On election night she followed the polls for the first time since I’ve known her. I’m pretty certain she didn’t change her vote, but I don’t think she was a bit surprised that Obama won, and I get the impression that whatever disappointment she felt over McCain’s loss was tempered by the ugliness she experienced that evening a week ago, getting a little taste of what passed for “discourse” in this election cycle.

I should add that as one of the few conservatives in our mostly-liberal social circles, she’s perfectly accustomed to brushing off the crap people spew about Bush and conservatives in general. But for her, this rose to another level altogether, and I think she was not only caught off guard by it,
but was also profoundly disturbed by it.

Judge Andrew P. Napolitano’s book, A Nation of Sheep, seems an apt reference,although the metaphor is insulting to sheep, since even sheep recognize their shepherd’s voice.