Election

[pegkerr]

Okay, I should be in a good mood. Democrats have taken the house, Minnesota is finally FINALLY sending a woman to the Senate, we've just elected a strong progressive to the House in my district, the State House has changed hands to the Democrats. And Santorum has been defeated! I am truly happy about that. Dan Savage, have fun gloating.

But I'm feeling pissy. We lost the governorship by One. Lousy. Point. Hutchinson supporters, I hope you're bloody satisfied. Thanks for voting your consciences; now we're stuck with another four years of Pawlenty gutting the state.

And my state is sending an utter BIGOT to Congress.

I'm also pissed about all the states that outlawed even civil unions, never mind passing marriage amendments.

(Maybe I'll feel better after I've had breakfast.)

Comments

[daharyn.livejournal.com]

I'm out of state so I don't have quite the same perspective... but has Hatch actually conceded yet, or is it simply that the local media (Strib et al) is calling this for Pawlenty? The NYTimes map lists this governorship as undecided. 1% seems like grounds for a recount.

A big middle finger to the voters of the 6th CD and their 'Christian' values. At least Walz won the 1st out from under Gutknecht's nose.

[daharyn.livejournal.com]

Note: Daily Kos isn't calling the MN race either, at least as of 7:50 ET.

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

Hatch conceded at 10:00 a.m. this morning.

*Groan* As a Christian, I'm asking you to PLEASE not call Bachmann's hateful views "Christian values."

That's downright slander, that is.

[dreamcoat-mom.livejournal.com]

Awwww. I'm sorry about the Bachman/Wetterling race. I was really pulling for Wetterling. Democrats had a great day here in WI, though.

I'm also pissed about all the states that outlawed even civil unions, never mind passing marriage amendments.

(Maybe I'll feel better after I've had breakfast.)

I've had breakfast, and I don't feel any better over here in WI. They upheld the damned marriage amendment here, which obliterates the possibility of civil unions as well. Now it's probably going to be a couple of decades to unseat that piece of dip**** legislation.

Pawlenty...

[dlandon.livejournal.com]

When I went to bed Hatch was winning. Was so not happy when I woke up and checked the news this morning. WTF? One point!?!?! ARGH! Needless to say, I share your pain.

- D

[eal.livejournal.com]

More than a million people voted for Katherine Harris. That alone scares me more than it should. I mean the woman has redefined the word crazy and yet over a million of my fellow citizens (rumor has it, including my mother) think she would be a good senator for the state of Florida. She didn't win, but hell, a million people thought she should.

I'm still having problems with that this morning.

[jbru.livejournal.com]

Remember that some significant portion of those folks would vote for any Republican. Likely on the rationalization that no matter how bad the Republican, the Democrat would be so much worse.

[eal.livejournal.com]

I know. I discovered, to my horror, that Alabama has the option to mark all Republicans on the top of the ballot and then you turn it in.

That was the only time I've ever made a political speech in my classrooms. I taught college students many of whom were voting for the first time. I told them they needed to vote and I really didn't care how they voted EXCEPT I felt it was an abdication of responsibility to check the Republican or Democrat box at the top of the ballot and turn it in. The least we can do is actually mark each person's name or position that we're voting for.

[peacockharpy.livejournal.com]

I know the feeling; I'm pretty sure my parents voted for her too. I remember hearing one woman interviewed on NPR talking about what a good Christian woman KH was and how she stood up for things the voter believed in. It's a good thing I wasn't drinking or eating anything at the time, as I might have died from the gagging and choking.

Some people buy into that mindset, I guess. Thankfully, the majority of voters didn't.

[eal.livejournal.com]

What I loved most about this particular race was the fact that Bill Nelson never even mentioned her name in an ad. He explained who he was, what he would do, and so on.

I wish we could hold a school for all future candidates and show them what he did. It would be a kind of campaign season I wouldn't mind watching.

[minnehaha.livejournal.com]

Despite the warts, I'm really pleased at the results. I'm confident about MT, and pretty confident about VA, which makes things better.

B

[peacockharpy.livejournal.com]

We lost the governorship here, too, but I take small comfort in the fact that we will no longer be governed by a Bush.

[eal.livejournal.com]

I'm eternally grateful for no more Bush, though I can't stand Charlie Crist. Just can't.

[pameladean]

I hope maybe the new legislature can smack Pawlenty around a bit, but Bachman! I feel as if I need to pretend that I'm from Wisconsin or even South Dakota.

P.

[irielle.livejournal.com]

I advise against pretending you're from WI. I live in Wisconsin (just over the border from the Twin Cities) and am deeply saddened that the gay marriage/civil union ban won yesterday, as well as the call for the death penalty.

[trogon.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry about your local races. I grew up in South Dakota and still tend to think of Minnesota as a liberal haven, even though I know it's becoming less so.

That said, I'm not going to buy into the defeatist thinking that anything short of a complete sweep of every race down to city council in every district is a defeat. That's Republican spin -- that because they still control the Senate (if they do), because they didn't lose every contested race, that it's not really a victory for the Democrats.

And the anti-DP measures (especially Virginia's, which is even more sweeping than most) really stings, but isn't surprising -- it looks like it was defeated in Arizona, which would be the first time that's ever happened, and I take small consolation from that.

[elfundeb.livejournal.com]

I read the Virginia anti-gay marriage amendment for the first time yesterday in the voting booth (I was voting against it anyway, so I hadn't bothered) and the language was so appallingly broad that I wondered if it's not unconstitutional. This is no idle concern in Virginia, especially since the next constitutional question on the ballot asked if we would appprove repealing another provision of the constitution that has already been declared unconstitutional.

BTW, your icon is delightful.

[lilisonna.livejournal.com]

Admittedly, I'm no longer in Minnesota, but if I were, I'd have voted for Hutchinson and been proud to have done so. Yeah, it sucks that voting for the person you actually want to win means that the person you least want to win gets the victory, but I still maintain that to do otherwise not only cheats yourself but the entire process.

[dd-b.livejournal.com]

Voting in a way which you *know* will have an outcome you don't approve of is just dumb. If you get the greater of the evils because you voted for a no-chance good guy, you're part of the problem.

Voting *for* the instant-runoff system, of course, will vastly improve the ability to vote your conscience *and* sanely at the same time.

[lilisonna.livejournal.com]

By voting for the person whom I want to win (as opposed to gaming the system and voting for the lesser of two evils who I think has a chance of winning), I'm not getting an outcome that I disapprove of. True, my candidate doesn't win, but I won't feel slimy because I voted for someone I didn't actually want to win. In addition, I cling to the hope that if sufficient numbers of people stop voting for a main party just because voting for a third party candidate is "wasting your vote", the main parties will actually pay attention to the fact that, well, they suck.

I'm not a part of the problem if I vote for the person that I want to win. The problem is complex and has a lot of pieces, but actually voting for the candidate you support is not one of those pieces. Look to a two party system that has solidified into near law; look at the conventional wisdom that says no third party candidate can win because people will game the system. Look at lots of places, but don't look to those people who cast their ballots honestly.

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

I will find such reasoning mighty cold comfort as I watch Pawlenty continue to gut my daughters' education funding.

That's about the politest response I can make.

[lilisonna.livejournal.com]

I do have some small advantage over you folks up in the north. My politics are already about as sucky as they can get, so my lesser of two evils is a LOT more evil than y'all's.

It's a long term view. I cling to it in the hopes that it will eventually work out.

[dd-b.livejournal.com]

I'd have guessed Hutchinson supporters would have otherwise voted for Pawlenty; I can't imagine him appealing to Democrats. He seems to me to be a pissy right-wing pseudo-libertarian type, with religious overtones.

[tanithk.livejournal.com]

I am bloody satisfied that I voted for Hutchinson. He would have been by far the best governor, and I helped ensure that the Independence Party retains it's major party status by getting at least 5% of a state-wide office race. I think it imperative that we continue to support more than 2 parties. That's not going to happen as long as we vote for people we don't really want in an attempt to manipulate the event by guesswork out of fear. F*k fear. If the Democrats want my vote, they need to field a candidate who doesn't make me feel slimy.

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

I will find such reasoning mighty cold comfort as I watch Pawlenty continue to gut my daughters' education funding.

That's about the politest response I can make.

Pardon me, but...

[huladavid.livejournal.com]

"Thanks for voting your consciences..."

I'm tempted to just say, "You're welcome", and leave it at that, but I didn't vote for Hutchinson.

Some years back I was at a friend's party just prior to a presidential election. One of the other guests started talking about Nader supporters, and how foolish they were-- or something along those lines.

That's when I piped up with, "Oh, you mean people like me?" While he didn't run out of the room, the shocked expression on his face was pretty priceless.

Frankly, I'd much rather a candidate or issue I supported lost in an election where people came out in droves &/or voted how they really believed.

Re: Pardon me, but...

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

Look, my kids are in the Minneapolis schools, and Pawlenty is GUTTING education. I don't think I can be polite about reasoning that leads someone to vote for Hutchinson, knowing perfectly well that it will to my kids suffering under Pawlenty.

[mamculuna.livejournal.com]

I'm pissed at my state's anti-gay marriage amendment, for sure. But also at the governor, lt. gov., etc., etc.--only ray of hope is possiblity of defeating an utter right-wing idiot for education. And even then she might yet win.

But nationally, I'm extremely happy.

[handworn.livejournal.com]

Yes, we handed Santorum his ass on a plate. It wasn't even close. Weldon, too, in favor of a guy I firmly believe will be running for Senate some day-- Joe Sestak (http://www.joesestak.com/).

I strongly suspect that the Supreme Court will strike down the anti-civil-union amendments, even if, I grant you, they probably wouldn't at present strike down the anti-gay-marriage ones. Roberts is a conservative, but so, supposedly, were the ones Eisenhower appointed. (With Scalito, mmm, yeah. No room for doubt.)

I would not be surprised if Roe v. Wade turns out to hang on the Virginia Senate results. A switch in committee chairs has such an effect on whose nomination what makes it to the floor for a vote.

[ceelee.livejournal.com]

I started disliking Michele when she ran for schoolboard here and she sends her kids to private school. I don't think that is a good representation of the average household. She is so smug and lays that Christian stuff on when it is so inappropriate. Ugh! Still can't believe she won.

I was hoping Hatch would be elected and he could get to work on helping the college students. I have 3 kids in school here in Mn. and it is a killer to pay those tuitions. Also was hoping we get moving on the stem cell research. Mabye these things will happen now with the sea change...

But we are sending Amy and she will shake things up! We need to think positive! Yea!

[sangerin.livejournal.com]

Yeah... it keeps taking me a while to remember than there's good stuff from this election. Mostly I'm apalled that my state (even a district of it) elected Bachmann; that Wisconsin passed that ghastly ballot measure, and that Pawlenty is still in. Why? Why?

Ruddy lack of residency... I can't vote in Congressionals/Gubernatorials.

[alfreda89.livejournal.com]

Hutchinson supporters, I hope you're bloody satisfied. Thanks for voting your consciences; now we're stuck with another four years of Pawlenty gutting the state.

We've got a Hutchinson here, too, and she's a bloody idiot. But she has her core supporters.

Maybe we can get rid of the OTHER US Senator Idiot next time....