Pollyanna Lives

Continuing yesterday's "keep your chin up" theme, here's some encouraging words from the Wall Street Journal.

Mr. Obama will now have to govern the America he so relentlessly sought to divide—and without a mandate beyond the powers of the Presidency. Democrats will hold the Senate, perhaps with an additional seat or two. But Republicans held the House comfortably, so their agenda was hardly repudiated. The two sides will have to reach some compromise on the tax cliff, the spending sequester and the debt limit, but Speaker John Boehner can negotiate knowing he has as much of a mandate as the President.

In other words, gridlock will remain in place. And in thwarting at least some of obama's agenda, gridlock is our friend. Yes, he will try to rule with executive fiat, and yes, Harry Reid and his pack of thieves in the senate will be as unprincipled and unscrupulous as we expect, but at least obama and his goons will have to operate under some constraints.

Some of our conservative friends will argue that Mr. Obama's victory thus represents a decline in national virtue and a tipping point in favor of the "takers" over the makers. They will say the middle class chose Mr. Obama's government blandishments over Mr. Romney's opportunity society. We don't think such a narrow victory of an incumbent President who continues to be personally admired justifies such a conclusion.

I gagged over the "personally admired" nonsense, but other than that the point is well made. It was a narrow victory. I'll leave it to others to delve into the reasons why, but the bottom line is that we remain a nation divided -- essentially split down the middle -- which offers a bit of hope for the future. The electoral vote is misleadingly one-sided. The popular vote is a more accurate reflection of where the American people stand.

I leave you with the words of Michelle Malkin:

My counsel to you tonight: Please, do not be bitter. Do not fall prey to the Beltway blame game. Do not get mired in small things. Do not become vengeful creatures like our political opponents who voted out of spite instead of love of country.

We still have boundless blessings to count — and to secure.

I remain a proud, unrepentant believer in the American Dream. And I know you do, too. Freedom will endure because we will keep fighting for it. We can’t afford not to, friends.

Amen.