With the recent win by the GOP behind them, Republicans are looking forward to retaking control of Washington, while Tea Partiers stand behind the curtain, with pitchforks and shovels in their hands, exclaiming "Y'all had better do what we voted you in fer, or you'll be next!". But within this tide of Democratic defeat seems to be an underlying message -- that the election of a black president was the last straw for white America, and that they ain't gonna take it no more.
There had always been a sense of balance in America's politics. The consistent sway between Republican and Democratic parties was like watching the ocean tides go in and out. But I'm starting to notice that after Obama's election, Americans seems to be less civil and get into more heated arguments than before. All of the sudden, we as a nation have lost our etiquette, with people yelling out racial obscenities at rallies and town hall meetings, and even even spitting on elected officials in our nations capital. The nation has gotten out of hand, and it appears to me that race was the straw that broke the nations racist back.
Before the black presidency, it was always known that America would be always be led by someone from one of the political parties. What has changed is that the inclusion of non-whites and women are no longer off limits in presidential politics. Even if America says on the surface that having a black or female president is great, the real sense is that, if given a "no-holds-barred, don't call racist or sexist " choice, America would choose to maintain the white-male-only president status quo.
Americas politics seem much nastier than I can remember. Then again, I was born in the mid 60's, after the turbulent times where segregation was ending in America. Perhaps what we're seeing today is a repeat of 1950's and 60's racial politics, with just new faces and a larger audience fueled by the internet.
Though people will always have disagreements, today's politics has an underlying "sneer" to it that just doesn't seem like business as usual. Let's hope that we remember to come back together as a country, irregardless of who (or what) is president.