Midterm elections

[Tim Bonney]

[Lou]

[Haruo]

The partisan measures on our ballot are looking like this (late ballots may cause some changes in numbers, but probably not in winners; the Class Size Initiative is the only one close enough to be much of a candidate for change):

Max Gun Rights - 55% NO
Background Checks - 60% YES
Limit Class Size - 51% NO
House District 9 - Adam Smith 69%
Maintain Marijuana Taxes - 53% YES
Maintain Tribal Taxes - 54% YES
State Senate District 37 - Pramila Jayapal 67%
State House Dist 37 Pos 1 - Sharon Tomiko-Santos 85%
State House Dist 37 Pos 2 - Eric Pettigrew 85%

The last one, Eric Pettigrew, is the one where I voted for Tamra Smilanich or something, a no-party-preference real estate agent, rather than the Democratic incumbent. She only got 15%. Note the distinguished name of our Democratic incumbent congressman.

[Sandy]

[Dave Roberts]

[Dave Roberts]

Sometimes Republicans interpret my posts to think I'm a Democrat. I'm a former Eisenhower/Rockefeller Republican whose party started leaving him in 1964 who turned Independent. If I have a political hero today, it's probably Senator Bernie Sanders of VT.

[Neil Heath]

I agree with Dave on Bernie Sanders, and I like Elizabeth Warren a great deal as well.

As for the election results, I knew it was an uphill battle since I'm told the mid-terms almost always go to the minority party, but I did hope to see more Dems elected. On the other hand, I was a volunteer for the Nunn/Carter campaign, and those heading it up were clearly building a base for the 2016 elections, taking the long view while doing all they could for this year.

In the interim, I expect primarily gridlock.

[David Flick]

[David Flick]

[Stephen Fox]

I posted earlier today at www.foxofbama.blogspot.com

[Stephen Fox]

[Stephen Fox]

Between my rambling in places obscurantist blog of today, and Molly Worthen's eloquence and brilliance yesterday in the NY Times, We Nail It:

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/05/opini ... pe=article

[Sandy]

[David Flick]

[Sandy]

So, if you think that yesterday's election was a "referendum" on Obama, then you must be against these things.

Reduction of the budget deficit, something that Republicans said a thousand times, but W never really got around to doing, Obama has accomplished.

An increase in domestic oil production. (Remember "Drill Baby Drill"? Well, Baby is drilling.) The resulting gas prices are now the lowest since 2005.

Disengagement from the most useless, pointless war in American history, and cutting losses and getting out of Afghanistan, which is a waste of time and energy, saving the budget three trillion dollars.

The world's number one terrorist, Osama Bin Laden, is dead as a result of this administration's policies and orders.

Unemployment that has fallen to well below 6%, and will be around 5% by mid 2015. Consistent job growth for more than 60 months

A stock market that has made record gains in the past 5 years, reached its highest points ever, and has recovered from its worst performance since the depression, due to economic policy and the President's appointments to the fed.

Successful programs which bailed out auto makers, helped them turn profitable, and increased employment in auto production by 15%.

The lowest increase in insurance rates in 25 years. More people on health insurance than ever before.

I guess a vote for the Republicans was a vote against all of these things, since they were brought about by this administration's policies.

[Sandy]

[David Flick]

[Dave Roberts]

From my perspective, the Democrats made a bad mistake in their tactics. They tried to run away from Obama's record instead of running on it and defending it. That allowed Republicans to set the agenda for the discussion instead of being able to craft one of their own. I thought that was a mistake from the start like moderates in the SBC letting conservatives craft all the debates.

[William Thornton]

[Dave Roberts]

Sadly, we have a minority government again, as is often true after midterm elections. Estimates run as high as 60% of American citizens did not vote. What a tragedy for all of us that the majority is uninvolved in such decisions.

[KeithE]

[William Thornton]

The narrative we're getting is that the electorate (a) is not sophisticated enough to recognize the President's brilliance and successful policies, (b) there's too much free speech spending on political messaging by rich conservatives, and (c) the electorate is ignorant, apathetic and uninvolved or they would see things like the liberal elitists see them and vote like good citizens.

[KeithE]

[Haruo]

[Tim Bonney]