I think something important is being overlooked here. People outside the US see the situation there a lot more objectively - (ie minus a whole whack of fear, anger, pride, cultural conditioning etc).   From that perspective, it's simply unimaginable that anyone in their right mind would vote to continue what's been going on there for the last 4 years.

From the "bird's eye view" afforded to rest of the world, a vote for the Bush administration looks no different than a vote to continue, say, gnawing off your own arm or sawing off your own head. After watching 52% of the nation in question's population vote for that very thing, is it so hard to understand why the question remains .... WHY?

So let's have a bit of compassion for the "generalizers". I think they're still in a state of shock. Given time, they WILL get over it.

daylia