Bush Wins -- The Republic Stands

At this point (11:07 pm PST) Fox has declared Bush the winner in states amounting to 269 electoral votes, which if it holds guarantees him a tie. It appears that Bush will at least carry New Mexico, which will put him above 270 electoral votes, even allowing for a faithless elector. Bush also has an 11,000 vote advantage in Iowa with 96% of precints counted. He also has a nearly 4% margin over Kerry in the popular vote and appears to have more than 50%.

This vote is not an overwhelming victory but it is a mandate sufficiently decisive to make it clear that Bush has a mandate for his second term. After all the bitterness of the campaign, it remains to be seen whether or how the country can be reunited. Bush began in a conciliatory way, but as time has gone on has taken more or less partisan postions. We remain a country sectionally and culturally divided. A Giuliani or a McCain could try to overcome the divide, but it's not clear whether the Bushies want to or can.

I am relieved and apprehensive at the same time. We had to reelect Bush, because he would fight and Kerry might not, and instead defer to Chiraq and other dhimmis, and to the United Nations. But Bush, too, has glaring deficiencies, some of which he may correct in a second term. I'll save that for later.

We have to fight the war harder, and smarter, and prepare the country for sacrifice.