we had all the good songs.

Well, maybe having the good songs is not enough, but it couldn't hurt. There are two ways to go – retreat in resignation, or move forward with determination. I suggest moving forward (if cautiously).