The End

November 2008.  Election night.  Just after 8:00 p.m.  The television is on.  The news anchor says, "Now that the polls have closed in California, we can project that Barack Obama has won the election and will be the next president of the United States."  I begin to cry.  My husband embraces me and tries to reassure me that everything will be alright. 
It really wasn't that big a surprise.  Barack Obama was the new "It" boy in politics.  The country was thrilled at the prospect of electing the "First Black President."  Nobody knew a thing about the man but he promised hope and change and the people ate it up like popcorn at the movies.  Extra butter. 
For 4 long years, I saw this man's arrogant, ugly face on magazine covers, in newspapers, on television, on the computer.  Worse, I saw his dog-ugly wife touted as the "next Jackie Kennedy" (In WHAT universe?!?!?) and watched as the family took vacation after vacation, each a bit more lavish than the last, all on our dime.   I watched close friends lose their jobs, their homes, their cars, their hope, their dignity.  President Obama passed his healthcare plan, took credit for killing Osama Bin Laden, doubled our national debt, poured money down all kinds of rabbit holes in the name of economic recovery, bowed to foreign heads of state, apologized for our country all over the world, failed to keep his campaign promises, made an ass of himself on a visit to Queen Elizabeth, and told the American people that we needed to tighten our belts as he took off on yet another golfing vacation. 
Then, in September of 2012, came Benghazi.  The President and his cabinet watched live as the American ambassador and two other citizens tried to fight off
a terrorist attack on our embassy in Libya.  They pleaded for help.  The American military units in the area asked to be allowed to help.  President Obama told them to "Stand down."  Despite fighting for SEVEN hours, our ambassador was tortured, killed, and his body dragged through the streets.  The other two Americans were killed as well.  The President watched it all and did nothing to help. 
As the president carried on his reelection campaign, which began the day after his inauguration, all of the scandals, the lies, the arrogance, the lavish spending, was put before the American people.  "He's done," I thought.  "There is NO WAY he will get reelected, especially after Benghazi."  I just KNEW that Mitt Romney was going to win.  He'd run a campaign that was as positive as it could have been, with definite plans on how to solve the nation's problems.  Mitt was a righteous, loving family man.  He had experience in stepping into horrible messes and fixing things.  He was a successful businessman.  He gave tons of his own money to charities.  He had worked for at least 20 years of his life, in various jobs and political offices, without taking a salary.  "This," I thought, "is a man who will be a wonderful president!"  The fact that he was a Mormon was doubly-exciting.  Who could have ever thought we'd have a Mormon president?  People had been so excited for a black president, a Mormon would be even more historic, in my opinion.  Romney had a beautiful wife (the perfect picture of a First Lady), a wonderful running mate, good ideas, and momentum.  It was a tight race, but I KNEW Romney could do it! 
For most of 2012, I'd worked as hard as I could to see that Obama would NOT be reelected.  I started a facebook page, "Voices Against Obama."  We had about 200 members, which was NOTHING in facebook-land, but still made me feel proud.  I donated money every month to Mitt Romney's campaign and, when I could, made extra donations on top of the monthly amount.  I prayed and fasted.  I talked to people to try to convince them that Romney was the better man for the job.  By the time November of 2012 came, I felt SURE that Romney was going to be elected.  I imagined how gorgeous his wife was going to look in her gown at the Inauguration balls.  I imagined the Inauguration itself.  Would the Mormon Tabernacle Choir perform, as they had for Ronald Reagan?  It was going to be so wonderful.
November 6, 2012.  Election night.  I am on the computer, anxiously following the election coverage.  At first, Romney is ahead.  Not by a lot, but he is ahead.  I am THRILLED.  We are about to elect President Romney.  Then, Obama pulls ahead and keeps on going.  Later that night, Mitt Romney concedes the election with the most eloquent and  sportmanlike speech ever.  A total class act.  Exactly what one would expect from Mitt Romney.  I watch the speech and try to absorb the fact that he has lost.  I am sobbing so hard, I think I might choke or stop breathing.  A part of me wishes that would happen.  I would rather be dead than be living through 4 more years of Barack Hussein Obama.  The first time he was elected, it was bad, but not completely unexpected.  This time, it is a hard blow to the gut.  Out of nowhere.  An excruciatingly painful knife cutting through my very soul.  I go to bed but I cannot sleep.  My whole body aches. I feel sick.  My head throbs.  I am thrashing around on the bed in pain.  At 1:00 a.m., I get up and take a hot bath, hoping that it will relax me and take away some of the pain.  It doesn't. 
November 7, 2012.  A horrible, sad day.  I cannot stay home from school.  The report cards need to be sent home.  The awards assembly is this afternoon.  I need to be there for my kindergartners.  All day long, I see posts on facebook and reports on the computer about the democrats.  They are gloating in their victory, mocking the republicans, and generally making complete asses of themselves.  I do not post on facebook.  I have no desire to bash Obama or his followers.  I have no desire to theorize on what went wrong.  I do not want to participate in online discussions of voter fraud, impeachment proceedings and the like.  Most of all, I am sick as a dog of people telling me to cheer up or calm down or chill out.  I do not WANT to cheer up or calm down.  I feel like somebody very close to me has died.  Not a peaceful, died-while-sleeping death.  A horrible, tortured, painful death.  I am left alone, desolate, inconsolable.  Nobody goes up to someone who has just lost a dear loved one and says,  "Chin up!"  Nobody should be saying that to me, either.  Because, the fact is, I have lost something very dear to me.  The United States of America has been mortally wounded.  Rather than get an emergency physician to try to save her, the electorate has voted to allow the same quack doctor to keep treating her in a manner which will ultimately lead to her death. 
In four more years of Obama, the national debt will be so high that there will be no way to ever get a handle on it.  More and more people will lose jobs, cars, homes, and will be living in poverty.  Hollywood stars and moguls, as well as the big union leaders will continue to make money hand over fist from a grateful president who was aided in his reelection by these types of people.  Meanwhile, the middle class will shrink even more and will eventually disappear altogether.
I write this as a person who has no more hope.   If people will reelect an egotistical, dishonest, divisive, murderer like Obama, then I guess the country gets what it deserves.  It is unbelievable that they would reelect such a man but the proof is in the votes.  I have cried and cried.  I still have a killer headache and my body is sore.  But, most of all, my heart is broken.  Rest in Peace, America.  You were very good to me.  I'm so sorry that people have treated you so badly.