When I began this blog in 2001, I was appalled by President Bush's headlong rush to an illegal war (we were not in fact under attack). As time wore on and Bush began his assault on the Constitution and any people bold enough to criticize, I believed that "the republic is endangered more by actions of our own government than by those of any terrorist." With the election of a high-minded, compassionate, intelligent man like Barack Obama, my fears have ceased.
"Honor them with peace, not war"
United for Peace
Wednesday, November 03, 2004
Copyright © 2001-03 Pam Shorey
(except the specific sources credited in quotes)
It looks, sadly, like a victory for Bush.
1. It appears that Bush will win the election. Of the five states where a winner was not declared by 6 a.m. today, Bush had distinct leads in all but one, Wisconsin, where Kerry seemed to be ahead by a whisker.
In another, Ohio, the times interactive map showed 100 pct of the returns in and Bush taking 51 pct to Kerry's 48.5 pct. Conceivably, whatever is still in doubt could swing it all toward Kerry (I dont know the details of the remaining doubt) but I am not expecting it.
2. Looks like the Repubs hang on to both Senate and House, so we can expect another four years of killingly reactionary activity-- moving backwards on civil rights for racial and political minorities, pop women back into the barefoot-pregnant role, to hell with the environment; more tax breaks and deregulation for business, expecially big business. Republicans gain votes on intolerance and greed, and it appears the generosity quotient in this country has tilted dangerously rightward. No more claim to being any sort of shining beacon to the rest of the world. Just forget that. It was a nice idea, but probably never really true.The US has mostly been about greed, the right to make money unfettered by social conscience.
1. Democrat Barack Obama of Illinois won a senate seat.
2. In Colorado, the arch conservative Coors beer magnate lost his Senate seat to the Democratic Attorney General, Ken Salazar.
In many of the states where Bush won, he won by large margins, 60 percent or more. Kerry's wins were narrower, only in his home state of Massachusetts topping 60 percent. Nevertheless, the popular vote was much closer. The middle of the country, where Bush did extremely well, has a lot fewer people, and they tend to be over-represented in electoral college votes (as is New England). This is because no state gets fewer than 3 electoral college votes. If California were subdivided into smaller states with population the size of places like Nebraska or South Dakota or Vermont, I estimate it would walk away with any election all by itself.
[For political junkies who want a vote breakdown, not just totals, the Times has an excellent interactive map showing the electoral votes for each candidate; clicking on a state gives further information about who won hat in that state.]
Bad news of the day:
1. It appears that Bush will win the election. Of the five states where a winner was not declared by 6 a.m. today, Bush had distinct leads in all but one, Wisconsin, where Kerry seemed to be ahead by a whisker.
In another, Ohio, the times interactive map showed 100 pct of the returns in and Bush taking 51 pct to Kerry's 48.5 pct. Conceivably, whatever is still in doubt could swing it all toward Kerry (I dont know the details of the remaining doubt) but I am not expecting it.
2. Looks like the Repubs hang on to both Senate and House, so we can expect another four years of killingly reactionary activity-- moving backwards on civil rights for racial and political minorities, pop women back into the barefoot-pregnant role, to hell with the environment; more tax breaks and deregulation for business, expecially big business. Republicans gain votes on intolerance and greed, and it appears the generosity quotient in this country has tilted dangerously rightward. No more claim to being any sort of shining beacon to the rest of the world. Just forget that. It was a nice idea, but probably never really true.The US has mostly been about greed, the right to make money unfettered by social conscience.
Couple of tidbits of good news:
1. Democrat Barack Obama of Illinois won a senate seat.
2. In Colorado, the arch conservative Coors beer magnate lost his Senate seat to the Democratic Attorney General, Ken Salazar.
In many of the states where Bush won, he won by large margins, 60 percent or more. Kerry's wins were narrower, only in his home state of Massachusetts topping 60 percent. Nevertheless, the popular vote was much closer. The middle of the country, where Bush did extremely well, has a lot fewer people, and they tend to be over-represented in electoral college votes (as is New England). This is because no state gets fewer than 3 electoral college votes. If California were subdivided into smaller states with population the size of places like Nebraska or South Dakota or Vermont, I estimate it would walk away with any election all by itself.
[For political junkies who want a vote breakdown, not just totals, the Times has an excellent interactive map showing the electoral votes for each candidate; clicking on a state gives further information about who won hat in that state.]
Palema
5:43 AM
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Copyright © 2001-03 Pam Shorey
(except the specific sources credited in quotes)
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