Editorial: Another term will further divide U.S.

It appears President Bush will win the Electoral College and
will likely even carry the popular vote. But regardless of the
final outcome, this election has proven how dangerously divided the
United States is ““ and how little that bothers the president
when it comes to governing.

It seems as if the last four years never happened, that no
amount of concrete evidence could sway voters’ devotional
allegiance to Bush.

How much more could have gone wrong to make voters realize that
Bush’s dogmatic reign has brought our nation to the brink of
ruin?

As in 2000, Bush campaigned with an optimistic face, promising
to be a strong leader who would never back down or waiver.

But did voters forget Bush was so wrong about weapons of mass
destruction in Iraq?

Did they really believe the United States is somehow immune to
terrorism just because Bush invaded Afghanistan and Iraq?

Do the country’s average working men and women actually
expect Bush’s meager tax cuts to compensate for a weak job
market?

There is a mountain of evidence pointing to the failure of
Bush’s policies, yet so many voters apparently picked Bush
because they approve of his values and perceive him as strong in
the face of an ominous global threat.

It appears many voters chose him on blind faith.

Even if the predictions are wrong and Kerry is elected, this
election is telling about the state of American democracy.

This election makes it hard for the global community to think
the United States is anything more than hypocrites and ideologues.
We preach to the rest of the world about our perfect and inclusive
democracy and impose our will on nations everywhere ““ yet we
cannot hide that our country appears irreconcilably split.

Americans have proven how truly incompatible their beliefs are.
Pretending they are minor policy disagreements does not hide the
division.

Some Americans have unwavering beliefs about the way the world
should operate; others realize there are rarely certainties.

Bush has done an exemplary job at avoiding nuance in his four
years and isn’t afraid to admit how steadfast he is in his
views.

It seems inevitable that one group may be sacrificed to benefit
the other.

Bush has slowly pushed the federal government to the right on
almost every social and political issue. Now, with a potentially
stronger mandate, he will likely seek to finish the job.

A gay-marriage ban, destructive Supreme Court appointments,
faith-based initiatives and tremendous military spending seem
certain pillars of a second Bush term. There is nothing more
uninspiring ““ and frightening.

Today, as America stands divided without a president and devoid
of a shared vision, it is hard to imagine a more fragile and
precarious future.