Four more years, and despite what seems like a vote nearly divided, there are great numbers of us on both sides of that division, who will be adversely affected.

Let’s start with the Medicare and Social Security crowd. The President used his powers of intimidation to cajole nearly all of the Republican Senators to vote in favor of the Medicare Prescription Bill. Congress – uncharacteristically - stayed in session till the early hours of the morning so that seniors could get an unsatisfactory piece of legislation which benefits, primarily, the drug companies. AARP lined up with the administration, and some members protested by dropping their AARP membership, but most of the sheep went along without a bleat. As for Social Security, the President’s favorite adjective was “privatize” even though many financial analysts and economists said of social security that the present system would last well beyond 2050. In a word, “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it.” Privatization will leave many people without retirement funds when they most need them and may even affect some of today’s seniors.

Yet, there were many seniors who voted for a President whose policies would do them more harm than good. What were they thinking?

The President has spoken repeatedly of his Christian beliefs, which guide him in his policy making. In fact, he went so far as to indicate that he considers the New Testament this country’s most important book of laws. Whatever happened to the Constitution, with its emphasis on the separation of Church and State? This country has been frequently described as a melting pot, so diverse is the population, and not being a Christian doesn’t make us un American. There have been issues of anti Semitism over the centuries, but there is always a group that is anti some other group, and even within the Jewish community there is not total agreement on everything. Israel is a perfect example of that disharmony, but we don’t need a President who supports Israel when it’s expedient and excludes the Jews in his own country while extolling Evangelical Christians as the true people of God.

Yet there were many Jews who voted for a President who disrespected them, characterizing them as believers in a lesser God. What were they thinking?

The Administration took us to war against a country that had nothing to do with the terrorist attacks on 9/11 and which has made us no safer than we were before. In fact, the President had information in August of 2001 about the possibility of al Qaeda terrorist attacks and he ignored the warnings, and yet, for some unfathomable reason, people think he can keep us safer from additional attacks. He failed the first time but maybe he’s on a learning curve and will do better in the future. Over 1000 Americans have died in Iraq – without fanfare and little recognition – because a public display of honoring fallen heroes makes our President uncomfortable. Over 30,000 servicemen have been injured and we have managed to beat Saddam Hussein’s record in the number of Iraqi civilians killed, certainly as regards the number of children who have died or been severely injured, many for life. This, under an administration that bangs the drum for family values, that is horrified by the death of a fetus and wants to deny women control over their own bodies. This President is a man who, as Governor of Texas, was responsible for more executions than any other Governor in history. So much for the sanctity of a life.

Where are the mothers whose children will have to go off to fight an unnecessary war, whose hearts are torn by the sight of suffering children anywhere in the world, and who want to give to their children the legacy of a world that is conquering disease such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s and who understand the importance of stem cell research?

Yet there were many women who voted for a President who cares more for pseudo morality than for the existing children of the world; a man who attacks an oil rich country, then makes a cursory pass at rescuing those children who are dying in the arid desert, which is the Sudan. What were they thinking?

The President has become the arbiter of marriage, insisting that it exists only between a man and a woman. How sad that with a falling economy, an increase in the loss of jobs, people struggling to support and maintain their families, gay and lesbian marriage has become a major issue for the leader of our country. True immorality is not looking at the exposed breast of an entertainer or acknowledging the sexual preferences of a specific group of people, it’s closing one’s eyes to inequality and the pain of others. Racism is still a major issue in this country and filling a cabinet position or two with a token minority candidate should not lull anyone into a false sense of problem solved.

Yet there were many African Americans who voted for this President, along with some members of the gay and lesbian community and some others who are working more than one job for subsistence wages, and who have no health care for themselves or their families. What were they thinking?

The country is divided, proving that it’s impossible to fool all of the people all of the time, but what of those other people? Are they thinking?