First of all, I have to say THANK GOD FOR CALLER I.D. It has protected me from a non-stop barrage of last-minute (or in this case, last-week) electioneering and pleas and harrangues to vote for this guy or that guy. I absolutely intend to vote tomorrow. I'm adamant about voting. But I already know who I'm voting for and these folks aren't going to change my mind.
This is the first election in a long time that I feel hopeful about. I'm resisting the hype that says the Republicans are going down hard. I don't want to get my hopes up. But it's a major moment for sure. Their stranglehold on the government is about to loosen up. And the slow erosion of the checks and balances that has historically held those in power accountable will hopefully be stopped.
But that isn't what this is about either. I've been thinking recently, in light of the New Jersey State Supreme Court's decision about equal family rights for same-sex couples, that there are two kinds of legislation. The first is the kind that comes from visionary leaders who change the course of social interactions. The creation of Social Security. The TVA. The WPA. Civil rights laws. These were innovations. They induced changes that would not have happened on their own.
The other kind of legislation is the catch-up kind. The kind that simply codifies behavior and actions that have already been going on. Things that were initiated at the grass roots level by individuals agitating for change. That's what the whole same-sex marriage thing is. It's going to happen. It's a natural force like gravity or plate tectonics. And the best thing the government can do is fold it into the legal system as soon as possible. I know that won't happen. But (and here's where we get to my pronouncement) I'm telling you that within 10 years or so, it's going to be the rule rather than the exception.
And within 20 years, no one will be using gasoline in their cars any more. But that's a whole 'nother thing.
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I'd love to see a big change in who gets sent to congress this time around, but I don't see it happening in spite of all the hopeful polls. I think that the latest round of ridiculous redistricting has made it nearly impossible to get rid of incumbents.
The last several years has proven that you can't trust one party rule - they just can't resist the temptation to screw everything up. I'd sleep better at night if there was more balance of power. More civility would be fantastic, but I'd settle for less insanity.
Yes, you're right. It really has deteriorated into one-party rule. And we can see the results in the incompetence and cronyism that permeates the government. But like you, I'm not being too optimistic.
One of the really sad side effects of all the redistricting is how polarized and partisan the whole process has become, which has also polarized the country. There's so much animosity.
One thing that I think might undo that damage is the elimination of the electoral college. If you knew that your vote counted equally no matter where you lived, I think the population might be more heterogeneous. It wouldn't be quite so much red state/blue state. But that's something I don't see coming any time soon.
I just looked at the results for Georgia and wished I hadn't. Most of the people I voted for lost. And all the ballot initiatives look like they'll pass, but I only voted yes on one (because the others were too narrowly targeted). Sigh. I'll get over it. I'm used to my representatives not really representing me.
Red state/blue state! Red state/blue state! My side/your side! My side/your side!
fermicat, I'm sorry for you! This year at least all the candidates I voted for won. Doesn't happen very often. So I'm savoring the feeling. I didn't see how the ballot initiatives turned out. I voted for two and against one. Nothing as controversial as stem cell research. They were about what percentage of revenue from gasoline tax should be allocated to public transporation, stuff like that. The real nuts and bolts kind of governance stuff.
But I have to say, this is the first election in a long time that I felt really good about.
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