You will see where the bulk of the votes came from.  It is a sad commentary on our country.  Predominantly most of the poor and uneducated voted for Bush.  And there were enough to outnumber the rest.  It all comes down to perspectives.  Although I generally don't believe in polls, it had been said many times that samplings found most people in the pro-Bush segment more preoccupied with "the war" and feeling the need for the US to "kill all the terrorits" above and beyond concern for other foreign and domestic issues.  They felt Bush had proven he can and will continue to pursue and eliminate the terrorists, so they chose accordingly.

FACT#1:  The US had no grounds to start a non-UN sanctioned war against Iraq.  There is tremendous evidence to support this.  But, the Bush administration prevailed in maintaining the lie, even in the face of being directly discredited.

FACT#2:  The US has lost its standing in the world.  We have alienated many of our once "close allies."  Historically speaking, almost all successful US leaders believed it highly important for the US to be involved in international affairs and not to be isolationist.

FACT#3:  Yes, Kerry was not a great choice.  Neither was Bush.  But voting for Kerry at least gave hope for the near term rectification of our standing in the world.  Now it will take many decades to restore the standing we once had.

I doubt this will reelection of Bush will fling us into hell in a handbasket.  There is still much hope for the USA, despite the ton of work ahead.  Yes, historically Democratic empires have their cycles and imminent destruction... we could be in for the ending of our time soon.  But, there could also be a revisiting of prior cycles, thereby extending the life of our nation.  Don't forget that each era has its own advantages and disadvantages.  At this point in time, we've got a lot more going for us than any other prior Democracy ever did.  The game is far from over...  I just hope Hillary doesn't get nominated in 2008!

~Seamless~