Well, the election is over. That's good. Conservative Democrats made gains, enough to claim a majority in the Hizzie of Represizzletives. I hope that leads to good things, though I wish the victory represented an embrace of more liberal ideals by the public and not a backlash against the President and the war. Conservatives are still conservatives, regardless of the label. I don't mind conservative people, but I don't like to see them in charge because, well, I'm not conservative. (Why do I feel a need to elaborate on the painfully obvious?)
Maybe this is a good segue government. People who like the Democratic Party can be happy for the win and conservatives don't have to feel too bad, since this indicates for them a continuation of the grassroots embrace of conservatism. Party-line Republicans will, I guess, not have much about which to feel good. They might have retained a slight majority in the Senate (I always feel Roman when I say, "The Senate"), but even that looks bleak for them. They've lost ground.
I have this funny thing where I tend to prefer the demeanor of many Republicans (George W. Bush notwithstanding), even though I agree with Democrats in most cases. I find Democrats annoying and undignified sometimes. They just don't seem likable to me. I think it's the anger thing. Anger turns me off, even if it might be justified. Oh well. Different people like different things. I like friendly, intelligent, well-spoken, reserved and dignified people in positions of power. People who whine and bitch and are quick to criticize or raise their voice turn me off, especially if they hold positions of power. (Friends? That's a different story altogether. I like all kinds of people as friends, and sometimes gravitate toward difficult people. Many of these people whom I love dearly, however, would NEVER get my vote if they ran for some public office.)
I really hope this election makes a positive difference. I have this cynical notion that anyone who is willing to acquiesce to the compromises demanded by the current political process and still prevail is probably not fit to lead people.
That Barack Obama guys seems cool, though. If he ran for an office I could vote for, I'd vote for him. Check these out.
When we send our young men and women into harm's way, we have a solemn obligation not to fudge the numbers or shade the truth about why they're going, to care for their families while they're gone, to tend to the soldiers upon their return, and to never ever go to war without enough troops to win the war, secure the peace, and earn the respect of the world
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The pundits like to slice-and-dice our country into Red States and Blue States; Red States for Republicans, Blue States for Democrats. But I've got news for them, too. We worship an awesome God in the Blue States, and we don't like federal agents poking around our libraries in the Red States. We coach Little League in the Blue States and have gay friends in the Red States. There are patriots who opposed the war in Iraq and patriots who supported it. We are one people, all of us pledging allegiance to the stars and stripes, all of us defending the United States of America.
From the Keynote address, 2004 Democratic National Convention
I'm not a fan of the overtly religious speech in political discourse because it is, by nature, divisive. I love the statement, "There are patriots who opposed the war in Iraq and patriots who supported it." This is so much more balanced than the typical angry rhetoric in which the opposing side is hatefully blasted and demonized.
I promise I'll never write a post like this again.
Hello, friends. Are you happy today? Tell me what you're thinking.
Later. Love.
