One of my favorite commentators and essayists is Mark Steyn, who writes for National Review, The New Criterion, and others. Just before election day, he had a take on the presidential election that fit my sentiments pretty well in terms of the then potentially disturbing elements of the outcome, which were soon actualized:
“It’s one thing if the Republicans lose to a thrilling, magical superstar; it’s quite another if the Republican loses to a mean, petty, leaden, boring, earthbound hack who hasn’t lit up a room in years. In 2008, the American people said: We like this guy. In 2012, they’d be saying {and did say}: We like these policies. That’s far more disturbing.”
Indeed.