We gathered for an entertaining election results party with many TVs airing different stations and even more laptops pulling statistics, but the night wasn’t for us. When I wake up, I expect solid confirmation that we’ll unfortunately be looking at four more years of George W. Bush.

At this point Iowa and Ohio are essentially being held out as too close to call, and CNN is stalling and speculating to keep viewers entertained, but it essentially comes down to Kerry losing to Bush.

I had hoped to see the election bring us a replacement, though I didn’t see it fixing anything exactly. One of my concerns is that the country is so evenly divided, and each side so certain of their positions, they easily dismiss the other, and rational discourse does not take place. If it takes another term of Bush to wake people up, then we can at least regroup and begin the repair. If in four years I instead find his popular approval even higher, then at least it will be more clear to me that I’m not surrounded by like-minded people (I know, I already live in a red state) and my country doesn’t care to keep me.

I didn’t think this country would remain so out of touch with reality and re-elect this president. I’m going to bed disappointed with the results, disappointed with the people of this nation, and afraid for what the future holds.

President Bush declares victory in 2004 presidental election telling supporters “America has spoken.”

It’s the second part of that newsflash that really upsets me.