On Election Eve 2008, the world held its collective breath wondering how people in the United States would react to a black president. Riots? Burning crosses? Mass exodus? Assassination? Four years later, we know the answer. For the most part, the white supremacy undergirding the classic American identity seemed to sit in stunned silence for a few days, then settled into a simmering anger marked by frequent outbursts of frustration and fear. But in those first quiet days, we also know now, Republicans decided on a strategy to reclaim the presidency by sabotaging the new administration (and sacrificing the common good). On Election Eve 2012, it seems likely they will fail.

The Sunday news shows gave us a glimpse into the Republican Party's state of mind. Confronted with what appears likely to be a decisive win in the electoral college by President Obama, various pundits, strategists, and analysts put forward an amazing perspective: that because such a victory was dependent upon “non-whites and women” it would be, apparently, somehow lacking.