The 47 percent are people again

In the week before the election, President Obama said at a rally that "Voting is the best revenge."

At his rallies, Mitt picked up on it: "Did you see what President Obama said today? He asked his supporters to vote for revenge. Instead I ask the American people to vote for love of country."

To many Americans, the president's statement was a play on the old saying, "Living well is the best revenge," or, "Laughter is the best revenge," or any of a number of others. To the 47 percent, though, the statement was literal. I voted for Obama for many reasons, including a couple where I was voting against myself. But after what Mitt said about me and the 47 percent, our vote, as it was part of Obama's success, truly was a revenge vote. Mitt didn't care about our love of country. He said he didn't care about us at all.

Coincidentally, last weekend, TCM showed "The Grapes of Wrath." Those people were victims, but not of the Mitt variety. They needed government assistance desperately, but they didn't get it. They just kept on going.The movie's last lines were delivered by the great Jane Darwell, who won the 1941 Supporting Actress honor for her role as Ma Joad.

"I ain't never gonna be scared no more," Ma says. "I was, though. For a while it looked as though we was beat. Good and beat. Looked like we didn't have nobody in the whole wide world but enemies. Like nobody was friendly no more. Made me feel kinda bad and scared too, like we was lost and nobody cared.... Rich fellas come up and they die, and their kids ain't no good and they die out, but we keep on coming. We're the people that live. They can't wipe us out, they can't lick us. We'll go on forever, Pa, 'cause we're the people."

I feel like that today. The 47 percent can feel like people again. They can't wipe us out, they can't lick us, and we'll go on forever, 'cause we're the people and we're going "Forward." The only way we can go.