As a political moderate and a non-partisan independent, I have always believed in a political balance between so-called liberals and conservatives. Nonetheless since 2000, simply because I have spoken out against the present smarmy and deceitfully lying administration - as is my right - I have been called "Commie", "Treasonous", "Unpatriotic" and many other disparagingly uncomplimentary names.
I find that most deceitfully cynical. In my time I spent some pretty arduous years as a US Marine in defense of my country. And almost all of the current Neo-Con leadership and the vast majority of their vociferous supporters found ways to avoid all military service or personal sacrifice - yet they shout the loudest today, strenuously beating the war drums, piously and sanctimoniously proclaiming their patriotism. You know who they are. Some patriots!
So, I am really quite gratified by yesterday's elections across the US, in spite of my non-partisan predisposition. Let's see now:
In New Jersey the Democratic gubernatorial candidate won by 10 percentage points - and will now appoint his Democratic successor in the US Senate;
In Republican Virginia the Democratic candidate won by over 5 percentage points (maybe partly because voters there decided the Republican candidate was pretty darned obtuse for allowing his campaign to be supported by a discredited President with the lowest approval ratings in history);
In California voters defeated all of the Republican governor's ballot initiatives;
Democratic mayors were elected over Republicans in Detroit, Houston, Atlanta & Boston;
Is this a bellwether of things to come and a repudiation of the current Neo-Con Republican administration?
"Nah, no way" say higher ups in the present Republican leadership who have proved to be unbelievably adept at ignoring realities and keeping their heads well buried in the sand.
But me, why I can see the beginning of the pendulum's swing.
The election outcome here in Virginia was, as you said, the result of the moron Republican candidate, current state Attorney General Jerry Kilgore shooting himself in the foot by allowing Dubya to publicly endorse him. Not a smart move, to put it charitably. But then again, neither candidate came off as particularly bright or focused during the campaign.
ReplyDeleteThe "good" news, at least in relative terms, is that 1) governors here in the Commonwealth can only serve one term, per the state constitution, and 2) the state legislature is sufficiently "conservative Republican" (for whatever that may be worth) as to not let a Democratic governor do anything TOO radical (Mark Warner was pretty much a non-entity for this reason).
Again, it could've been worse; we could've ended up with one-party rule in both the legislature and the executive. As it is, the Lt. Gov.-elect is a Republican, but that office is basically a figurehead position here. As I said in my blog rant on Tuesday, I couldn't stomach the idea of going to the polls to vote for any of the scumbags on the ballot, but I'm glad that the vote was more or less close.
I don't know diddly about Virginia politics, but here in Alaska we ARE one party rule. Republicans are entrenched and usually about 60% of the public votes for Republican candidates in the state.
ReplyDeleteProof of that is our current Governor who is ranked next to the worst in the nation (29% approval rating), but is seriously considering running next election - and would stand a good chance to be re-elected.
One phenomenon in Alaska is there are actually TWO formal, Republican parties: The "Republicans" and the "Moderate Replublicans" and they usually split the Republican vote. That allowed a Democrat to slide in as Governor before the present guy. That also allows the small Democrat minority to have their way many times and not be steam-rollered.
I personally am neither a Democrat nor a Republican and have voted both sides from time to time. I am however a 'Progressive" or liberal if you will, so lately that has meant voting mostly for Democrats.
I am terribly offended at the present hijacking of the Republican Party by the Neo-Con regressives, but also believe that is a passing situation which will self-destruct in due course. I am counting on it.