John Titor said that Civil War will start in the spring of 2005...
Posted on 11/06/2004 6:15:21 PM PST by Dubya
For die-hard Democrat Theresa Hudgins, who is surrounded by Republicans at work and at home, the doldrums took hold on election night and haven't let go.
"I was just bawling," said Hudgins, a Grapevine hairstylist. "Everyone is so happy -- my husband's got a real spring in his step because Bush won -- but I'm just really sad. It's going to be a very long four years."
While many were elated with the election results, others like Hudgins are experiencing post-election depression.
Although it's too soon to diagnose this phenomenon as clinical depression, plenty of folks who pinned their hopes on John Kerry are singing the blues.
The election returns made Mike McClure of Fort Worth physically sick.
"Wednesday I had a stomachache," he said. "It's more than mental -- it's a physical drag on me."
This was a fiery election year overflowing with often-contemptuous talk about morals, religious faith and family values.
Some people really are depressed, and their reaction goes way beyond politics, said Mary Lynn Crow, a Fort Worth psychologist.
"The issues and ideas that motivated voters this year are very personal and very deep," she said. "Now you've stepped into people's personal value systems."
Living in Bush country hasn't made it any easier for Kerry supporters.
"The victors always feel differently than the vanquished," said Jim Quick, professor of organizational behavior at the University of Texas at Arlington. "But we as Americans have a strong history of reaching out to those who have been defeated."
Hudgins said she would like to have a shoulder to cry on but does not dare share her disappointment with her pro-Bush pals.
"I don't know how I'll cope," she said. "You know you need to talk about it, but you don't want to talk about it when everyone else is so happy about Bush."
Democrats in offices filled with Republicans don't have an opportunity to commiserate, said Michael Katovich, professor of sociology at Texas Christian University.
"It's easier when they are in an environment where other people have the same expectations and can heal together," he said.
But in some offices and homes, people have to keep their feelings to themselves and just deal with it. That can be tough, especially for those coping with an unanticipated loss, Katovich said.
In this case, it appeared that Kerry had an opportunity to win; it looked like the election would be close, that he might squeak by, he said.
"It was different from Reagan years when the Democrat would lose by a landslide and people had already pre-rationalized the defeat," he said. "This was a loss that may have been unexpected even the day of the election, and that might contribute to the gloominess."
Now people have to come up with some other rationalization for what happened, he said.
McClure tried that.
"For a split second I told myself, 'Okay, I do love my country, and I don't want to work against the grain,' " he said.
"I listened to the victory speech and the press conference, but in the end I decided, 'Nah, this isn't going to work.' "
While some people might truly think they're depressed over the election, in most cases they're really just disappointed, said Robin Jarrett, professor of psychiatry at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas.
"The election was just Tuesday, and in order to have a diagnosis of depression, it has to last two weeks or more and be associated with functional impairment," she said.
Disappointment, on the other hand, is a part of life.
"We all have disappointments and are exposed to situations that cause grief and sadness," she said. "Like the Rolling Stones said, 'You can't always get what you want.' "
To feel down after the election is appropriate, Quick said.
"To feel hopeless is not," he said.
If that feeling of hopelessness lags on for weeks and is associated with other symptoms of depression, the person should seek professional help, experts say.
But for most people, agreeing to disagree might be the best approach.
"If you think that you have to agree with people on everything, then you won't have a relationship unless it's with a clone," Crow said. "People have to decide to reach across party lines if they want to have any kind of relationship at all."
IN THE KNOW
What is depression?
Symptoms are:
• Feeling sad, anxious or down
• Having less interest in pleasurable activities
• Feeling guilty, worthless, helpless or hopeless
SOURCE: National Institute of Mental Health
Dealing with disappointment
Here are some tips on coping after the election:
Give yourself time. Be patient. What you're going through now is similar to the mourning process.
Make civility a priority. Show kindness and consideration to heal the rifts that have formed in communities.
Take a break from hot-tempered media. Television, radio and the Web are bursting with pundits eager to inflame your loathing for the other side. Do you really want to wallow in their venom?
Work, don't sulk. Just because the vote didn't go your way doesn't mean it's time to give up. Channel the passion you felt during the 2004 race into something productive like raising money for a cause you believe in or running for office yourself.
Act like a grown-up. When the anger of the campaign boiled over, it led to some pretty juvenile behavior, like the stealing of campaign yard signs.
Find common ground. Talking to the opposition may be the last thing you want to do, but to tackle long-term issues such as health care and terrorism, Americans need to reach a consensus.
See the big picture. Although it feels as if America has never been more divided, history begs to differ. The summer of 1968? The Civil War? America has been through worse.
SOURCE: Knight Ridder Newspapers
A lot of people can't see it coming, but we're eventually going to have another civil war over this, or, a lot of people on one side or the other are going to have to leave the country. The divide developing is analagous to the divide between the Bible-based, God-fearing religious group that put Bush in the President's office again and Islam. The Liberal Left really doesn't have a big problem with Islam and Kerry made that clear and his followers agree. If the U.S.A. were forced to Islam, that would be the least of their problems. To the Liberal Left, those who wish to follow God and live by the Bible ARE the problem.
The hatred and invective they've shown this time is very troubling. Both groups are being forced to positions of no compromise. Either THEY leave or WE leave. What polarization is caused by evil thinking...Satan hard at work.
These people need help...I have a great capitalistic, conservative idea. I CAN START A NEW COMPANY TO HELP THESE VICTIMS THROUGH THEIR ORDEAL! All I need is a few therapists, a 1-900 number, and some office space in Crawford, Texas....
Our slogan will be...."HELP IS ON THE WAY...
DON'T DELAY...
DIAL OUR NUMBER TODAY!!!"
John Titor said that Civil War will start in the spring of 2005...
And since we have all the guns and they have giant puppets I predict it will also be over by the Spring of 2005.
Austin is utterly apoplectic.
Damn, that's just how I felt when Clinton was elected in 92 and again in 96. But I don't remember bawling for days, or wanting to leave the country. These people are scary. A little unstable don't you think?
works for me...
These people are really unbelievable. We are dealing with real
babies. I'm so glad that their flipping out like this. They deserve it.
* Tendency to become violent when not getting one's way.
Some people always want to look at the glass as "half empty". They are frightened when someone else suggests the glass is "half full".
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