Now that the election has ended, Peggy Noonan is back behind her keyboard at OpinionJournal.com (free subscription required). I was sad when she took a leave of absence, but glad that she was doing so, because she was leaving her keyboard to “put her money where her mouth was,” and work for the re-election of President Bush.

She’s back today, writing her usual Thursday column. This one, not surprisingly, deals with the election results.

Among many notable thoughts, she had these:

As I write, John Kerry is giving his speech. He looks hurt. Who wouldn’t? He fought to the end, for every vote, untiring and ceaseless. I told some young people recently who were walking into a battle, “Here’s how to fight: You fight until they kill you, until they kill you and stop your heart, and then you let them carry you out of the room. But you fight until they carry.” I think that’s how the Democrats fought. Good for them.

To admit defeat with attempted grace is a moving sight. Kerry did well. His talking about his “good conversation” with the president was gracious and helpful. He was honest about the facts of the vote in Ohio. When he thanked his people from the bottom of his heart it was a real thanks. (snip)

Mr. Kerry graced democracy today. He showed his love for it.

and these:

Who was the biggest loser of the 2004 election? It is easy to say Mr. Kerry: he was a poor candidate with a poor campaign. But I do think the biggest loser was the mainstream media, the famous MSM, the initials that became popular in this election cycle. Every time the big networks and big broadsheet national newspapers tried to pull off a bit of pro-liberal mischief–CBS and the fabricated Bush National Guard documents, the New York Times and bombgate, CBS’s “60 Minutes” attempting to coordinate the breaking of bombgate on the Sunday before the election–the yeomen of the blogosphere and AM radio and the Internet took them down. It was to me a great historical development in the history of politics in America. It was Agincourt. It was the yeomen of King Harry taking down the French aristocracy with new technology and rough guts. God bless the pajama-clad yeomen of America. Some day, when America is hit again, and lines go down, and media are hard to get, these bloggers and site runners and independent Internetters of all sorts will find a way to file, and get their word out, and it will be part of the saving of our country.

Pajama-clad yeoman. I think I like that better than the pajamahadeen. Must be my anglo-saxon heritage, perhaps?

Thank you, “pajama-clad yeoman”….. Stryker, Sgt Mom, Timmer and Kevin, and Baldilocks and Captains Quarters and Capt Smash, Instapundit and Hugh Hewitt and LGF, Command Post and LaShawn Barber (to name just a very few). Thank you for holding up a mirror to the truth, and shining it out for all to see who had a mind to look for it. Thank you for being bulldogs, and not letting go once you had your teeth into a story that had to be told, whether it was the Memo-gate, or the Swiftboat Vets, or the faux draft.

I relied on you for clear thinking, including reminders of where my president was making mistakes. I relied on you for accurate information, with sources, and you did not let me down. Additionally, you gave me your integrity. I knew that I could rely on the bloggers I read to correct themselves if they found out they were wrong. And you did, when necessary. Not by overlaying the incorrect story with a revised one, but by actually putting an update on your blog with the words “I was wrong.” or “I made a mistake.” Or “a reader commented, and pointed out an error.” Thank you for reading the comments on your blogs, wading through the trolls and the spam links to find the gold or diamonds that were buried there, and bringing them to the surface for us all to enjoy.

Thank you for being good, concerned, caring citizens, and exercising not just your rights to vote, but your rights to free speech, as well as your not inconsiderable researching and analytical skills.

I am a richer person today because I have read your words.

I am a better citizen because I have read your words.

The gift you have given to the country (dare I say the world?) is immeasurable, and all I can give you in return is my thanks. It seems like a poor exchange, 2 little words in return for all you have given me, but it’s sincere and heart-felt.

Thank you.