A thought-provoking e-mail from a friend this morning...

"I am profoundly despondent. Once again I drastically overestimated the American people.The fact that it was so close - however it breaks when the lawyers finish - convinces me that the king of cynics P.T.Barnum was so right when he said you can't underestimate the American public.

I guess I want to always appeal to what's best in us and not pander to what's worst. When will I ever learn…I should just grab a bible, a shiny suit and go out and fleece the suckers, like everyone else. Instead, I will just disengage as best I can. You can't save people from themselves. If these people want their own Evangelical "Christian" Taliban, so be it.

And while we're at it, let's say goodbye to social security, civil rights and all those other 'reforms' introduced in the 20th century. We're not going back to the 19th century, we're headed straight for the 17th. Only these people will make the puritans look like libertarians. America has spoken. As that old saying goes, "the great thing about democracy is that people get the government they deserve".

I'm tired of trying to have intelligent conversations with people. I'm embracing the futility. Pass the Kool-aid ...we're all doomed... and we've done it to ourselves."