In which cautious optimism gives way to jubulation.
So, so much good news nationally. Not so much on the Michigan front, however.
With polls showing it being so close, I was amazed that they called the governor's race when the polls closed. I have a lot of mixed reactions to this election purely from a Michigan standpoint--I really don't understand why the Michigan Republican Party didn't run moderates against Governor Granholm and Senator Stabenow, because I would have voted for a Milliken Republican. Stabenow has been almost completely ineffective and has voted for things I vehemently disagree with (flag burning amendment, bill legalizing torture, stupid 700-mile fence on the U.S.-Mexico border, renewal of the Patriot Act). I know it's probably too much to ask that Michigan have two senators of Carl Levin's stature, but Stabenow has been a disappointment, especially since she came out of my Congressional district and I know she can do better. As for Granholm, even hampered by former Governor Engler's blown surplus, a petulant and vindictive legislature, and a very bad manufacturing economy, she's done a good job. But not a great one. If Dick fucking DeVos hadn't been chosen to represent the GOP, I would have at least considered voting Republican.
Yes, run the crazies who want to ban abortion and get rid of government! That'll make me want to vote for you!
Democrats seized the Michigan House by six, which is the same margin that the Republicans held before the election. Look to see more fighting between the House and the Senate for the next two years than between the Legislature and Granholm.
Other Michigan news was not so good. Gerrymandering in my district AGAIN made it so that my county overwhelmingly went for the Democratic candidate, but was overruled by the five more rural counties in the district. Great, another two years of that Bush sycophant. Also, ever single U.S. House incumbent won, and won easily. I'm not sure what that says about our state yet, but coupled with the reelections of the governor and senator, I believe it means that we are optimistic that things will turn around and don't want change in our representatives.
I still can't believe Proposal 2 passed. With the passing of the outrageous Proposal 2 in 2004 (which banned not only gay marriage, but also took away rights enjoyed by unmarried heterosexual couples) by almost the same margin, I'm beginning to think that you could write up a Prop 2 that says "SATAN IS NOW YOUR SOUL'S MASTER: Y/N?" for Michigan voters, and they would vote yes. Let's enact a constitutional amendment that comes out of California, was put on the ballot by lying to petition signers, and is more broad than stated! Never mind that we have the most segregated metro area in the country, failing inner city schools (so much so that the state has taken over many of them), and our universities don't use quotas or point systems any more: blacks don't deserve guarantees that they will be treated fairly! My lily-white son couldn't get into U-M, and it was obviously because black people don't deserve to be there!
Yay, racism wins again. Sometimes I'm incredibly happy and proud to be from Michigan. This is not one of those times.
I fell asleep listening to NPR's election coverage. By that time, the Dems had picked up 24 seats in the House (it now stands at 28) and had made a strong showing the Northeast and Midwest. Picking up three seats apiece in Indiana and Pennsylvania was nothing short of wow, and when the magical number of 15 was hit at about 11 p.m., I knew I didn't have to head downstairs and drown my sorrows in vodka. Two seats in New Hampshire, a seat in Kansas, a seat in Texas, two seats in Iowa...it wasn't as dramatic as 1994, but this was a very encouraging and very satisfying victory.
In the Senate races, when Lincoln Chafee lost his Senate seat in Rhode Island, I was finally convinced about this "Democratic wave." Control in the Senate now rests on Montana (where Democrat Jon Tester is leading by 1,729 votes) and Virginia (where, after being behind for most of the night, Democrat Jim Webb leads by 8,132 votes), which most likely will not be decided any times soon. But it does mean that Democrats have the possibility of winning both chamber of Congress, which I didn't think was even remotely feasible. (ETA: Okay, checked out this article in the NYT which says that Tester would not have to face a recount if he wins by that margin, because in Montana the difference must be 0.25%, and it's at ~0.5% currently with 99% of precincts reporting. Virginia is a whole 'nother deck of cards, well within the 1% difference as required by law. George Allen must wait until the results are certified on November 27th before he can request a recount. The last time Virginia had a recount, the loser conceded on December 21st. So, yeah, no time soon.)
Democrats also picked up six governorships, which was the sweet whipped cream on a (mostly) pumpkin pie night.
With polls showing it being so close, I was amazed that they called the governor's race when the polls closed. I have a lot of mixed reactions to this election purely from a Michigan standpoint--I really don't understand why the Michigan Republican Party didn't run moderates against Governor Granholm and Senator Stabenow, because I would have voted for a Milliken Republican. Stabenow has been almost completely ineffective and has voted for things I vehemently disagree with (flag burning amendment, bill legalizing torture, stupid 700-mile fence on the U.S.-Mexico border, renewal of the Patriot Act). I know it's probably too much to ask that Michigan have two senators of Carl Levin's stature, but Stabenow has been a disappointment, especially since she came out of my Congressional district and I know she can do better. As for Granholm, even hampered by former Governor Engler's blown surplus, a petulant and vindictive legislature, and a very bad manufacturing economy, she's done a good job. But not a great one. If Dick fucking DeVos hadn't been chosen to represent the GOP, I would have at least considered voting Republican.
Yes, run the crazies who want to ban abortion and get rid of government! That'll make me want to vote for you!
Democrats seized the Michigan House by six, which is the same margin that the Republicans held before the election. Look to see more fighting between the House and the Senate for the next two years than between the Legislature and Granholm.
Other Michigan news was not so good. Gerrymandering in my district AGAIN made it so that my county overwhelmingly went for the Democratic candidate, but was overruled by the five more rural counties in the district. Great, another two years of that Bush sycophant. Also, ever single U.S. House incumbent won, and won easily. I'm not sure what that says about our state yet, but coupled with the reelections of the governor and senator, I believe it means that we are optimistic that things will turn around and don't want change in our representatives.
I still can't believe Proposal 2 passed. With the passing of the outrageous Proposal 2 in 2004 (which banned not only gay marriage, but also took away rights enjoyed by unmarried heterosexual couples) by almost the same margin, I'm beginning to think that you could write up a Prop 2 that says "SATAN IS NOW YOUR SOUL'S MASTER: Y/N?" for Michigan voters, and they would vote yes. Let's enact a constitutional amendment that comes out of California, was put on the ballot by lying to petition signers, and is more broad than stated! Never mind that we have the most segregated metro area in the country, failing inner city schools (so much so that the state has taken over many of them), and our universities don't use quotas or point systems any more: blacks don't deserve guarantees that they will be treated fairly! My lily-white son couldn't get into U-M, and it was obviously because black people don't deserve to be there!
Yay, racism wins again. Sometimes I'm incredibly happy and proud to be from Michigan. This is not one of those times.
I fell asleep listening to NPR's election coverage. By that time, the Dems had picked up 24 seats in the House (it now stands at 28) and had made a strong showing the Northeast and Midwest. Picking up three seats apiece in Indiana and Pennsylvania was nothing short of wow, and when the magical number of 15 was hit at about 11 p.m., I knew I didn't have to head downstairs and drown my sorrows in vodka. Two seats in New Hampshire, a seat in Kansas, a seat in Texas, two seats in Iowa...it wasn't as dramatic as 1994, but this was a very encouraging and very satisfying victory.
In the Senate races, when Lincoln Chafee lost his Senate seat in Rhode Island, I was finally convinced about this "Democratic wave." Control in the Senate now rests on Montana (where Democrat Jon Tester is leading by 1,729 votes) and Virginia (where, after being behind for most of the night, Democrat Jim Webb leads by 8,132 votes), which most likely will not be decided any times soon. But it does mean that Democrats have the possibility of winning both chamber of Congress, which I didn't think was even remotely feasible. (ETA: Okay, checked out this article in the NYT which says that Tester would not have to face a recount if he wins by that margin, because in Montana the difference must be 0.25%, and it's at ~0.5% currently with 99% of precincts reporting. Virginia is a whole 'nother deck of cards, well within the 1% difference as required by law. George Allen must wait until the results are certified on November 27th before he can request a recount. The last time Virginia had a recount, the loser conceded on December 21st. So, yeah, no time soon.)
Democrats also picked up six governorships, which was the sweet whipped cream on a (mostly) pumpkin pie night.