Meanwhile in America

Washington Monthly, Dec, 2004 by Joe Sacco

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, IN THEIR WISDOM, THE AMERICAN PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN.

THEY HAVE GIVEN THEMSELVES FOUR MORE YEARS OF GEORGE W. BUSH, AND I HAVE A CONFESSION TO MAKE.

Convinced that Bush had taken America down the road to ruin, I Marveled that anyone but a millionaire or an ignoramus could stand behind him in 2004.

WHY DO THEY LET STUPID PEOPLE VOTE?

WHY NOT? THEY LET STUPID PEOPLE BECOME PRESIDENT.

In the end, I could laugh at Bush and his supporters] all I wanted. They didn't care; they were busy winning.

During the campaign, vice presidential candidate John Edwards talked about "two Americas," and sometimes I wish he were right, that there could be two Americas ...

One for them ...

I LOVE HAND GUNS AND HATE FAGGOTS ...

ESPECIALLY FRENCH FAGGOTS.

JESUS IS COMING!

And one for us ...

ANOTHER GLASS OF BORDEAUX?

SURE.

MILES, YOU WERE SAYING SOMETHING ABOUT THE NEED TO STOP THE ICE CAPS FROM MELTING ...

Some months back, I remember nodding my head when my pal Michael said ...

IF AMERICANS ARE STUPID ENOUGH TO ELECT BUSH, THEN THEY DESERVE HIM.

I'M JUST SORRY FOR THE REST OF THE WORLD.

And on election night, I blinked uncomprehendingly as the pundits swept aside my last-minute conviction that Kerry would win and treated the state-by-state permutations as some sort of intrinsically delightful mathematical game.

EXCITING NIGHT! EXCITING NIGHT!

IT'S ALL ABOUT OHIO! THAT'S 20 VOTES!

KERRY MUST WIN OHIO!

Like many who feared Bush, I went to bed that night not knowing for sure which way Ohio would break but with a sinking feeling That all my hopes depended on it.

WHO'S GOING TO TAKE CARE OF US NOW, TEDDY?

And when I awoke, the game was up. My girlfriend Amaile's vision darkened as the reality of another Bush term sank in.

FOR THE FIRST TIME I AM SCARED OF TERRORISM.

BUSH IS SO AGGRESSIVE AND SO ABUSIVE WITH THE REST OF THE WORLD.

And how, I asked myself in my hubris, could a man who deceived the nation into a war--war! where people get killed and maimed!--have managed to convince voters he was the epitome of "moral values"?

And that wasn't all ...

NOW HE'S GOT HIS CHANCE TO APPOINT SUPREME COURT JUSTICES.

IF THEY START FUCKING WITH ABORTION, I'M LEAVING THE COUNTRY.

Well, have a nice trip!

Me?

I'm staying.

I figure, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em.

I'VE DECIDED TO MAKE MY PEACE WITH THE WINNER.

THAT IS WHY, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, I AM CONFESSING BEFORE YOU.

THAT IS WHY I AM SO GRATEFUL FOR MY RE-EDUCATION AND THE CHANCE TO SEEK FORGIVENESS IN THE BOSOM OF THIS GODLY LAND.

THAT IS WHY I WILL COMMIT NO MORE POISONOUS DOODLES TO THE PAGES OF THIS UN-AMERICAN RAG.

THAT IS WHY--

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