A student and I were talking about her career prospects, and conversation wandered, as it's wont to do when I'm talking about work, to other topics. Any other topic.
Our mutual disdain for W., for instance. She leaned sideways and tilted her head uncomfortably. "God, I hope Obama wins," she said with enough desperation that I wondered if her parents' lives were in the balance.
"Why's that?"
"He's exactly what the country needs."
"Why's that? What about him appeals most to you?"
She babbled about fairness and peace for a while, soon betraying that she had no actual idea what his policy positions are. She talked at length about how Bush pretty much single-handedly invented Islamic terrorism. I let her. I like her, and I don't see much point in telling a 22 year old that they're as sage and worldly as a 22 year old.
I only bring this up, really, to illustrate what I think is Bush's second-most lasting legacy: an entire generation of Democrats. Unthinking Democrats, at that. Not one of my students professed even independent status. The man in the White House has simplified their world view considerably: R is evil; D is good. In my class, this was without question or exception. To this generation, it is a fait accompli that their votes will go to the Democratic candidates. It's just a question of determining which is most saintly.
It reminds me of the post-Carter, unconditional adoration of all things Republican. Lazy thinkers abounded then, too. There's as much depth of thought and tolerance of argument, and there's going to be as lasting a repercussion. Given what I saw, I can't imagine anything but Democratic sweeps for a decade.
Huh. Bush is a uniter, after all.