It's the middle of the night...
Obama's victory comes after having gone through the five stages of political grief, so there was no sense of disappointment or resentment. Indeed, it's kind of nice to know McCain is gone from the political scene forever. Congratulations to the President-Elect. I do think it's pretty cool that this nation has taken a significant step toward political colorblindness, and I hope Prez O can truly unite the country the way Oprah thinks he can, although I sincerely doubt that's possible.
What's haunted my dreams tonight is the vision of a Senate supermajority, and I saw no silver linings in the prospective dismantling of American exceptionalism. Yet so far, it looks as if the filibuster will survive as the last, best hope for freedom. As of this writing, the Dems have conclusively picked up five seats, and I can't understand why no one is willing to call the election in Georgia for Republican Saxby Chambliss with 98% of precincts reporting. Ted Stevens, the one GOP senator I'd be happy to see go down, is ahead in Alaska, which means Sarah Palin gets to appoint his successor when he gets booted out for his seven felony convictions. Both Republicans Gordon Smith in Oregon and Norm Coleman in Minnesota are ahead by the slimmest of margins, which led Mrs. Cornell, who is reading over my shoulder as I type this, to lament the fact that they aren't getting any sleep tonight. Well, neither are we. So there. I can deal with a President Obama more readily than a Senator Franken.
California's Prop. 8 is touch and go, but it's ahead by about three points as of this writing. This is certainly the most divisive issue on the ballot this time around. I have oodles of friends who loathe Prop. 8 and assume anyone who supports the traditional definition of marriage is a bigot. Thankfully, despite the fact that dismantling marriage is the cool thing to do, America doesn't seem ready to abandon one of the basic building blocks of civilization just yet, even in California. (Similar measures in Florida and Arizona won handily.)
What's stunning is the vitriol unleashed on the LDS Church as a result of its support for Prop. 8. If you haven't seen this ridiculously over-the-top assault on the Mormons, I invite you to take a looksee:
I ask you to imagine the outcry if a similar ad were running that stereotyped Catholics, Jews, or Muslims so despicably. As a former Mormon missionary myself, I know firsthand that the blond guy's hair is too long, and the other guy's tie is too loose. And where are their black nametags? I mean, honestly!
All in all, a rotten night. But it could have been worse. And Obama may prove to be better than I anticipate.
What's haunted my dreams tonight is the vision of a Senate supermajority, and I saw no silver linings in the prospective dismantling of American exceptionalism. Yet so far, it looks as if the filibuster will survive as the last, best hope for freedom. As of this writing, the Dems have conclusively picked up five seats, and I can't understand why no one is willing to call the election in Georgia for Republican Saxby Chambliss with 98% of precincts reporting. Ted Stevens, the one GOP senator I'd be happy to see go down, is ahead in Alaska, which means Sarah Palin gets to appoint his successor when he gets booted out for his seven felony convictions. Both Republicans Gordon Smith in Oregon and Norm Coleman in Minnesota are ahead by the slimmest of margins, which led Mrs. Cornell, who is reading over my shoulder as I type this, to lament the fact that they aren't getting any sleep tonight. Well, neither are we. So there. I can deal with a President Obama more readily than a Senator Franken.
California's Prop. 8 is touch and go, but it's ahead by about three points as of this writing. This is certainly the most divisive issue on the ballot this time around. I have oodles of friends who loathe Prop. 8 and assume anyone who supports the traditional definition of marriage is a bigot. Thankfully, despite the fact that dismantling marriage is the cool thing to do, America doesn't seem ready to abandon one of the basic building blocks of civilization just yet, even in California. (Similar measures in Florida and Arizona won handily.)
What's stunning is the vitriol unleashed on the LDS Church as a result of its support for Prop. 8. If you haven't seen this ridiculously over-the-top assault on the Mormons, I invite you to take a looksee:
I ask you to imagine the outcry if a similar ad were running that stereotyped Catholics, Jews, or Muslims so despicably. As a former Mormon missionary myself, I know firsthand that the blond guy's hair is too long, and the other guy's tie is too loose. And where are their black nametags? I mean, honestly!
All in all, a rotten night. But it could have been worse. And Obama may prove to be better than I anticipate.
posted by Elder Samuel Bennett | 1:50 AM
27 Comments:
SC, do you believe it's possible for a Mormon to become President now?
Surely, if a black man can get elected (I'm still pinching myself), someone like Mitt Romney could be as well.
I think it's apples and oranges. Race and religion both generate bigotry, but from different sources. (Imagine that YouTube ad mocking blacks instead of Mormons and you'll see what I mean.)
It's still cool to hate Mormons, especially among those who would decry African American bigotry.
Mitt and Palin are the clear frontrunners for 2012, though.
I have serious fears for the future of my country.
We've elected an unvetted junior senator who has been groomed by marxists, racists, radicals, and domestic terrorists, whose primary goal is the compromising of American supremacy and the destruction of America from within.
We've elected a man who has stated thatour Constitution is flawed, and presents impediments to restructure society.
Please tell me something positive.
Al Franken has been declared the loser in the Minnesota senate race. That's positive, isn't it? (Of course, cross your fingers during the recount.)
Look, people forget how dark it was for the GOP when Clinton won in '92. The real silver lining here is that the GOP still has the filibuster and can stop some of the more gruesome nonsense from coming down the pike. Union card check; Medicaire for all; the Fairness Doctrine - I think those are all nonstarters if the GOP can get 41 votes, which they ought to be able to do with 44 seats.
We're not going to be able to prevent him from larding up the judiciary with crapola, but we have a wafer-thin conservative majority on the Supreme Court that will survive as long as Scalia is in good health - and Anthony Kennedy is in a good mood.
Obama's youth and inexperience might mean he's a little more malleable when the real world gets in the way of his Marxist silliness. If he thinks this was a mandate for leftism, he's going to get smacked down a lot on his way to a GOP majority in two years.
The Republican Party will make a comeback. It's swings and roundabouts time.
But they've got to address failing to engage the electorate on any level whatsoever.
Thank you. That helped. Seriously.
The Jews never singlehandedly funded a discriminatory, massively lying proposition on a ballot to deprive citizens of rights given by the freaking state supreme court. The Jews didn't have a long history of backing slave owners rights and generally considering black Americans as second hand citizens. The vitriol aimed at anyone in the church who backed this travesty is well earned (note: not at the church, at the specific members)
"We've elected an unvetted junior senator who has been groomed by marxists, racists, radicals, and domestic terrorists..."
Thus proving my point about the least common denominator, i.e., those who don't understand the difference between TV smear campaigns and reality. You and your ilk are (wait for it...) RETARDS. Seriously. Bye bye. Enjoy the wilderness, dumbass.
No one I have ever met "hates the Mormons." people hate the actions of the Mormons. And the Christians, and the Jews, and the Muslims. Sheesh.
Yikes. The kind, loving, tolerant Obama supporters have weighed in.
A few points:
1) No supreme court anywhere is in any position to "give" people rights. To use the language of the founders, we are "endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights." Government should exist to protect rights, not create them.
2) Prop. 8 did not deny anyone any rights whatsoever. Anyone, anywhere, anytime can get married in all fifty states, regardless of their sexual preferences. What they can't do is fundamentally redefine what marriage is.
3) In the 19th Century, the Mormons were driven out of Missouri at the point of a gun in large part due to their abolitionist leanings. Utah sided with the North in the Civil War, back in a time when Utah was almost entirely Mormon. To say Mormons have a record of "backing slave owners" is to deny history.
4) Calling conservatives retards and dumbasses does little to advance anything but animosity.
5) If you've never met anyone who hates Mormons, perhaps I ought to introduce them to the Mike Huckabee wing of the Republican Party.
Thus proving my point about the least common denominator, i.e., those who don't understand the difference between TV smear campaigns and reality. You and your ilk are (wait for it...) RETARDS. Seriously. Bye bye. Enjoy the wilderness, dumbass
Yeah.
This coming from a person who apparently subscribes to a political philosophy that was born out of a psychedelic drug induced haze during an orgy at a rock concert in the late 60's.
I'm sure your clear headed politics gives you a firm grasp on reality. Right.
Geez, I was in a pretty good mood today until I read the comments on here. Using the word 'retards?' Seriously?
Using the word 'retards?' Seriously?
That would be your typical enlightened and tolerant Obama supporter.
hey, how 'bout another chapter of your book.
I miss Creaver Williams. I had hoped to find him here today. He makes me smile.
Plez bring back tat awful book.
I am weighing in as a true kind, loving and tolerant Obama supporter.
Have a nice day :)
Finally we get some fun dialogue!
And no, a Mormon is still unelectable. This year's Republican Primaries proved it clearly.
Although Prop 8 passed, it may be short lived. I'm no constitutional scholar, but it seems to me that CA now has two conflicting clauses in it's constitution. The CA supremes decided that homosexual marriage is legal under the the equal protection clause, and now we have an amendment that says otherwise. Two lawsuits were filed today in San Francisco to debate this, saying that a ballot proposition cannot be used to strip away existing rights.
I'm guessing that this exercise will repeat itself every year ad infinitum until the US supremes settle the issue or there is a US constitutional amendment.
I don't think McCain ever had a chance. People wanted to blame the economy, the war, etc. on Bush, and Obama painted McCain as more Bush while Obama seemed like a fresh new face that is nothing like Bush. I didn't vote for either of these bone heads because at the end of the day, they are not that different on the issues. I would have voted for Romney, but I don't know that he could have won either, though I think that he would have had a better chance. American had a belly-full of Republicans and the numbers are dwindling. The party needs to wake up and realize that they can't just be another shade of Democrats, but they need to make a real choice, and actually put someone in who is conservative, who is never allowed to say "my friends", and under 100 years old. I'm looking forward to seeing Mitt Romney run again in 4 years. Maybe by then, the Obama wow factor will be gone, and we will have seen that Obama is not the answer, and we can get the country back on track. For now, I hope that Obama leads from the middle much like Clinton did during his second term.
As for Prop 8 - I'm very happy that there are those who took a stand against the traditional squeeky left wheel, and held on to the tradition definition of marriage - between a man and a woman. Which is what a marriage is and always has been: Man + Woman = Marriage. Man + Man = not marriage. Woman + Woman = not marriage. It's simple mathematics. And I'm really bad at math, but I get this concept.
Most. Implausible. Lesbians. Ever.
Good to see you back in the political world. Some comments to your Senatorial questions: It looks like Smith will lose in Oregon. Franken loses in Minnesota, but there will be a recount, and you know that anything can happen in a recount. So don't be so sure we don't get stuck with Senator Franken. Chambliss won in GA, but he didn't get over 50%. State law requires that a Senate candidate get over 50% to be declared the winner, so there will be a runoff. Runoffs are never good for incumbents, so don't go counting that seat as Republican yet. The only seat that looks for sure that it will stay Republican is Alaska. A Dem Majority of 59-41 (assuming that Lieberman stays with the Dems even after they strip him of his chairmanships) is a real possibility. And while 41 votes is enough to sustain a filibuster, there are enough squishy moderate Repubs (for example -- Collins, McCain, and the other one from Maine) who don't like filibusters that it will be very difficult to sustain one. Sorry to burst your bubble.
Now, how about some more of your book?
Holy crap, people.
George, spoke to our mutual friend/Washington insider today. They're very confident in Georgia, and they're pretty confident that Franken is still toast. Most recounts are not Florida 2000, and they generally add a few votes on either side. Barring outright fraud - i.e. Washington governor's race in 2004 - we're ok.
43 is worse than 44, but it's better than 41. And it's exactly what we had in 1992 when the GOP looked dead as a doornail.
My problem with Mitt is that, while I think he would be an exemplary candidate, it makes it seem more like the Republican Party is the old white man's party. At least to those on the outside. I would like to see something new and fresh to bring potential newcomers to the party and invigorate it.
What about a Palin/Jindal or Jindal/Palin ticket?
Sorry, Stallion, but I don't share your Senate optimism. The recount doesn't look good -- votes are suddenly appearing for Franken ("oops, did I say there were 24 votes from my town? I met 124. I was tired from counting all night. Sorry!), and the gap (originally around 700) is now down to 200 or so votes. Also, incumbents don't do well in runoffs. I know Chambliss was close to 50%, but the fact is that over 50% voted against him. I'm not optimistic. In 1992, Republican Paul Coverdell won a runoff when the Democratic incumbent won the general election but got less than 50%. Also, Palin doesn't get to appoint a permanent successor in Alaska (they have to have a special election within 90 days). That should stay Republican, but who knows. Finally, Kay Bailey Hutchison is going to quit the Senate and run for Governor of Texas. That would require another special election. Now I hope we can stay at 43, but I think when all is said and done we will be a very squishy 41.
Also, remember in 1993 there were 43 Repubs. But among the Dems were some conservatives (two of whom, Shelby and Campbell, switched parties). Not a whole lot of conservative Dems these days.
I know that no one will read this comment, but I had to vent.
I don't think any Republican had much of a chance this election in regards to the Presidency. The opinion is that things slipped under Bush and anyone who supported Bush during these past 8 years was going to be labeled as a "partner" to Bush.
Obama has made some pretty big promises and the expectation is that he's going to solve everyone's problems. That's frankly impossible to do. I suspect a year after his takes office the bloom will be off of the Obama Rose and people will be bashing him worse that Bush.
The Jews never singlehandedly funded a discriminatory, massively lying proposition on a ballot to deprive citizens of rights given by the freaking state supreme court. The Jews didn't have a long history of backing slave owners rights and generally considering black Americans as second hand citizens. The vitriol aimed at anyone in the church who backed this travesty is well earned (note: not at the church, at the specific members)
This post baffles me. This wasnt just the LDS Church involved. The LDS Church was a part of a Coalition filled with people from all backgrounds. Don't believe me? Check out the link I provided at the bottom of this post. This is from the Head of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sacramento. So if you want to say the Jews never backed anything like this, check again.
Now I am not throwing them under the wagon to try and divert this away from the LDS Church and it's members, but they stood up for what they believe just like Gays did from all across the states as they sent millions of dollars to battle Prop 8.
And if you really want to get into race at the same time, as SC said, Utah sided with the north. And the black and hispanic vote is what made this pass. Approximately 70% of the Black vote was yes on this, and I believe 58% of hispanics voted yes. Asians and Whites voted 51% no.
[url=http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/Former-Catholic-Bishop-Salt-Lake/story.aspx?guid={BE149180-C54A-41B7-B3DC-14EAC89B5D6E}]Head of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sacramento[/url]
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home