If they succeed, how far fetched would it be to see no-go zones not only for gays, but for embryonic stem-cell researchers, scientists who believe or, worse, preach evolution, and for women seeking abortions. (Hell, the lunatic fringe even hopes to pass one measure called the "Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act," which, Kirkpatrick reports, would require "some women seeking abortions to be offered anesthesia for their fetuses.")

(Image by Mort Subiet.)

Now think about this: Jews were almost the only religious group that did not vote for the Ignormaus in Chief. They favored Kerry by roughly 75 percent. But they are just three percent of the electorate (like gays, a tiny minority). Will we be seeing constitutional amendments to ban interfaith marriages to Jews, maybe even marriage between Jews? It wasn't so long ago that marriage between enslaved African-Americans was banned. How about no-go zones for Jews? (But Christian evangelicals support the Jewish state of Israel, you say. Well, how about deporting the Jews to where they belong?)

We were deluded by polls that said a majority of American voters believed the Ignoramus had mismanaged both the war in Iraq and the U.S. economy. The polls deluded us into thinking the election would be decided on the moral issues of lying to the American people about weapons of mass destruction; torturing U.S.-held prisoners; the deaths of more than 1,100 American soldiers, and nearly 10,000 wounded; the uncounted deaths of Iraqi civilians, perhaps 100,000 according to a recent report; social issues involving morality such as poverty, the increasing divide between rich and poor, tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans, privatizing Social Security.

In the real world, when polls show high disapproval ratings for a sitting president — as they did just before the election — they would indicate a brewing defeat for him. But this is America, which seems to be living in a dream world. Are we in shit too deep to climb out? I recall asking, Will voters suddenly wake up on election day and make the right decision? Now we know.