It ain't perfect...

...but this is the first time I have felt really happy on Election Day since 1992. First female Speaker of the House ever--that alone is reason for celebration. But what a turnaround in the House, and maybe even (dare we hope?) the Senate! And my home state of Ohio has finally come to its senses.

Sweet.

Georgia is one of the very few places where Republicans gained any ground this time, which I suppose will make people wonder whether we feel comfortable in such a conservative climate. I maintain we liberals are more needed here. Everyone needs to be reminded, daily, that not all people think the same way--it helps to broaden minds and build empathy. May we be a reminder to our neighbors, and may they be a reminder to us.

But even rural Georgia is only about 65 percent conservative, which means it's 35 percent not conservative. That's not a monolith. (Nearby Athens is quite skewed in the other direction--but that's a whole nother story.) And the country as a whole lingers close to 50-50, regardless of which way the pendulum swings in any given election year. The President and his supporters would do well to remember that 51 percent is not a mandate, and that they don't have a lock on what it means to be an American.

On another topic completely, I have written a new post at the Eat Local Challenge blog.