I would be lying if I said I wasn’t deeply disappointed. My biggest concern is that we appear to have lost our checks and balances, at least between the two major parties, with a Republican Senate, House of Representatives and White House. I have voted Republican myself many times, but this is an extreme situation. If we lose even one Supreme Court justice in the next four years, we could lose that check and balance as well.

Another grave disappointment is that some of the states voting against same sex marriage also voted against civil unions or even benefits for same sex couples. A backlash effect? Most likely, but one that could take years to correct.

It appears the country is regressing. Sorry, but that’s how I see it, right now. I also see this as temporary, like a planet in apparent retrograde motion.

I’m depressed about the outcome of the presidential race, but I’m not giving up. Hopefully this president won’t carry us still further into debt? (U.S. budget deficit expanded to $412.5 billion on October 14, 2004, which is the worst in U.S. history.) Hopefully he won’t carry us further into global conflict? Hopefully we won’t lose even more jobs, or regain only minimum wage jobs? (In a nation where the rich now have less tax burden, and tuition for retraining is higher than ever.) Hopefully the middle class won’t vanish altogether? Hopefully Bush will focus more on security at home-real security, with our reservists here to protect us-while genuinely seeking to preserve our basic rights? Hopefully he won’t try to turn the nation into a theocracy? (My personal reaction to a campaign that claimed Democrats would “ban the Bible.") Hopefully he won’t privatize Social Security? Hopefully he won’t allow the Veterans Administration to continue to be so woefully underfunded? (After all, we have more war veterans coming out of the current conflicts.) Surely common sense will prevail?

Even if he does continue in the same directions, perhaps things will turn around anyway, because voters will let their leaders know what they see wrong. We need to always be critical of our leaders, and expect improvement, even when we voted for them. Hopefully by the time four more years have passed, the nation will have done more healing, more growing, and not be so divided. Hopefully those of us who voted for the other side won’t feel so bitter and emotional over the state of the nation.

I would ask President Bush and all those who voted for him to keep in mind how very close a race this was. Very close to half your neighbors voted the other way, and they’ve already waited four years, since the last time half of them voted the other way. Kerry could’ve easily contested this election, it was so close. But he chose to try to end the division and move forward.

Let’s try to find common ground, in issues we can all get behind, like the economy, jobs, health care, civil rights, crime, defending our Constitution, and homeland security. Let’s try to keep the more extreme issues out of the forefront, keep both ends of the political spectrum balanced toward moderation and non-partisan dialog. Let’s try to be united, because if we stay divided, we’re in trouble, and that’s exactly where our enemies want us.

There, I’ve had my say. Back to books and writing. Today is my 21st wedding anniversary, so that’s something I can celebrate.

EDITED TO ADD: Some interesting maps of the election results can be found here, here and here.

Thanks to Philocrites for the map links.

Here’s another, provided by Ken, a frequent commentor here: Results 2004