Even though I knew the obvious was coming, it's still pretty sobering to realize the party is most definitely over--and as a new found blogger put it: we have memories about as long as gnats. (go check out Margaret & Helen--it will make you feel better!) Hello? Does anyone remember where we were two years ago? Guess not... and it could have been worse (much worse)--so I suppose we should find comfort in the 'good' among the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, right? The dust has yet to settle and it's still pretty hazy this morning but here's my two cents for today.
The Good: the total crazies, for the most part, were turned back at the gate. We can breathe a sigh of relief that, among others, Joe Miller (Alaska), Christine O'Donnell (Delaware), and Sharron Angle (Nevada) will not get to run with scissors in Washington. It's far from final, but Patty Murray is holding on by a thread in my home state & hopefully will be returning to Capitol Hill. Jerry Brown, the California comeback kid, will be fun to watch for the next four years. The Senate remains a Democratic majority--just barely--but will be far from bullet proof.
The Bad: Marco Rubio (Florida) will be arriving in DC, and Russ Feingold (Wisconsin) will not be returning. The House is now a Republican majority--if you can count the Tea Party-ers in the Republican majority. There will be interesting battles to watch on that front, as many newly elected candidates are calling for a Tea Party caucus on the hill.
The Ugly: we've clearly hardened our hearts & are seeing monsters behind every post. It seems we've taken on a 'look out for yourself; no one else will' attitude--even in my (formerly?) blue state.
We had two initiatives on the ballot that would impact the budget bleeding & both votes look like we've decided that looking after ourselves is the most important thing. The initiative (put forward by Bill Gates, Sr.) that would have added a modest income tax to the extremely wealthy failed miserably, as the 501(c)(4) money hammered home the fear that the income tax will come for you middle income people next. That leaves about $11 billion (yes, that's billion, boys & girls) over the next five years on the table that was marked for schools & the uninsured--and also offered some middle class/small business tax relief in the process.
The other was a repeal of the tax recently passed on candy & soda that was providing about $352 million over five years, primarily for public health & social services. Now that's lost, with no alternative in sight (to say nothing of the benefit we'd added in discouraging consumers from buying bad food choices). I'm hearing similar sound bytes around the country. We are very afraid, it seems, and our moral compass is malfunctioning.
Then there's just the absurd. Like Colorado: because the Republican gubernatorial candidate did so poorly (11%) in the face of the Dem & Independent candidates, the GOP will not appear as one of two major parties in the next two elections (they'll be down the list with the Libertarians and Rent's Too High folks!) and the American Constitution Party will be in the 'top two'!
So, my friends, let the games begin.
We thought the polarization & gridlock on the hill was hard to watch after the 2008 election. I have a feeling we 'ain't seen nothin' yet.' *sigh* Go have another cup of coffee & some Ibuprofen--we're gonna need it...
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