Fingers are pointing, recriminations flying, and intellectual elitism is in full flood within their party and among their yapping media lapdogs, as Democrats try to determine what went wrong.Listening to and reading the liberal pundits quickly reveals that most of them still don't get it. The condescension and contempt with which they view the majority of the electorate is on open display now that they need not hide their elitism until the next election cycle begins.
 
For example, we Bush voters are all just a bunch of,  'self—righteous, gun—totin', military—lovin', abortion—hatin', gay—loathin', foreigner—despisin', non—passport—ownin' rednecks,' in the words of one, rabid liberal British editorialist, Brian Reade, of the London Daily Mirror. And that's leaving out his more scatological descriptions.
 
Let's see now, at the moment, I do feel confident of my vote and am glad it helped attain victory but I'm not gloating self—righteously. Guess I better check my guns since they haven't been out of their cases in a couple of years; last time I fired one it was to kill a rabid fox that was threatening the little herd of stray, dumped and feral cats we've adopted.

Abortion to me is dependent on myriad variables and without a personal involvement, my inclination is to let people sort that out among themselves, their families and their consciences. I know and admire many gay people and tend to think that for some at least, their homosexuality is a matter of inborn predisposition rather than a lifestyle choice.

I despise foreigners so much that I'm hoping to retire in Costa Rica. I haven't checked my passport recently but I believe it's still current. And yes I do live in a rural Texas community, which may qualify me as a redneck in a geographical sense, but I'm a redneck with two college degrees, both with honors. But ol' Brian does have me on that military lovin' charge; I'm guilty as they come on that one, being an unabashed, rock—solid supporter of our troops, and, unlike all those liberals who so glibly spout their support for the troops as they scream to pull them out, I actually support the successful accomplishment of their military missions. I understand fully what it means to them.
 
Perhaps we owe Brian some thanks for coming right out and saying what so many in our own mainstream media really think, but lacking the protection from bodily harm afforded by a broad expanse of ocean, are reluctant to say. There's something else they won't say, either. In all their outpourings of blame, usually delivered with palpable contempt, I have not read or heard one single liberal pundit touch on the primary issue that moved this voter's hand in that voting booth. Purely and simply it was the Democrats' poor choice of a candidate. They just flat put up the wrong horse for the wrong event and are now loathe to admit it. Yep, those intellectually superior, political geniuses smugly entered their thoroughbred in a barrel racing event and ol' Quarter Horse George flat ran figure eights around him.
 
You simply have to shake your head and ask yourself these questions:
 
Did all those liberal geniuses actually believe it was a really smart move to pick another under—performing, ultra—liberal, career politician from Massachusetts, just because he looked presidential and had those oh so magical initials?
 
Did all those liberal geniuses actually believe that an easily verified, twenty—year senatorial record of voting against defense and the military would go unnoticed or was an appropriate legislative legacy for a would—be, wartime commander—in—chief?
 
Did any of those liberal geniuses consider that it might be prudent to do some background investigation on their proposed candidate for commander—in—chief, as would be required for even a low—level, secret, security clearance for any military person serving under that C—in—C? Or, as I suspect...
 
Did all those liberal geniuses know full well he was misrepresenting his military record but felt smugly confident they could keep it suppressed with the collusion of their mattress—backed, mainstream media mistresses? 
 
Did all those liberal geniuses really think in this Age of Information that their hero and his vaunted record wouldn't be subjected to intense scrutiny by that pajama—clad horde of independent Internet investigators?
Did all those liberal geniuses even bother to consider that there were millions of Vietnam and other veterans out there who just might take issue with a candidate for commander—in—chief who had heaped disgrace upon the entire American military of an earlier generation, or did they just think us irrelevant and inconsequential?
 
Did all those liberal geniuses actually believe the American public would unquestioningly accept their snide dismissal of Medal of Honor recipients and the brave Swift boat veterans as dishonorable lying smear artists?
 
Did all those liberal geniuses really think we were too obtuse to notice that once the Swift boat charges were leveled, their candidate never again gave an open press conference or subjected himself to a serious, critical interview?
 
Did all those liberal geniuses really believe Kerry could get away with refusing to sign a form 180 without creating a festering suspicion he was hiding something negative, like a less than honorable separation from the Navy and a revocation of his combat awards?
 
If the answers to all those questions are yes, and they are, then one is forced to consider that it is all those liberal geniuses who think we're all a bunch of morons. Hmmm.
 
When all the post—election furor finally dies down, maybe some of those liberal geniuses will figure out that the Republican victory is attributable, in great measure, to the colossal arrogance of them and their kind. Those liberal geniuses tried to cram something rotten down the throats of the American people and got the whole smelly lump regurgitated right back in their laps. So, will any of those liberal geniuses learn anything from this embarrassing political disgorgement? Consider this question: how many liberal Democrats does it take to screw in a light bulb? Answer: it doesn't really matter; all their bulbs are burned out anyway.
 
A final point: some pundits are accrediting the Bush victory to an increase in the percentage of Hispanic, Jewish and other minority voters who supported him this election. I believe they are right as far as they take it; but how many new Bush supporters in those voter sub—groups do you suppose were honorably discharged veterans from many wars, or from peace time service, who knew, deep inside themselves that real war heroes do not brag about their accomplishments? How many veterans simply couldn't choke down the gagging suspicion that this hero who wanted to be President of the United States, the Commander—in—Chief, of their armed forces, was someone who had not truly earned all his medals and who had possibly received a less than honorable discharge?
 
I want to believe, and do, that it was the determined opposition of veterans and their families that torpedoed John Kerry's boat. And that is entirely as it should be. It is altogether fitting that it should be the chorus of honorable men and women he had maligned, and those who served after them, whose services, programs and weapons systems he had voted against, to deny this turncoat his life's goal, to humble this hubristic hero, this man who would be king.
 
That's not only great Greek theater; it's good old American justice.
 
Russ Vaughn is the Poet Laureate of The American Thinker. He served with the 2d Bn, 327th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, in Vietnam, 1965—1966