Recently been spending a little time over at the Democratic Underground site. Some well written and thoughtful pieces there. This is a snippet from one but you really should click through the link and read the whole thing. Black Box, by The Plaid Adder - Democratic Underground:

My partner works in a blue state. I work in a red state. We live our lives along a line stretched between them. For us, civil war is not an option.

Bush did not get a second term because the red overwhelmed the blue. No matter what you read in the papers, 51% is not a mandate. It is, however, a controlling interest.

For anyone else, the margin of victory would matter; but as far as the Bush team is concerned, as long as they own 51% of this country, they get to control it, and the minority can go piss up a rope, even if the 'minority' is almost half the country. That's not how a republic is supposed to work; but that's how a corporation works, and as long as it's red against blue, that's all this country is going to be.

I don't know how we get out of here. Right now, I feel like it will be a miracle if I live through the next four years. We all know how the Bush administration treats a conquered enemy; and every time I see one of our Democratic leaders using the word 'unity' right now, I want to throw up.