I sobbed uncontrollably during the Kerry concession speech yesterday. And although the gloomy, grey rainyness of these last two Chicago days has pretty much summed up the way I feel about four more years of a Bush presidency, I am coming to terms with the fact that he won. We actually can't put that word in quotes anymore. He won a majority of both the popular and electoral votes. Done deal.

Here's what I have a harder time dealing with: Ohio. Bush won Ohio by about 150,000 votes. Ohio has one of the highest unemployment rates in the country. They lost 200,000 jobs over the last four years. Ohio is crying out for jobs, any kind of employment that can help people support their families. And yet, out of the ten counties that lost the most jobs, NINE of them went for Bush. It's like your husband breaks half the bones in your body and you go back for more. It's not a couple black eyes in Ohio, it has been all out war on their economy for the last four years. And, realistically, for the next four.

This is, of course, not even to mention that 62% of the state voted to "protect marriage." I don't say a ban on gay marriage because although it is that, it goes a bit further. It also affects health benefits, et al for hetero non-married couples. As I understand it, two people that are not married, be they gay or hetero, cannot even buy a house together.

This election was won on bible thumping and fear. And that's not just my opinion - look at any newspaper and they will tell you the same. Bush voters cited 'moral values' and 'terrorism' as their two greatest reasons for their choice. You have to hand it to Rove, he kept slamming home that same message: "Voting for Kerry will make the Muslims attack you."

The one point of light from yesterday: Bush said this is his last election. I will be in my late 20s by the time we have a new president, but we will have one. Unless there is a nuclear WWIII, in which case, it won't really matter.

All we can all do is our part. I'm thinking about running for an office in 2006, working for Obama now, etc. Liberals in this country need to look at the Kerry campaign to learn lessons of how to run the next campaign. We can't just sit and wallow and be passively mad. The primaries for 2006 are just a year away. We need to take back at least one wing of Congress - even most conservatives would agree that effective government can't be in the hands of all one party. It's going to be hard work, but it's a task that 55.4 million people in this country can accomplish.