It’s probably a sign of how much I don’t fit in Massachusetts that not a single candidate or position I voted for won, except for two relatively inconsequential ballot questions (#2 & 3). The Republican Party in Massachusetts has lost even more of what little ground it held in the Legislature, 3 seats 27 it had, which doesn’t bug me much since the party is fairly moribund and had mainly ceased to represent my political views. Massachusetts, more than any other state at any time since the Civil War, is now a one-party state. God help us.
Nationally, the GOP lost control of Congress, and again I’m somewhat disturbed by that, considering all the committee chairmanships that are about to switch hands. But I would be more worried if I thought the Democrats had any governing principles with which to implement a political strategy. But they have no strategy because their entire platform this election mainly seemed to consist of “We’re not those guys” and “We hate George W. Bush.” I can’t wait for the first impeachment proposal. Wait until America realizes what she’s done. I expect 2006 is going to be a big set-up for 2008. I just hope that having a Democrat-controlled Congress doesn’t so weaken our national defense that we become vulnerable to attack.
I hope that this result is a wake-up call to Republicans. The reason they lost their majority is because they left their base. For example, many of the Republican losers were pro-abortion. The GOP became just a corrupt, big-spending clone of the Democrats and forgot what they were there for in the first place. Maybe this will mean that the ineffective leadership of the party will be replaced with some new blood and we can return to the Reagan conservatism that won the Cold War, brought hope to America, and became the basis for the revving economy of today.
Looking at individual races, I’m disappointed that Sen. Rick Santorum in Pennsylvania lost. Despite his wobble with regard to Arlen Spectre (an endorsement I suspect he regrets now), he was a staunch ally in the Senate. I’m happy to see that my friend, Rep. Jeff Fortenberry of Nebraska won his seat and will continue in Congress.
Ballot questions across the country was a mixed bag as well. Arizona defeated a “defense of marriage” amendment, while Colorado approved one and didn’t set up civil unions. “Defense of marriage” questions also won in Indaho, South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia, and Wisconsin. Unfortunately, South Dakota defeated the ban on abortions and California defeated the parental notification for underage girls seeking abortions. Disappointingly, Missouri also approved the human cloning/embryonic stem cell amendment, as well.
There is much work to be done in America. Traditional values took a big hit yesterday and we have to stop the slide.
Technorati Tags:abortion, election, same-sex marriage
Yes, that’s what I wrote.
Massachusetts, more than any other state at any time since the Civil War, is now a one-party state.
Don’t count out Maryland – we are pretty much a one-party state as well.
As an indication of how Democrat this state is, we had an old white stiff trounce a young charismatic African-American for the Senate race – especially in African-American districts. Why? Because the old white stiff had a (D) after his name.
A depressing morning, that’s for sure.
I agree with your analysis Dom. As much as I can’t stand Jay Severin, I did catch him saying yesterday that the ‘spectre’ of George Bush and the war was in every voting booth in the US – I agree with that.
On the other hand, the other day my daughter came home from school with the news that her bioethics class went into the lesson 98% for embryonic stem cell research and came out 98% against it once they were told the facts and realized what it entailed, both morally and financially. What it taught me is that most people don’t know the truth/facts of a great many questions our society faces and as Catholics (hers is a nominally Catholic school) we have a great deal to offer society if we can find a way to frame the questions.
Louis: I said it before. We’ve heard enough of your rantings about abortion. We know where you stand. Further non-substantive comments on it from you will be removed.
Aaron: My previous blog entry on Question 1 was pretty well sums up my views on the issue.
Tom: State districts are based on town and city borders. Thus we have a Rep for Salem and so on. They can’t change the districts.
Louis – assuming you’re married and you’ve had a child, what did you and your wife call the new bedroom you prepared in anticipation of the birth of “the thing in her womb”? Did you say you were getting ready the new BABY’s room?
Did she, at her shower, ooh and aah at the clothes and accessories for the BABY?
Did you, like all expectant parents, wonder about the health, the gender, the personality of the BABY?
Of course you did, and so does every mother (and father) who anticipates a child being born. UNLESS THEY INTEND TO KILL THE CHILD BEFORE BIRTH; then and only then do they refer to “it” as a “fetus” and not a “baby.”
Even common semantics give it away, unless you’re completely dishonest. Oh, yeah, you are….
I wish I could say you were wrong, if only to get that cigar and Scotch.
Dom said “State districts are based on town and city borders. Thus we have a Rep for Salem and so on. They can’t change the districts.”
Actually, they can. Sen. Tisei used to represent all of Melrose. For some reason (his real estate business perhaps?), he wanted to represent some of Lynnfield. So, now Sen McGee represents a portion of Melrose, Sen Tisei represents the rest and some(?) of Lynnfield.
Gerrymandering, it’s not just for Dems, although I have no idea what’s the difference between Senator Tisei(R) and Senator McGee(D). Perhaps Tisei has a higher rating with CLT…
This may be the best thing that has happened for the Republicans. Many of the liberal Republicans lost (i.e. Chafee). All Republican members of the House’s appropiations committee lost. Now the Republicans can focus on getting more conservatives elected in 2008 instead of going to the Northeast and California getting liberal Republicans elected.
Don’t worry Dom. I think one person I have ever voted for in Massachusetts has won an election.