For a month television talking heads have been offering excuses and stating reasons why the presidential and many other elections went the way they did. Democrats point to the president's accomplishments of the auto bailout, the stimulus funds, the Fair Pay Act, Health Care Act, Wall Street reforms and the creation of a consumer protection agency.
Republicans tend to blame their candidate. His attitude toward the middle class was backed up by his 47 percent remarks and shallow laugh and synthetic smile. The far right tea party shriek that he was too reasonable. He strayed from their unquestioned "truths" and "moral" absolutism.
I suggest that the election was decided in the minds of the American voters. America's cultural values, social attitudes, religious beliefs are not as extremely differing as some would have us believe. Americans share any number of attitudes, values and beliefs. Most Americans really prefer a society of equal opportunity, health care for all, logical taxation, respect of the environment, a foreign policy of cooperation and a defense stance which protects and defends without creating new threats.
That is a good definition for being a liberal. In spite of 30 years of the word being attacked, denounced, degraded - most Americans don't care what it is called, they just know what is right when they see it.
Tom Anderson
Marietta
