Healthy Cynicism or "May We Have a Do Over, Please?"

CNN is asking if we're optimistic about Mr. Bush's second term. With more than 200,000 respondents, about 60% aren't.

Don't think it was that, "I earned the right to have everything my way; I'll let you breathe if you support me, but I'll crush ya like a bug if you don't" victory speech today, do you? I had an associate - a woman who admitted just before the election that her husband had pretty much convinced her they both had to vote for Bush because it sent back signals in a war - send a note today, saying:

I happened to catch his remarks just before lunch and it was like an air raid siren went off in my head. What was I thinking? Why did I vote Bush when I knew better?!?!

I'm not alone either. I confessed this when our usual work group got together at lunch and almost every woman at the table (but the new gal who has a Kerry sticker) said just about the same thing, that we all felt like we'd maybe made the worst mistake we could. One says her husband's had second thoughts since before they left the parking lot after voting. Of the guys at the table, one agreed, one said it's too soon to tell (but didn't argue it either), and the other got up and left without answering.

I wonder how many of us have buyer's remorse now?

This has to be worse than how the Nader people felt in 2000 but we all get screwed.