Some Reassuring Words From an Unlikely Source.

As an Independent who does not like to see the country being driven towards either the far left or far right, and who is scared to death when either side/party has too much unfettered power in Washington, the past year has consisted of very Scary Days in my opinion. And even now, after the recent election results in Massachusetts, New Jersey and Virginia, Obama & the Dems seem as dead-set as ever to ram through their desired ultra-liberal pieces of massive federal legislation, such as the widely unpopular health care bill. To me, it's at times a feeling of almost complete helplessness watching this stuff going on in Washington. But today I noticed the closing sentences from an early-February column of conservative Charles Krauthammer. He may be a dyed in the wool conservative, but I think he realizes also that this has always been a centrist country. Such realization was exhibited in those closing words, which I found to provide just an ounce of reassurance during these dark times:

"No matter how far the ideological pendulum swings in the short term, in the end the bedrock common sense of the American people will prevail. The ankle-dwelling populace pushes back. It recenters. It renormalizes. Even in Massachusetts."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/04/AR2010020403623.html