November 3, 2009
millard fillmore proud
11/3/09
Tonight is the kind of night that would have been largely ignored fifteen or so years ago, but the advent of 24-hour news has made it into an off-year election extravaganza with "mandates on Obama's presidency" and "the unlikely resurgence of the Republican Party". None of those things are actually true, but when the Media has a storyline, you've got thousands of jobs dependent on that storyline, not to mention indignant bloggers (comme moi, naturellement) who positively MUST have an opinion or else their genitalia fall off.
Definitely a bad night for progressives, if you're keeping score. As predicted, the Republican won the Virginia Governor's race, but the dangerously-fat douchebag Republican won the New Jersey race as well (and New Jersey, despite its reputation, ought to know better). Neither of those races worry me particularly - despite eye-rolling claims like they "shifted the political terrain against President Barack Obama only a year after his historic election". People elect governors from either party for all kinds of weird reasons. I mean, California elected Arnold Schwarzenpfeffer, for chrissake.
No, the most disgraceful event of the evening happened in Maine, where voters overturned a law granting same-sex partners the ability to marry. There is a special place in hell reserved for people who vilify another group of people strictly for political gain... and there is another special place in hell for closeted gay men who vilify other gay men to assuage their roiling inner conflict.
Both of these are the dominion of the Republicans, most of whom deserve to be strapped to a wall, their eyelids forced open Clockwork Orange-style, while two naked guys in leather torture masks fist each other over a Bible, WHILE I MARRY THEM IN THE NAME OF THE UNIVERSAL LIFE CHURCH OF MODESTO, CALIFORNIA.
According to Maine's official Election Site, fully 74% of the money raised to demonize homosexuals came from out of state - all the right-wing crazies, the Texas evangelical wingnutters, the Mormons, everybody. Yes, Mainers alone carry the shame of voting the way they did, but when you've got outright fuckin' LIES being funded by snot-eaters living thousands of miles away ("my kids will be taught to be a homo at school!"), why can't the forces of tolerance SAY something about it? Here... I'll make an ad in 45 seconds:
I swear, if they'd done this in California 18 months ago, a bunch of my friends would still be married.
In better news, the district just above ours in upstate New York - NY-23 - told the teabaggers, Sarah Palin, Tim Pawlenty, and the rest of the ghastly fringe elements of the Republican Party to show some manners and get the hell out of Plattsburgh. If this region can go for the Democrat - despite (in some cases) 160 years of Republican rule, an economy in the shitter and wall-to-wall coverage of Obama haters - I'm feeling okay about the national picture.
Still, the other gubernatorial losses speak volumes when broken into stats: Republicans voted and Democrats stayed home. Perhaps if our party stopped being such bipartisan-minded ninnies, perhaps if they NUKED EVERY REPUBLICAN LIE the MILLISECOND IT WAS SAID, and randomly kicked conservatives in the NUTZ every once in a while, the base would be fired up enough to vote, rather than wallow in vague despondency because the national dialogue is so putrescent.
WAKE UP, YOU FADING FLOWERS! KEY SOMEONE'S CAR! GET JOE WILSON DRUNK AND SHAVE HIS EYEBROWS! SUPERGLUE LIEBERMAN'S DROOPY ASSCHEEKS TO THE TERLET! GET MAD!
We will soldier on. Gets exhausting, though, doesn't it. Like whack-a-mole.
Totally agree with you on how weak the Dems are in fighting the lies and smears. I maxed out my contribution to rep Alan Grayson of FL when he started calling these people out.
I do not necessarily believe any of the spin that last night was some sort of clear referendum on Obama. Sure, it was not a good night for his side, but not a big deal. I will be interested to see whether it makes some of the Blue Dog Democrats more timid because they may face last night's backlash too. We shall see.
As for the whole gay marriage thingy, I could not care much less. From a political science angle, I do find it telling that such referenda have failed everywhere. On the one hand, it may be easy to blame the consistent defeats on money from those damn Christians, but that is lazy. Spending money is not always the path to political victory -- ask Governor Corzine, who spent money at a 5:1 clip.
Regardless, is the Christian money a terrible thing? I don't know for sure. My NC State Senator is an out-of-the-closet lesbian. Her campaigns receive enormaous amounts of money from Hollywood, inclusing Streisand, et al. Does this taint the Senator or her successful re-election? I doubt it; just like I doubt Maine was tainted by those damn Christians.
The name of the game is money from all sources. Liberals did not give a shit when Clinton got money from China. They don't care when union dues are used for elections in other states. They don't care when ACORN or SEIU crosses state lines to help a liberal candidate.
I don't bitch about those folks and it is hypocritical to bitch about the damn Christians and their money. I know you are not happy with last night's results, but it may simply be a situation where the voters voted. Go figure.
Dean, as a Liberal (voting for Democrats by default), I am not totally depressed with last night's results.
NJ - Corzine is hated, HATED, in his state. He seems to have little to no governing ability. Personally, I am fine with him losing...one less former Goldman Sachs exec holding the reigns of power. Now, how to get rid of the rest...
VA - More than just the DC suburbs. Virginia has never really been a "blue" state, so seeing a flip back to a (R) Governor is not surprising.
NY23 - Good win, as it exposed the Palin wing of the GOP as pretty much meaningless and impotent. More of this to come, I'm sure.
Maine same-sex - This is the real tragedy of last night. For the life of me I cannot fathom how strangers can tell anyone, regardless of orientation, who they can or cannot "legally" spend their life with...just disgusting. At some point the S.C. will have to adjudicate this, and given precedent re inter-racial marriage (Loving v VA) should rule that denying same sex marriages is a civil rights violation. Let's hope Thomas and Scalia are gone when/if this is heard, just to be safe.
Oh yeah, LET'S GO PHILLIES!
Christie won in NJ because he is JERSEY.
Corzine, on the other hand, is WALL STREET.
Jersey votes for Jersey when times are tough.
LFMD, you know a lot more about Jersey politics than I do. I'm sure you're right.
But Corzine, outsider or not, sure didn't do himself any favors. The first political ad I saw this season was all about Christie's failing to pay some taxes some years back, a first-punch attempted slam by the Corzine campaign which didn't find any traction. As the campaign dragged on, Christie's ads were mostly about Christie and Corzine's ads were mostly about...Christie. I kept waiting for the "I'm your Governor and here are the great things I've done for you (or are going to do for you)" ad -- but it never came.
Also, several months ago, a Corzine volunteer came to the door and conducted a short poll (to his credit NOT a push poll, but seemingly an honest effort to feel the pulse). At the end, the volunteer asked if I'd like to help the campaign. I said yes, gave my phone number and email and agreed to host a yard sign. They never called or emailed; I never got a yard sign.
I wonder if Corzine was simply TIRED of leading. I kind of get that feeling.
I wonder, too, how long it'll take Christie to get his leg(s) broken. Did anyone else know that the last three NJ Governors have broken a leg while in office? Welcome to the Garden State.
Long time reader, first time commenter!
As a Central Jersey Dem, it was a tough election. Everyone hates Corzine, everyone fears what Christie will do. The state is out of control, lots of debt, high taxes, people are mad. It's "Florio free in '93" all over again, when Whitman was elected. Whether this will lead into another 1994 national midterm election swing from Dem to Rep, who knows.
Corzine is taking the hit for tough times, just like Florio did. As LFMD points out, he's also the outsider who bought his way in. Our local guys are no better (cf McGreevey) but Christie's busted a lot of corruption, loves Bruce and is seen as change. Sometimes that's all it takes.
As bad as I feel today about NJ, Maine is so much more depressing.
I meant to add earlier that I found the actual language of the Maine referendum to be potentially confusing to the average voter who might not have studied it carefully. It was worded so that you had to vote "no" in order to vote FOR gay marriage. I was surprised that the Maine ACLU hadn't jumped on the wording, pre-referendum, because it seemed the confusion would clearly benefit those who are against gay marriage: "Hell, no, I don't want them people marryin'."
Here is the actual language that people voted on yesterday:
"Do you want to reject the new law that lets same-sex couples marry and allows individuals and religious groups to refuse to perform these marriages?"
Bud - totally agree with you! Never connected the broken legs - interesting. Let's let everyone know that they were accidents, not sinister (skiing, at the beach secretly with gay lover, being driven 93 miles an hour/car accident)
Anne - language is very confusing, I think you're onto something there........
As a very liberal, but hetero grandmother I was dismayed at the Maine vote. And California. I can only say that it's gong to be a long, hard, slog before most people can accept the whole gay thing. I remember a time when a governor sat at the schoolhouse door refusing to let black children enter. It wasn't that long ago, and we still have remnants of racism to deal with. But we're getting there, in spite of occasional setbacks and despite pockets of public ignorance and hate. Most of the people reading this blog don't remember a time when there were no black newscasters, lawmakers, even (gasp) presidents. I do. As a 21-year old schoolteacher, I was evicted from my apartment in L.A. because I was regularly visited by a black fellow teacher/close friend from my school. Hard to imagine now.
It is going to be the same with gay marriage or whatever finally becomes total civil rights for ALL people, regardless of orientation. We'll keep at it, and I may not live to see it, but it will happen.
It's just such a drag right now...
Dean - I actually agree, bitching about religious groups stopping gay marriage is hypocritical, given that I gave money to my side as well (and don't live in Maine)... but I was simply trying to make an point that could have been more effective. People don't like being told what to do by other people, especially those from far away. The forces of hate demonize Hollywood and Barbra Streisand all the time, why can't we turn that back on THEM?
Amen, mom.
But yes, the wording of the referendum is bad. If you drop the 's' from 'allows', the meaning is that voting yes will allow individuals and religious groups to refuse to perform these marriages, implying that the current law doesn't already allow that.
Somehow I don't think we can blame this despicable vote on poor reading skills, but I don't think the wording was accidental, either.
The results of the CH mayor's race should make you feel a little better Ian, although it was surprisingly close for such a traditionally liberal town. The winner actually used the newly created public finance option as well!
http://www.q-notes.com/4182/openly-gay-kleinschmidt-is-next-chapel-hill-mayor/
I crossed over and hung out with staff of and pals of and neighbouring State Senator and Assemblywoman and other Dems to enjoy the 23rd victory. It was quite a lesson. The Hoffman office next to the bar shut early. Never shook a judge's hand for winning the vote. How odd.