In the aftermath of this electrifying election, I feel a combination of profound joy and crushing fear, the latter induced by the certainty that no one man can surmount the challenges that America faces. And how quickly Americans tend to forget the origins of dysfunction. In three years, if we’re in the midst of a prolonged recession, if health care isn’t fixed, and if terrorists manage another attack on American soil, I have no doubt that the fickle swing voters who gave Obama their support will be all too happy to throw it behind a Palin/Huckabee ticket. A lot or nothing can happen in 3 years.
But enough. I’ve had my fill of politics for awhile. It’s a satisfied surfeit, like dozing contently on the couch after a marvelous meal, as opposed to the aggrieved “I’ve had enough” nausea that would have resulted from a GOP victory. I’m going to take deep breaths and pretend I’m back at Crane’s Beach in Ipswitch, gazing at the oddly-layered skyline above the lapping waves and enjoying the calm of a mid-October day after the crowds have surrendered the shores to the niggling seagulls. Deep breaths…
