I'm not on the verge of suicide. I don't feel depressed. I'm not mad at my fellow Americans, let alone embarrassed of my country. I won't stay in my bed all day. I'm not going to cry. I don't need a therapist. I'm not taking the day off, wearing all black, or planning emigration to Canada.

I suspect that a lot of other conservatives feel as I do. This is because we have lives. Politics doesn't rule my emotions or my life. That would make me a liberal. Liberals partake in politics as a schoolmarmish way to order other people's lives--don't smoke, give more of your income to the poor, pay your workers at least this much, and so on. Conservatives partake in politics largely as a reaction to all that. We just want to live our lives, which is a hard enough task to do rightly. I will continue to live my life under an Obama presidency, with my involvement in the marketplace of political ideas continuing as a way of hopefully limiting my interaction with the government. I am involved with politics so that politics is not involved with me. That may sound selfish, but it's also patriotic and rational. I, rather than distant managers, am best equipped to run my life. When Americans are allowed to run (and even ruin) their own lives, America is better.

The biggest event in my life on November 4, 2008 was finishing the 615-page "Commonwealth History of Massachusetts: Volume 4." I watched a political speech on television reminiscent of a Nuremberg Rally--replete with grown men and women crying and acting in a frenzy--but completing the book was certainly the most satisfying moment of the day. Sure, I witnessed history through the wonders of modern technology; but I experienced history through a far superior medium. "President Barack Obama" doesn't mean I can't enjoy the weather, books, cigars, my son, or the hundred other things that I took pleasure in today.

My life hasn't changed in any real way. This weekend I will drink champagne and smoke cigars--two activities associated with victory and celebration--not in spite of Obama's triumph, but because that's what I do every weekend--I celebrate life. Sure, Obama could potentially harm me. He might raise my taxes. He might force me into a state-run health-care collective. But he'll probably just be an annoyance, like his predecessor, and his predecessor before him, and his predecessor before him. For conservatives, politicians generally aren't seen as redeemers but nuisances. For liberals, every politicians except the ones who die young are disappointments because of the otherworldly expectations put on politicians (who are the furthest thing from saviors).

Liberals confused at my cheery state of affairs don't understand me and they certainly don't understand conservatives. They project their own pathologies upon conservatives. Chief among those pathologies is the politicization of everyday life. Music, movies, television, books--everything--for the hardcore liberal is judged based on political content. This extends to life itself, which is a depressing affair when someone not sympatico with your liberal views holds important political office. This makes sense. People who have aspirations of stamping the state's vision on everything--health care, talk radio, campaign donations--naturally get despondent when the state's vision isn't their vision. They imagine their enemies intruding into such previously private spheres with matching enthusiasm, but lucky for them that's just not how conservatives roll.

As a previous post indicates, I don't plan on making Barack Obama's life hell for the next four (eight?) years as payback for his enthusiasts doing this to George W. Bush. If Obama does something well, I will applaud. And if he governs as a socialist, I will bark, or, more likely, will probably just politely explain why ideas that have failed in the past will do so in the present. Sure, there's not a whole lot of catharsis there, but for conservatives politics isn't therapy. For any truly depressed conservative, the only advice I have to cure your ailment is: Get a life.

One of the few times I can recall laughing openly and in derision at an authority figure was in a high school government class after our teacher related how in college in 1982 he spent the election night in a bar literally crying in his beer in despair as he watched the GOP capture the house for Reagan.

He was not pleased with the public ridicule I (a smart-alecky 16 year old) heaped on him in class. Like your post indicates I think that was an early sign of my instinctively right-wing worldview.

Here is the underlying problem with some of the reactions common after this election: the Gnostic sacralization of the political.

It is bad enough that our political class politicizes the social but when the people themselves tend to sacralize the political we get the spectacle of an "anointing" of a Messiah (and Obama's complete God-complex victory speech) from the left side. From the right we get post-election despair in the "American people" on the one hand or the optimistic maintenance of "hope" in the American people. These are all examples of misconstruing our fellow citizens as more than human, for one cannot really have "faith" or "hope" in people. The source of both faith and hope is God and the object of both is likewise God. We can trust in someone but that is as grand as it really gets. When this order is misunderstood (by atheist or believer alike) then you get a sacralization of the political, possibly a divinization of the state, and often tyranny.

Dan,

You're speaking only for yourself. I was following the threads on Hannity and Townhall last night, and many were claiming that they were leaving the country, or that it was the end of America etc. The conservatism you're describing doesn't really exist. The mainstream conservative movement is just as ideological, radical, and political as the liberals they oppose.

Sell it somewhere else, Wilds. Nothing that I have seen has even come close to the Blue-state-secessionist, red-state-knuckle-dragging essays in glossy magazines that accompanied the 2004 election.

Frankly though, I'm not surprised if any conservative is a little depressed over this election. I'm not particularly. And I hope that we don't see ODS to rival BDS. But nonetheless, America has just voted in the biggest crypto-socialist we've ever had, by a populous (using the 70% figure) where about 40% of the people voting for him agreed with the idea that the press wanted him to win, with the "Fairness Doctrine" soon to follow to clean up the airwaves and blogs.

I'd like to believe that Obama's not going to enact all the stupid things I've heard come out of his mouth. (Bankrupting coal plants, while increasing the amount of cars running on electricity (50% of which currently comes from coal)). There were times about a month ago when you got a sense that maybe he'd govern a little more from the center--I'm just not going to hold my breath.

Dan, that ws one of the best posts-and as of late, you have had some great ones I share elsewhere.

"I am involved with politics so that politics is not involved with me."

"For conservatives, politicians generally aren't seen as redeemers but nusiances."

Great stuff, Dan.

Be well,

Sponge

Dan, well said. I'm even going to buy your book now. Hell, the slot next to the other 2 is lonely.. ;-)

Excellent post, Dan. And equally excellent comment, "Bruce".

I asked a lady at church yesterday how she was, and she said she was a bit down in the dumps. My reply to her reciprocal query was "I'm happy." I'm sure she thought I must have pulled the lever for Obama. But as I said in following, the sun still came up today and the weather is nice, etc.

Another conversation I had with a friend recently concerned the growth of the state and why. My answer is the same as Bruce Wayne's here: idolatry. It is the same sin at the root of every form of statism. And in a different direction, for certain forms of libertarianism, esp. anarcho-capitalism. And that's coming from someone who truly believes we are best served by a minimalist and highly de-centralized state (or confederation, to be more precise).

Well, I do feel a bit disenfranchisementalated by the media, and it makes me wonder if even a strong candidate will be able to overcome the "chosen" of the liberal press in the future.

But, just as in History of the World, Part 1, as soon as I started smoking pot, I really didn't care what happened anymore.

Wow, everything is so GREEN!

Personally I’ll work to make it right the next time around. But I’m still very disappointed and pi$$ed. We haven’t become that mind numbed in this country yet where that is wrong, have we?

Maybe if more people on our side did get pi$$ed in the first place, what has happened wouldn’t have happened.

But the chief among them (not that he was on our side in the first place); was soft and gracious in the running and right to the end in defeat.

Maybe he’s thinking of getting back into the good graces of the Washington Belt Way cocktail party set again or, with all due respect, maybe “The Maverick” had more taken out of him in Hanoi than we know.

Either way, next time let’s pick a candidate who will take the race as seriously as the opposition.

What liberal press? Yes, outside of Fox with its blatant neo-con bias), the "mainstream" media is biased badly to the left. So what? The "mainstream" is arguably already no longer the main stream for Americans getting their news, and their influence wanes every day.

The greatest thing about Obama's landslide electoral victory is that it should vanquish all the standard Republican excuses. My hope is that it will force some real soul searching and a final break from the neo-con monster that has destroyed the party.

McCain most certainly was right to end in defeat. I for one am thankful for that outcome.

Get a Life? Have one too. But it may have gotten more complicated for the next four or eight years and it’s a wee bit of a concern.

Yes Dan, you are absolutely correct. Thank you!

This is just great.

Here is a thought.

Obama said this about himself.."I am a blank slate" then goes on to say something like, although I don't remember exact words, " upon which people will cast their own assumptions. In the end everyone will be disappointed."

So here is the thing. Who is the real Obama?

Are we seeing a dictator in the making OR does Obama just sort of throw out these "spread the wealth" and "civilian security force" phrases on purpose? So that some people (myself) included start to go down a very dark path? Today I found myself thinking "I don't care whatever socialist agenda he has just as long as he doesn't assign my kids to a reeducation camp."

At which point I sort of had a light moment.

Who has he started surrounding himself with? Colin Powell, not the biggest radical. Clinton people..pretty much the status quo right? (So much for change...perhaps it should have been CHANGE BACK, but I digress)

We hang so much on peoples words it might be with this president to watch what he does and not get caught up in the rhetoric and the words.

I wouldn't say that he is lying so much as maybe our new president is smart enough to know that if he has terrorists in his past and won't answer questions about his background etc that people will fill in with the worst kinds of things.

So here is my choice...to drive myself completely crazy and worry about the end of democracy as an agenda OR decide to pay attention ONLY to what he does and not the charged words he uses.

Even if he doesn't have his own agenda or necessarily think for himself, by saying that he is a "blank slate" is like saying he is easily led. And we have a pretty good idea of who would be writing on that slate and leading him.

I think that he has cultivated that blank slate. The 134 present votes were guaranteed to help not establish a record.
But then again...
Take the vote to let a baby die if he or she survived an abortion.
I mean if there was anytime to duck and cover and vote present wouldn't that be the time?

Look, sometimes my husband will be upset with a business associate who might not follow through or who changes there mind. I have to ask my husband to consider the fact that it is also possible that someone might have flat out LIED to him.

Ultimately Obama is a great politician, Here is someone who with 2 years Senate experience got elected to the leader of the free world.
I am saying that what we need to do is recognize what the red herrings thrown into our open mouths. Citizen Army...big as the military?...If this were a basketball game I'd say that Mr. Obama has been faking us out big time.

And people end of focused on the wrong things.

Here's that liberal viewpoint for you: "To be young in a nation under Ronald Reagan was to hate life."

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122593335544203583.html

And some guy in London found it ungracious for a lady McCain worker to cry and say "it can't be over."

Actually there are a lot of reasons to optimistic about the latest election. It's important to note that this election was not an affirmation of Obama's worldview -- socialism, the politics of racial grievances, open borders, diversity etc. This election was a repudiation of President Bush and we should be thankful the American people repudiated Bush and his successor John McCain. The economy has actually been performing very poorly during the Bush years -- look up the rate of private sector job growth.

The American people were either frustrated or furious about the Iraq war, a war that was not necessary and one that many feel was sold on false pretenses. But more importantly, the Iraq war has been dominating political life for the past six years and that means all time spent on Iraq is time we couldn't spend elsewhere. Iraq was essentially clogging our entire political system, and naturally Americans who have other concerns -- health care, economy, deficits -- realize Washington is simply not able to respond to their concerns as long as we are in Iraq. I think this frustration -- that nothing else could be addressed as long as the Iraq war persisted -- played a great role in diminishing America's view of George Bush. By focusing on Iraq, his administration was unresponsive to the everyday concerns of most Americans.

The election of Barack Obama was basically a repudiation of the Iraq war, and that's not something to be distraught over.

However, I doubt most mainstream conservatives really understand why obama won. They blame the media, or how much money Obama was able to raise. Bush's 20% approval rating was a legitimate and rational response to his administration, and unless Republicans understand this I doubt their electoral fortunes will improve.

Eric Wilds - Johnny one note.

So original and all that could be expected from such a ground breaking deep thinker.

Q: What are the BDS’ers going to do when turmoil and chaos hit the Messiah's administration?

A: Like liberals (and children) always do, take absolutely no responsibility and try to blame it on somebody else.

Typically obtuse and disingenuous.

ASDF,

Your pattern continues. You call me names, accuse me of being a liberal (false), an Obama supporter (also false), but don't have a serious criticism or thought to offer.

BDS isn't real. Most Americans oppose President Bush's policies because they are bad for the nation. You support the president, not because you're a conservative, but a Bush Cultist. Besides, BDS, even if it's real, is not something to worry about. It's Bush Cultist Syndrome (BCS) that is responsible for the Obama presidency.

However, if you do find something intelligent and worthwhile to say, I'd be happy to hear it. It would be a first.

Patterns? Wilds, you haven't said much that's been new or intelligent for some time now. Just some well packaged babel of the same old. Which is just ends up being more of the same drone that Bush Sucks.

Yawn.

You keep trying to dodge the question. My point is that President Bush has an approval rating of about 20%. The question is why? And does he deserve to have one of the lowest approval ratings in American history?

I think the president's low approval rating is well-justified so we should try to ascertain why it's so low. Excoriating the American people for being "spoiled brats," or blaming the "libs" doesn't explain anything. His low approval rating is a reflection of his failed policies and failed leadership. Obama's victory -- inconceivable in a normal election cycle -- is the direct result of the policies of the last eight years.