I have a hectic day and will probably not do much posting until later, but I do want to offer some chaotic thoughts on last night’s election.
Voters demolished South Dakota’s attempted ban on almost all abortions. This should be a clear signal that this conservative tinkering in the face of SCOTUS decisions will not be tolerated. I also believe it sends a strong signal that the abortion debate is not a stark line in the sand that can be crossed on a whim. Kudos to the voters in SD!
The landslide victory for Democrats in the House is a clarion wake-up call for Bush and his cronies. No more rubber-stamp Congress turning a blind eye to his imperialism and despotic ways. Remember his promises to be a consensus builder? Well, now he’s going to be forced to actually do that.
Republicans took a major beating. Much to my amazement and enjoyment, voters focused on national issues at the polls, something they generally give second best consideration in lieu of local issues. The Iraq war, corruption in government, out of control spending, and a GOP party hell-bent on taking the universe by force lost in a big way because they’ve spent too much time focused on themselves and not enough time working for their real employers: the American people. Well, now the American people have fired a large number of them in a very clear indication of a desire for significant change at many levels.
Dallas’ own local elections are a big surprise only insofar as they echo the national mood and ran contrary to the normal Texas red-leaning mentality. A great many of the county races went Democrat and a large number of Republicans were tossed out on their ears. Again, is the GOP listening? Will they stand back, dust themselves off, and take a hard look at what brought them to this place? Let’s hope so. The party has a lot to offer America and is in many ways of equal interest as liberal and moderate movements. Regrettably, the old GOP is no longer alive and the new GOP is something of an abomination. Will they get the message this time and get back on track? Time will tell…
Those states which passed anti-gay legislation or amendments saw those items squeak by with much narrower margins than they have in the past. Is this an indication of the American public stepping off the hate horse and realizing the minority they subjugate today could be the precursor to losing their own rights tomorrow? Is it nothing more than the far right being burned out on politics considering how much their party has screwed them lately, what with sexual predators and plenty of corruption and their own leaders turning out to be hypocritical bigots? Who knows. I do still find it interesting that these measures did not enjoy the smooth sailing they have in years past.
Tom DeLay’s old seat went to a Democrat. That’s a suburb of Houston right here in Texas, and South Texas no less. I’m sorry, but did someone just get a message from America?
Hastert is out and Pelosi will take the reigns as the first female Speaker of the House. Excellent! Let’s hope the Democrats don’t get full of themselves but instead find a comfortable spot in the middle of the road. If they try a tit for tat with the GOP, I’ll be disgusted and disappointed. That’s not what the voters called for last night. In fact, they asked for one thing that couldn’t have been stated more clearly: It’s time for change. That means no more politics as usual, no more out-of-control executive, no more one-party rule, and no more bullshit. We’re the employers, remember?
Current counts give the Democrats a compelling and overwhelming majority in the House. That number seems only capable of going up further and therefore reducing the Republican membership. It seems a tacky word to use, but the first thing that comes to mind is bloodbath. The Senate is still in play but the numbers already mean the GOP has lost its ramrod majority. Now they’ll have to play nice—and that assumes the Democrats don’t take the two outstanding seats (which at present appears to be the case, which gives them control of both the Senate and the House, but let’s not jump the gun).
‘Ahnold’ won the California governorship and will enjoy a second term. Good. I like him. I like his views as they generally match mine: fiscally conservative, socially moderate-to-progressive, and environmentally liberal. I’m glad to see his success and hope to hear more good news from that state under his leadership. He’s certainly been a better governor than idiot-stick Davis ever was.
Overall, this was a good election for America. The people have taken control of their government. They have spoken loudly and with a slicing message: You work for us, so get your house cleaned up and get back to work. Oh, and that whole war thing… Um, that has to change. This is a stinging rebuke for Bush and Rove.