I FOUND THAT ESSENCE RARE

Politics, huh? Well, OK.

I became aware of politics in the 70s. My grandmother was prominent in the local Republican woman’s club. I wrote derogatory grade-school limericks about Gerald Ford. In 7th grade, I stole a copy of The Doonesbury Chronicles from the school library.

In the 80s I felt mildly oppressed by first-round Reagan, and morbidly oppressed by second-round Reagan. The America of 1984-1988 was not my America.

Bush the First held the faintly unpleasant aftertaste of the Reagan years. I crinkled my nose and swallowed hard.

I forgave Clinton his peccadilloes in light of many of his policies, but I didn’t trust a word he said. I spent my time waiting for Cuomo… but Cuomo never came.

Gore seemed to possess a developed sense of fairness and decency, so I was satisfied when he was elected, Tipper notwithstanding. Then Bush the Second stole the consarnit thing, and we were condemned to four years of an Empire of Idiocy, then complicit in it for another four.

Yesterday we woke up. And for the first time in a long time, I can say that I am proud of this country.

Well done, America. Well effing done…