After 4 years of having to stay quiet in typically moderate circles, after 4 years of being assumed automatically “stupid” for endorsing President Bush, after 4 years of people thinking it’s “chic” and “cool” to call our President illegit, a moron, and unfit for the job – Republicans, Conservatives, and Moderate Democrats made a statement yesterday by overwhelmingly putting Bush back into office for 4 more years.

I voted for President Bush. I am definitely not stupid, a moron, not “capable,” or out of touch. As a matter of fact, 51% of the nation agrees with me. Actually, more voters than ever before in the history of United States elections agrees with me. I understand that 48% of the electorate voted for Senator Kerry. That’s great (it really is). But the fact of the matter is that the majority of Americans wanted President Bush to return to the White House – and he will.

What went wrong with the Democratic ticket? Well it’s obvious. A large portion of those who voted for Kerry were actually voting on the “anyone but Bush” ticket. Kerry doesn’t have the charisma to excite a crowd, he doesn’t have the legislative history to be a viable candidate, and he doesn’t have an energetic DEMOCRATIC base. What he did have in this election was a base comprised of people who were furious that Bush won in 2000 and were hoping that anyone but Bush won in 2004. Folks, when you’re running for the highest office in the land you want the people supporting to actually WANT YOU for the job!

So now that America has made a definitive statement, I wonder what the liberal/extremist talking points are going to be this time around: “Bush is still stupid!” “Bush stole the election!” “No blood for oil!”

How pathetic can it get from here? Where is the integrity in American politics these days? Why must extremists stay so extreme and close-minded? Why not instead of saying “Bush is still stupid!” say something more realistic like, “Bush won the 2004 election by a large majority.” One statement is steeped in emotion and irrationality, one is steeped in pure fact.

It’s not 2000 anymore. It’s 2004 (for a little while more at least). President Bush clearly won the election. The Republicans gained seats in the Senate. The Republicans gained seats in the House. Democrats, let me give all of you a tip from the real world: if you want to start being a viable party again, you need to stop calling Republican policies and Republicans in general “dumb.” We’re not dumb. As a matter of fact, we’re so not dumb that by supporting our candidates, we made a clear and strong stand on election day. Maybe if you all gave us a “Democratic” agenda instead of an “anti-Republican” agenda, we’d give you the time of day.

But until the Democrats can learn to NOT rely on extremists and to NOT play partisan politics with the entire political agenda, they’re doomed to be the second place winners in American politics for the foreseeable future.