Have American voters reversed their views? Have they suddenly become enlightened? Already the pundits are saying they have.

Ah. This election victory wasn't about American voter rejection of a war they want to end and a corrupt administration. This election victory is about a new voter acceptance of various issues they've previously repudiated.

"Now what Americans want is amnesty for millions of illegal aliens."

"Now what Americans want is a Constitutional Amendment assuring the rights of women."

"Now what Americans want is Bella Abzug (or some reasonable facsimile) for their next president."

"Now what Americans want is legalized marijuana."

"Americans now want gay marriage."

Democrats in Congress can go a long way to assure this victory doesn't remain a victory. Democrats can go an even further way to assure the next president of the US is not a Democrat.

Americans want something done about the illegal immigration problem. But there's not an iota of evidence the solution they want involves amnesty.

Americans probably still support the war on drugs. While most of us would love to see it end, any move to begin dissolving it needs to be subtle, hitting it in reduction of funding for local and state police and the Drug Enforcement Administration.

Gay rights are proceeding gradually. If women have suffered deprivation of their rights following the 1972 Equal Rights Amendment, it isn't obvious.

Giving the opposition the ammunition to inflame voters against themselves next election would be suicide.

Democrats have won a polical victory for the first time in many years. They've proven many times they're willing and able to adopt platforms and candidates and based on faulty assumptions.

The aftermath of this mid-term election can be a time of new hope, or it can be deja vu all over again.