I got up relatively early today to check the outcome of the American election. I had considered staying up last night to watch the results as they came in, but I chickened out and went to bed: the suspense was killing me – it would be better, I reasoned, to turn in and get the results in one go in the morning. I turned in, but Lyn stayed up, and it was she who told me the amazing news when I kissed her good morning.

When she did, I couldn’t quite believe it. When you factor in the economic situation in America, Obama should not have stood a chance. Under any other circumstances, he would have been wiped out; yet, when I turned on the TV, I found out that the amazing had indeed occurred. Obama had won, and convincingly enough for Romney to concede. I’m not quite sure what this means though. Did Obama’s ethnicity play a part? Did people give him a second chance because of his skin colour, or was he elected because the people could see the folly in Romney’s economic plan? Either way, what is clear is that the so-called tea-party movement the biggest collection of idiots the world has ever seen – has lost. It was decisively rejected last night, demonstrated to be powerless. It cannot be said to reflect mainstream American opinion in the way it says it does. That is quite a relief. Of course, it would be naive to think that it will now start to fade, but the world can see it has no power and does not reflect American values. They, and the republican party they so mindlessly support, must be feeling pretty bitter this morning. As for myself, however, it feels as if my faith in America and in humanity has been renewed.