LANDSLIDE FOR LOVE!
Washington state approved gay marriage! As did Maine and Maryland. And Minnesota refused to ban it. A victory for civil rights! I have no doubt that some day history will reveal the opposition to gay marriage to be no different than the bigotry that opposed inter-racial marriage once upon a time. Between going to Mt Holyoke, and living in the most liberal neighborhood of one of the most liberal cities in America, I know my fair share of people who identify as other than heterosexual. And they deserve to be part of the same happiness that Nathan and I get to be part of. And it makes my marriage feel even more legitimate, knowing that I'm partaking in an institution that is available to everyone. Well, at least in Washington.
Democracy at work.
We also LEGALIZED POT because the war on drugs has failed, and it's time to regulate (and tax!) a substance that is used by many many people who would otherwise never break a law in their lives. Let's turn a waste of money (jailing harmless citizens) into a way to generate revenue for the state.
Washington also elected Jay Inslee, Susan Delbene, Jim McIntire, Bob Ferguson, and Maria Cantwell.
Oh yeah. And OBAMA.
I know I have King County to thank, who voted at near 86%!!!!
I am also proud of many of my friends who worked on campaigns and helped to pass many important issues, especially Referendum 74.
In the rest of the country, voters made a clear statement about their values. We are all particularly pleased to see Richard Mourdock and Todd Akin destroyed at the ballot box for being sexest (strong language necessary) assholes. Elizabeth Warren with her progressive economic expertise declares victory in MA, and more women were elected to the senate than any other time in history, including our first ever Asian-American woman. In addition to that, the first ever practicing Hindu, and several openly gay persons were elected to Congress. It is a breath of fresh air to feel that the country is shifting, finally, to accept our compatriots who may not lead the "white bread" lifestyle. The Republican party is not representative of this country anymore. It's not necessarily that I think there aren't some respectable Republican views, there are. I understand that the party used to stand for small government and fiscal responsibility, but as long as I've been politically cognizant, the Republican party has been forcing large (ineffective) government action down our throats, like the No Child Left Behind act and trying to amend the constitution to limit marriage rights. I think they are torn because they are trying to at once appeal to extreme religious persons who scare the majority of the country, to fiscal conservatives who are wary of the Bush administration's track record, and to Tea Party nut jobs. The angry white vote is not enough to sustain the Republican party anymore. The minorities they have alienated are becoming majorities, women are educated more now than ever, and the people who have seen the wrong end of this recession are poor now, and will vote in their interest. I hope that the Republican party will see this as a sign that reform is necessary, that it is time for the party to get back to its roots of rationalism, instead of attacking women, the environment, poor people, gay people, and minorities. And hopefully they will stop throwing around the word "Socialism," because they clearly don't know what it means.
To my republican friends and family, I hope this is a wake up call to your party. I hope they come back stronger, more honest, and more realistic. It would be nice if our government actually worked the way it was supposed to.
If you have time, watch this clip. I don't find Rachel Maddow to be funny, so her jokes are kinda annoying, but her points regarding the election hit home for me.
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