A New American Order

It’s hard to believe, but after all these years in the desert, the Democrats took it (almost all, waiting for Virginia) back today. I’m amazed and excited for the country. It’s obvious and corny but nonetheless true: American democracy is a privileged and imperfect system but it astoundingly tends to work. The country’s health, measured by yesterday’s election, is stronger not because of who got elected but because they were elected and because change is considered a good thing in America.
I think the Democrats should gloat, grin, shake their fists, stick out their tongues, moon the pundits, and sing heroic “We Are the Champion”-type songs. It’s deserved and Howard Dean should get loads of credit. A Muslim was elected, a black candidate was elected in the South, a woman may soon be House Speaker. These things are not trivial. A shout should be shouted.
But then I hope that the Democrats roll up their newly pressed sleeves and get to work. A lot of the world is poor, malnourished and living in fear and there’s not a lot of time to lose.