Category: politics

I’m checking out of politics. I was trying to keep up with news and what’s been going on since the election, but I just don’t have the energy. We won in November, Bush is still an idiot (and President), Cheney is still Darth Vader (did you see the interview on CNN? need more proof?), and we’re still in a bad war with no end in sight. Me paying attention to the inaction and bickering isn’t going to change anything.\
Why I’m blogging about this, I don’t know. I just felt like I needed to say it out loud so I could turn off all my politics feeds and not feel guilty about it (because I told you I was doing it). I’ll probably flip things back on when primary season starts up and when the presidential field calms down a bit. Until then, it’s nose to the grindstone with work, family and photography. That’s a lot less contentious than politics anyway, right?

Elizabeth Hasselbeck, from The View, a conservative who is known to believe that the homosexual lifestyle is a sin, said that she would be ok with gay marriage, if it were voted on by the public. Voting on whether gays should have the right to marry is as ridiculous as voting whether left-handed people should be subjected to slavery. (Right-handers unite!) Fundamental rights should not be voted on.\
I understand why some people are against the gay lifestyle. However, just because you think something is wrong, does not mean it should be illegal. Stand up and preach to your heart’s content about how you believe same-sex relationships are wrong. But don’t force your personal beliefs onto others.\
Seriously, why is this concept so hard to grasp? In light of all of the changes the human race has seen over the years- people being property the biggest one- why does it seem like a good idea for a majority to decide what basic human rights the minority should get?

I went to bed a little after midnight and had a hard time getting to sleep. When I went to bed, George Allen still had the lead, but Jim Webb was closing every time new numbers were reported. I woke up at five AM and it felt just like Christmas Morning. What would be under the tree? I rushed (quietly) down the stairs, checked the feed reader, and what did I see? Presents! Webb up by an almost recount-proof eight thousand votes, McCaskill winning in Missouri and Tester teasingly close in Montana. The Democrats took the House, and are a recount (or two) away from taking the Senate. Merry Christmas, America!

It’s 11:30PM on election night, and I’m about to go to bed because I just can’t take any more. Right now, I’m feeling pretty smart. Let’s review my predictions from yesterday:

1. A recount in Virginia’s Senate race: Right now, with Webb inching up every time they report numbers, Allen leads by only 7,000 votes, which pretty much guarantees a recount by whoever comes out behind when the first count is done. Update: Looks like there isn’t going to be a recount after all, but it was close.
2. Cardin beats Steele: Yup, easy
3. Wolf beats Feder: Yep
4. The stupid marriage amendment: Yep, it passed. I’m disappointed, but not surprised. Never overestimate Evangelicals. They’ll disappoint you every time.
5. Dems take house with twenty-five seats: We haven’t seen much from out west and the Democrats have already taken the fifteen seats they need. I expect at least ten more.
6. Senate at 50-50: Too close to tell. Who knows? Update: Wrong! Hooray!! With Allen conceding some time today (Thursday 11/9), the Democrats will have a 51-49 majority in the Senate.\
   Of course, I’ll update this as we know things for sure, but right now, I’m feeling pretty smart.

I want you to imagine me saying this in my most condescending voice. I don’t think it will be that hard for most you:\
It is ok to be a Republican. Really, it is. You want the dream of lower taxes, individuals fending for themselves, and the government out of your lives except for your bedroom? That’s cool. Rock on with your Republican self.\
But it is not OK to support President Bush. I mean, I am not going to go to your house and attack you or anything. But after all of the information about everything since 9/11 has come out, it just boggles my mind that people would still support him. I understand supporting The Office of the President, but the man himself has been shown to be both incompetent and duplicitous.

God is sad because you didn’t vote yet.\
GO VOTE!

Jen and I took the kids to our lovely voting location this morning (there’s something kind of cool about voting in a farming museum), and it was actually pretty crowded! We had to wait in line for about ten minutes, which is about what we had to do for the Presidential election in 2004. Our little precinct is pretty “blue” when compared to the rest of the Virginia (we’re the only precinct that went for both Kerry and Socas in 2004), so I hate to use my experience as indicative, but the Dems were handing out more sample ballots and we had a lot more poll workers there than the other side. We also had way more signs for Judy Feder and Jim Webb than Wolf or Allen, which is a good sign.\
The kids had a lot of fun and the old guy handing out “I Voted” stickers let Brian take several. The boy looks like he votes in Chicago or something. Then, because they’re going to hang out with my mom, we stopped by our table and picked up a couple Webb stickers.\
I’m trying not to think about the results too much because we won’t know anything until late anyway, and I have work to do. Plus, it’s hard to type with my fingers crossed.\
If you’d like to keep up with the doings all day, here are my faves:

• Talking Points Memo
• Daily Kos
• Salon’s War Room
• Atrios

I voted!\
Did you?