Rarely are the American people fooled as completely and utterly as was the case on November 4, 2008.

That date, which will live in infamy along side December 7, 1941 and September 11, 2001 as watershed awful, was the date on which 69,000,000 Americans acted foolishly and voted with their hearts rather than with their minds.

Thinking minds should have alerted the American electorate of the dangers inherent in voting for a candidate with no significant experience, a history of unsavory associations, no accomplishments in nearly 50 years of life, and obvious disdain for American culture and history.

Alas, the media-inspired-hatred for George W. Bush was so intense that 69,000,000 voters fell for the smoke and mirrors and the fairy tale promise of CHANGE, without so much as a clue as to what that change might represent.

How many of those 69,000,000 votes would have been cast for Barack Obama had his Marxist leanings been understood?

How many would have voted for a man who would denigrate American leaders and policies while on foreign soil?

How many would have voted for Obama had they known that he would lash out at a police officer who was simply doing his job by calling the officer "stupid"?

How many would have voted for the man who has created a stealth cabinet of czars in order to avoid Congressional oversight?

How many would have punched the slot next to the name Obama had they known that this fellow would make it a priority to coddle terrorists by ordering GITMO closed, and by requiring that terrorists be read their Miranda rights?

How many would have voted for the man who has made it a special point to declare that America is NOT a Christian nation while on foreign soil?

How many would have voted for the man who would sign a trillion-dollar stimulus bill (which has failed miserably) and who is also pushing for the communization of health care in America, which will cost trillions more?

How many would have voted for a man who promised that his stimulus scheme would create 3.5 to 4 million jobs and keep unemployment until eight percent when, in fact, ten months later, unemployment is nearing ten percent?

How many would have voted for a president whose reckless overspending would drive the national debt out of control and threaten the economic future of untold American generations?

How many would have voted for a man who would say that illegal aliens should be made legal in order to provide them with health care?

Had these facts been known on November 3, 2008, it is a safe bet that Barack Obama would still be misrepresenting the state of Illinois in the U.S. Senate.

However, true to form, the American people have been routed out of their complacency, if the election results from Virginia and New Jersey are any indication.

In both states, Barack Obama campaigned for the Democrat candidate and in both cases the Democrat lost.

Welcome back to America, Virginia and New Jersey!

And to the rest of America, Welcome to the "Post-Obama era" in American politics!

John W. Lillpop is an independent columnist