Politics, for all too long, has been concerned with right or left instead of right or wrong. ~ Richard Armour

I am glad to be home, but very tired still from the drive. The trip was pretty uneventful. I just drove every single day for 6 days. Most days I drove at least 8 hours, one day just 5 hours, another day nearly 12 hours.

My sister, Karen, is settling in, trying to get her bearings. It's hard to imagine how difficult it must be after all that has transpired ~ Bob's long illness, then his death, his funeral, his estate, his family ~ then just walking away from what was left, leaving the home and life she's lived and known for the last 17 years. She hasn't really cried about leaving yet, but I suspect it's coming.

Well, today is election day. All of the speculation, polling, and proselytizing will be over. After two years of campaigning, i.e., blaming, demonizing, belittling, name-calling and b.s.'ing, our new president will finally be elected. I voted early and I'm glad it is just about over, although it has been over for me since I walked out from behind the voting machine almost two weeks ago.

Then, on January 21st, 2009, the day after the inauguration, considering the tone of the campaign, we can quite probably expect more blaming, demonizing, belittling, name-calling and b.s.'ing from both sides as They prepare to stonewall the work They promised would done on our behalf, the American people, if They were privileged to be elected.

I have never seen such ugliness and hate in a campaign, from both sides of the ticket, and even in our local races; not only from the candidates, but from their supporters, as well. For some odd reason, this year someone decided it was okay to reach to the bottom of the muck barrel and abandon all civility whatsoever.

Don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about or that "your side", whatever "side" you're on, is completely innocent. There was hatemongering, misogyny and divisive rhetoric on both sides. Conservatives spewed vitriolic hatred of all who would oppose white christian dominance. Liberals, who were supposed to be the party of tolerance, decency and kindness, began to embody the progressive equivalent of Ann Coulter, condemning, ridiculing and mocking the opposition and anyone who questioned or disagreed their chosen candidate.

Don't these people just make you proud to be an American???

This morning, someone (I think it was reporter, John Harwood) called this campaign "Southpark politics" and it was dead-on accurate. This campaign has been truly foul and offensive. Nothing on either side of this campaign was deemed unacceptable and everything was fair game, from sexist comments to religious stereotypes to class slurs to racial accusations.

I'm glad it's over. I hope it's really, really, really over. I am a sadder person to have had to experience this kind of hatred and disrespect toward my fellow Americans in my lifetime.