I'm pretty much all smiles today. I thought that the Democrats would be able to pick up the House, but I really didn't think that they'd stand a chance of winning back the Senate. And while it's still way too early to tell, it looks like that may be the case. *crosses fingers for Virginia*

And with Rumsfeld deciding to step down...*sigh*... Only marshmallows following from the sky would complete this perfect day.

I really do want to take this moment to bask in the gloriousness of this country. Being a lefty, I think it's great that the Democrats took over the House and Senate. *crosses fingers for Virginia*

Yet at the end of the day, I realize that this country really neither right nor left, Republican nor Democrat. This country is no more moderate or centrist today than it was yesterday or the day before. When the country perceived a shift to the left in the early 1990's, the country voted in the Republicans in 1994. Repeat the same sentence from above, substitute 2004 for the early 1990's and Democrats for Republicans. As much as it may pain me to say this, our country really is a moderate country. So with that, I'm ready for the Democrats to make it that way again.

The Democrats do indeed have a mandate. Don't let anyone tell you that they don't. But this mandate is not to take the country left. That was the problem the Republican Revolution had in the 1990's. They saw their ascension as a mandate to take the country to the right. We all see where that got them.

The Democrats have a mandate to take this country leftward, only they'd be wise to stop that leftward motion somewhere in the center to the slightly left of it. If they don't, they run the risk last night being for naught.

And don't believe anyone who says that last night's takeover isn't a big deal. This is a BIG deal. I'm not sure how much last night had to do with Rumsfeld leaving office today, but I don't believe that his resignation would have happened had the Republicans controlled the House and Senate on Wednesday, November 8th.

The Democrat takeover means that there will be a new direction in Iraq. It doesn't even matter that we are not entirely sure what direction that is going to be at the moment. Apparently, enough voters would rather go with an ambiguous plan than the one that we were currently on. That's the beauty of democracy.

It's funny that even though the country shifted blue-purple, Texas still remains defiantly red. I hate it, but you almost have to respect that kind of...I don't even know what that is.

that's all i have for now. more to come on this later.

matt