Revelations

The Blue Heron has returned to the Berkeley Lake, where Sweet Melissa Marie and I run each morning. I had decided that I would take the camera with me this morning. Thankful that I did.

Revelations!

Lord, I've read so many interpretations, conclusions, summations, prognostications about the vote that I'm truly fatigued with it all. What does it mean? What revelations are self-evident?

We are told that one-fifth of all voters felt that -- in spite of the war, the economy, Dumbya's syntactical fumbling, unemployment, record deficits -- yes, we are told that one-fifth of all voters cared most about moral values. Cleverly, Karl Rove assured that the issue of gay marriage appeared on the ballot in eleven of the most crucial states in this year's election. The evangelical Christians; the conservative Catholics and, surprisingly 40% of the Hispanic voters turned out for George W. Bush.

Let's state the facts (from the New York Times in an article by Todd S. Purdum): "The president's chief strategist, Matthew Dowd, released a memorandum yesterday noting that Mr. Bush had become the first incumbent Republican president to win a presidential race with majorities in the House and Seante since Calvin Coolidge in 1924, and the first president of either party since Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1936 to be re-elected while gaining seats in both houses."

Faith and values.

The Purdum article goes on to say that: "Yet for all of their hope that the Southwest could be their new ticket, Democrats were left with the fact that in the past 28 years, only Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton among their ranks have made it, and both had Sourthern and evangelical support. Mr. Kerry, a lifelong Roman Catholic, often struggled this year to speak of his faith in public."

"'Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter got elected because they were comfortable with their faith," said Representative Rahm Emanuel of Illinois, a former Clinton aide. "What happened was that a part of the electorate came open to what Clinton and Carter had to say on everything else -- health care, the environment, whatever -- because they were very comfortable that Clinton and Carter did not disdain the way these people lived their lives, but respected them.'"

Faith and values. America has moved to right-of-center political reality.

Stephen Pizzo tells us, via AlterNet, that: "The GOP's relationship with the religious right is a rock hard practical/tactical alliance that in reality has little to do with sharing common values. (Pro-family? Pro-marriage? Would anyone like to do a study on how many GOP politicians are divorced or have gotten caught cheating on their spouses? I will bet the difference between the Values Party and the Dems would be indistinguishable.)

"Besides the dishonesty beneath the values business there are very real reasons to worry about this clearly successful tactic. When a nation's leaders pander to fundamentalists they eventually must either deliver on their demoagoguery or or face their wrath. Politicians who may have thought they rode an elephant to power quickly discover they are really on the back of a hungry tiger -- a tiger they must now either have to feed or be eaten."

"...Civil liberties are usually the first to go followed by science. ...Democrats should not become value-whores like the GOP. That would only accelerate the Talibanization of America. At least one party needs to continue to fight for free speech, free thought, enlightened education, science and -- most of all -- the one thing that makes all that possible -- a free, open and progressive secular democracy."

Liz Marlantes, from the Christian Science Monitor tells us that: "...many of Kerry's voters were primarily motivated by opposition to Bush, rather than by stong enthusiasm for their own candidate... What Bush did so effectively was make Kerry seem like an unacceptable alternative..."

Lakshmi Chaudhry of AlterNet tells us that: "On Tuesday, the largest turnout in recent history couldn't save us from defeat. Democracy won and so did George Bush. And all the Monday morning quarterbacking doesn't change the sad fact that the truth did not set us free. Nearly 52 percent of all Americans preferred to simply ignore reality to keep their faith in God and the man who is only too happy to play messiah.

"This is now their White House, their Senate, their House of Representatives, and very likely their Supreme Court.

"James Carville says that if liberals like me want to win, we need to learn how to talk to white guys in pickup trucks who think my gay friends are a sin against nature. But what could I possibly say to someone for whom a ban on abortion is the singel most important issue in their life? There's no point in tryin to 'speak my values,' if the folks I'm talking to think those values are simply wrong.

"John Edwards was right in a way. There are two Americas: one that values tolerance, justice and equality; the other that believes in Divine Will. ...Carville wants me to talk to these guys? Or is he really saying that I need to be more like them? ...Why not just put my silly liberal preoccupations with choice or sexual freedom aside so we can all come together as one nation -- one nation under God, Guns, and (hating) Gays."

So, where are we?

I know for certain that the Blue Heron has returned to my lake. I know for certain that -- God willing -- Melissa Marie and I will run the circumference of the lake tomorrow morning. I know for certain that life -- for the time being -- will continue lovingly, caringly for David and me and Melissa, here in our old house; here in our lovely, charming neighborhood that, I believe, went overwhelmingly for John Kerry.

For some reason that I am really unable to explain (although, I am sure, at the back of my mind I understand completely), I must end this post with e.e. cummings, i sing of Olaf:

i sing of Olaf glad and big
whose warmest heart recoiled at war:
a conscientious object - or

his well-beloved colonel (trig
westpointer most succincltly bred)
took erring Olaf soon in hand;
but-- through an host of overjoyed
noncoms (first knocking on the head
him) do through icy waters roll
that helplessness which others stroke
with brushes recently employed
anent this muddy toiletbowl,
while kindred intellects evoke
allegiance per blunt instruments --
Olaf (being to all intents
a corpse and wanting any rag
upon what God unto him gave)
responds, without getting annoyed
"I will not kiss your fucking flag"

straightway the silver bird looked grave
(departing hurriedly to shave)

but--through all kinds of officers
(a yearning nation's blueeyed pride)
their passive prey did kick and curse
until for wear their clarion
voices and boots were much the worse,
and egged the firstclassprivates on
his rectum wickedly to tease
by means of skillfully applied
bayonets roasted hot with heat--
Olaf (upon what were once kneees)
does almost ceaselessly repeat
"there is some shit I will not eat"

our president, being of which
assertions duly notified
threw the yellowsonofabitch
into a dungeon, where he died

Christ (of His mercy infinite)
i pray to see; and Olaf, too

preponderatingly because
unless statistics lie he was
more brave than me: more blond than you.