AFTERMATH

It's nice to have some peace and relief now that the election is over.

Americans were getting cranky, not because of their political leanings but because of the barrage of multi-million dollar negative ads cluttering up every available breath of valuable television and radio air time.

TV and radio companies make out well during campaign seasons. Political PACS and the two major political parties spend truckloads of cash to air political ads. Every other spot seems to be one candidate slamming another, not for their intellect but for their back room shenanigans. Instead of offering us a comprehensive, well laid out reason why we should vote for them, the ads slam the opponent as if they were criminals. After hours and hours of hearing this muck, Americans become suspicious.

A lot of what we heard were lies. Few true statements made it onto the air. Instead, we were served up thirty second scripts about how the other candidate was a heartless cur who didn't represent our best interests. Someone who was immoral and couldn't be trusted. After nearly a year and a half of this mad hatter chatter, Americans were argumentative and in a bad mood. Even people not interested in politics were pissed off.

The bad vibes are back in the box just in time for us to take charge of the real deal. We have to play together to get out of our self induced nationwide funk. Colorado and Washington State have upped the ante. They've legalized the growing of, use of, selling of, and transporting of weed. Anyone in America can now go to either of these states and get high. No patient cards. No state issued permits.

Watch what happens as Colorado and Washington begin to amass huge amounts of revenue from this voter approved initiative. I've screamed about legalizing soft drugs for most of my professional career. I don't understand why laws against these non-addictive, mind expanding mood scooters are still on the books. The money to be made by state governments wise enough to make these substances legal is more mind blowing than the best Mendocino sun bud.

Americas a different place today than it was on Monday. Doors have opened while others have slammed shut. As a people, we're a bit more street smart and not the drooling fools politicians made us out to be. We'll still be hustled to the cleaners now and then, but for the most part we've ripped up the rhetoric and looked in the mirror. Anyone who wants to lead America from here on out is going to have to take a good look through the windshield at the new political landscape and realize that the nation isn't the same country it was four years ago. It's a little brighter, a little more informed. It's started to question authority. There’s been a shift. We're not in the mood for any more negative nonsense or excuses.