HARD WORK AND COURAGE PAID OFF.

The expectations had gone so out of control that, on Tuesday afternoon, we reporters [in Boston] had already moved on to the second-, third-, and fourth-day stories. The exit polls seemed to show such a clear sweep of the battleground states for John Kerry that the news of his victory already seemed stale. Yep, it's true. We were already speculating about the dynamics of Kerry's reelection campaign. A newspaper reporter at a major daily polished an article about George W. Bush's concession speech.

The mood among Kerry staffers was celebratory.

The mood shifted markedly in the early evening.

When the two giant TV screens flashed Tom Brokaw's visage at 1 a.m., the crowd collectively held its breath. "It's our projection that George W. Bush is the winner of the twenty electoral votes in Ohio." Al Franken, the liberal comedian and radio host, looked dumbfounded.

"Night Falls," Ryan Lizza, in New Republic Online, 11/04/2004

I grew up in Missouri and most of my family voted for Bush, so I am going to be the one to say it: The election results reflect the decision of the right wing to cultivate and exploit ignorance in the citizenry.

Ignorance and bloodlust have a long tradition in the United States, especially in the red states. Listen to what the red state citizens say about themselves, the songs they write, and the sermons they flock to.