Why Are So Many Americans Smiling?

By all rights we should all be curled up in the fetal position on our mattresses stuffed with what's left of our 401ks. We should all be learning to barter; taking lessons from the Palins in how to field dress wild game and then turn the hides into moccasins.

Instead I see so many of us smiling.

Sure, as always, when I ask friends how they're doing they first groan and say they're overworked and worried and the damn holidays are rapidly upon us. But then... after a beat... they often smile and say, "But how about that November 5th...?"

And I'm not just talking about early adopting Obama true believers, I'm talking across the board of progressive thinkers whose entire lives, save the first few years of the Clinton administration, were lived in occupied territory.

Despite the most dismal economic forecasts of my lifetime, I'm thankful this Thanksgiving to the American people for their ability to be optimistic again. With rational thought restored to American governance I'm hopeful that we'll convert this crisis into an opportunity to finally create a more fair and more modern republic.