Obama’s victory comes after having gone through the five stages of political grief, so there was no sense of disappointment or resentment. Indeed, it’s kind of nice to know McCain is gone from the political scene forever. Congratulations to the President-Elect. I do think it’s pretty cool that this nation has taken a significant step toward political colorblindness, and I hope Prez O can truly unite the country the way Oprah thinks he can, although I sincerely doubt that’s possible.
What’s haunted my dreams tonight is the vision of a Senate supermajority, and I saw no silver linings in the prospective dismantling of American exceptionalism. Yet so far, it looks as if the filibuster will survive as the last, best hope for freedom. As of this writing, the Dems have conclusively picked up five seats, and I can’t understand why no one is willing to call the election in Georgia for Republican Saxby Chambliss with 98% of precincts reporting. Ted Stevens, the one GOP senator I’d be happy to see go down, is ahead in Alaska, which means Sarah Palin gets to appoint his successor when he gets booted out for his seven felony convictions. Both Republicans Gordon Smith in Oregon and Norm Coleman in Minnesota are ahead by the slimmest of margins, which led Mrs. Cornell, who is reading over my shoulder as I type this, to lament the fact that they aren’t getting any sleep tonight. Well, neither are we. So there. I can deal with a President Obama more readily than a Senator Franken.
California’s Prop. 8 is touch and go, but it’s ahead by about three points as of this writing. This is certainly the most divisive issue on the ballot this time around. I have oodles of friends who loathe Prop. 8 and assume anyone who supports the traditional definition of marriage is a bigot. Thankfully, despite the fact that dismantling marriage is the cool thing to do, America doesn’t seem ready to abandon one of the basic building blocks of civilization just yet, even in California. (Similar measures in Florida and Arizona won handily.)
What’s stunning is the vitriol unleashed on the LDS Church as a result of its support for Prop. 8. If you haven’t seen this ridiculously over-the-top assault on the Mormons, I invite you to take a looksee:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q28UwAyzUkE&hl=en&fs=1]
I ask you to imagine the outcry if a similar ad were running that stereotyped Catholics, Jews, or Muslims so despicably. As a former Mormon missionary myself, I know firsthand that the blond guy’s hair is too long, and the other guy’s tie is too loose. And where are their black nametags? I mean, honestly!
All in all, a rotten night. But it could have been worse. And Obama may prove to be better than I anticipate.
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