On politics

[bzarcher]

I'm incredibly happy that so many of my friends voted and felt they had a real voice in the process.

I am glad that we voted for a change in the White House. If the John McCain that I was so excited about in 2000 had run, I'd have voted for him. Sadly, he made a lot of turnabouts to try and curry favor, and I was not pleased at the result. (For the record, sir, when you as a victim of torture and a former POW decided to change your mind and say "Y'know, torturing prisoners is fine when we do it.", that's when you lost my vote.)

I'm pleased that we in Ohio decided to stop predatory lending, and that we didn't specifically write a particular company into having the right to operate a tax free casino into our constitution.

Now can we freaking legalize online poker, please?

I am incredibly saddened by voters in Florida, California, Arizona, and my own home here in Ohio at the various referendums which appear to be passing to ban gay marraige. It's just one more form of bigotry that I hope we as a nation will grow to overcome.

Here's the thing, tho. No matter who or what you voted for: It's Wednesday. We all still have to go to work today. We're all going to deal with people we don't like and people we're friends with. We're going to get pissed off. We're going to laugh at something. And now we're going to have to move on and get something else done, and see what fun that life throws at us next to deal with.

Comments

[jldecker.livejournal.com]

I am incredibly saddened by voters in Florida, California, Arizona, and my own home here in Ohio at the various referendums which appear to be passing to ban gay marraige. It's just one more form of bigotry that I hope we as a nation will grow to overcome.

While I, too, am shaking my head at this result, I can take a small comfort from the fact that my district-- Pima County-- voted it down. Unfortunately, it was the only county in 15 to vote "no".

edited for fact checking

[bzarcher.livejournal.com]

It's a shame, but on the other hand, it's also a start.

[sewa.livejournal.com]

I'm also pretty saddened by the people who voted Yes on 8 as a Californian. I can only hope it gets overturned. The government is for all the people and unfortunately for 'the people' that includes gay people. If it doesn't get overturned, I hope the people who want to get married have the time to do it before it goes into effect.

[sewa.livejournal.com]

also I don't have to go to work today, ha!

[bzarcher.livejournal.com]

Phooey!

[bzarcher.livejournal.com]

The only good thing about Prop 8 passing is how narrowly it seems to have passed. That means there's a good chance that in a couple of years, it will likely be overturned.

Meanwhile, I do love that the department issuing marraige licenses has said they'll keep issuing them to same sex couples until the dept. of health officially tells them to stop, which is likely to be 60 days after the vote tally is finished.

[flaggerx.livejournal.com]

That was very well said. It is over, and though (for a change) my guy won.

As far as the gay marriage initiative, in 2004 it happened in Ohio at least in part to help George W. Bush's re-election campaign and probably did. Still such things were common in 2004, but strangely since then number of Americans who oppose gay marriage has moved from the majority to the majority.

Really, that's to be expected. When I was a child, gay was something mentioned in whispers, and probably the greatest insult you could give. If you were gay, you stayed deep in the closet. Actors like Rock Hudson and Tab Hunter faked relationships (and even a marriage) to hid their true nature.

Not any more. Gay celebrities are out, and gay people have positive, out role models. And on the way, straight people discovered they wouldn't get infected on the way.

The truth is they have come a very long way. History is on their side. I don't think that law will get turned around in two or four years, but in my life I lived from open segragation to the election of the first black President. I think I'll live long enough see true equality for all Americans, no matter whom they love.

[bzarcher.livejournal.com]

For once I sort of posted smart. :)

I am taking a lot of hope out on the fact that it doesn't take much to get things on the CA ballot. With luck, the pro-gay marraige groups take pages out of the anti-gay marraige playbook, and just start getting the signatures to put it on the state ballot every couple of years like clockwork until it's passed.

[sillyfox.livejournal.com]

I'm personally impressed that 1) Indiana spontaneously became a battleground state, and 2) we've chosen a Democrat for President for the first time since 1964.

I also stayed up waaay too late last night watching the returns. Whoops.

[bzarcher.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I'm a little sad I missed the moment of history of Obama's acceptance speech and McCain's concession.

On the other hand, I was actually able to get up and go to work without many problems, so that's not so bad. :)

[sillyfox.livejournal.com]

Three cups of coffee and I was fine! Really!

[bzarcher.livejournal.com]

Yaaay!

[bredmold.livejournal.com]

2) we've chosen a Democrat for President for the first time since 1964

Um... what about 1976, 1992 and 1996?

[bzarcher.livejournal.com]

Pretty sure Indiana went red in those.

[sillyfox.livejournal.com]

Sorry, by 'we' I meant the residents of the state of Indiana. (Like me. Hi!) The last Democratic president to get electoral votes from Indiana was Lyndon Johnson.

[bredmold.livejournal.com]

Ah, ok. I didn't quite follow there. Personally, I mostly pay attention to New York, Pennsylvania and Washington.

[sillyfox.livejournal.com]

It's okay. BZA knows I'm a Hoosier, but I can't expect everyone else to. :)