The Onion, 17 Jan 2001

C&L's Steve Benen points out this satirical piece from The Onion, written seven (7!) years ago, a few days before W's first inaugural:

Bush: 'Our Long National Nightmare Of Peace And Prosperity Is Finally Over'
January 17, 2001 | Issue 37•01
WASHINGTON, DC–Mere days from assuming the presidency and closing the door on eight years of Bill Clinton, president-elect George W. Bush assured the nation in a televised address Tuesday that "our long national nightmare of peace and prosperity is finally over."

"My fellow Americans," Bush said, "at long last, we have reached the end of the dark period in American history that will come to be known as the Clinton Era, eight long years characterized by unprecedented economic expansion, a sharp decrease in crime, and sustained peace overseas. The time has come to put all of that behind us."

Go to the link - read the whole thing...

... and recall, this was written as satire, not prophecy!

Lately it occurs to me:
What a long, strange trip it's been!
[Truckin', The Grateful Dead (lyric by Robert Hunter)]