For the most part, the past few days have been unbridled joy for me. Funny thing is, I wasn't that desperate to see Bush win. I went to bed on Tuesday night thinking that a Bush loss was more likely than a win. Yet, I knew that the Senate and House were going to be more Republican than they were before Election Day, so I figured that Kerry was pretty well boxed in. I assumed he'd govern cautiously for 4 years and be turned out in 2008.
Then the vitriol started pouring in. First it was on the radio. Didn't matter what station I tuned in. The anger was palpable. So was the bigotry. The terms used to describe those who voted for Bush would not be allowed if used about any other group of people. Those who are not part of the news teams were the worst. DJ's and other puff presenters excelled themselves in displaying their ignorance.
The following day, the newspapers weighed in. Simon Jenkins (in both the London Times and Irish Independent), Fintan O'Toole, the Daily Mirror, etc. are only the tip of the iceberg.
Most of the time I just laugh. You people and your high and mighty tone - I'm laughing in your face!
Every so often, however, it gets under my skin. I resent that I am compelled by law to pay in order to be reviled by RTE. I hope by the end of this weekend sanity will return to those who were clearly unhinged by Tuesday's results.
