3 Things That Have Surprised Me About This Election

When it comes to politics, I am rarely pleasantly surprised. While there has been plenty of fodder for cynicism in this election, there has also been cause for hope. Such as:1. Conservative FeministsSarah Palin is a feminist. Despite her belated reluctance to "label" herself with an unpopular term, she has made a lot of noise about how excited she is to shatter the glass ceiling that Hillary and Geraldine put cracks in. I believe her too. What has shocked me is how excited her supporters seem to be about that same prospect. None of them has showed up at her rallies to shout "Iron my shirts!" And many have celebrated her accomplishments as a working mother. I always suspected that one of the main motivations behind conservatives' opposition to abortion rights was a discomfort with women's emancipation. I think I may have been wrong about that.2. The Power of Awesome OrationI'm a writer. My job is to make pretty words, so I have an almost knee-jerk suspicion of any one who tries to persuade me of something by using a poetic turn of phrase. I know how easy it is to perfume stinky thought with sweet-smelling language. I'm also a skeptic by nature, so the second someone starts pitching me something, I look for logical holes, evasions, and euphemisms. Barack Obama, like few before him, uses language to enlighten rather than to shroud. When asked a question, he pauses to think before he answers, rather than quickly rushing in with a pre-set talking point. He is a rare beast indeed, a man who requires aspirational language because his ideas are genuinely aspirational.3. American FlexibilityHas anyone else noticed how quickly the American electorate seems to have embraced unabashedly liberal fiscal policies that less than a year ago would have been openly ridiculed? Our faith in the "free" market (it wasn't really free; it was rigged) eroded pretty quickly, while our faith in the power of government to fix things seems to have grown just as quickly. It's hard to believe that this is the same electorate that re-elected GWB.I love being surprised by things. I love being proved wrong. And when surprise comes in such delicious flavors it's even better. Please keep it up, America. I'm so much nicer when I'm feeling optimistic.