I’m smiling this morning, something I’m not used to doing the morning after an election. Now, there was some bad news — for example, Texas passed a ban on same-sex marriage even though it was already banned. That’s like beating up a gay person on the street, then kicking them a few more times before you drive away in your rusted pickup.
In Kansas, despite all the ridicule, they are putting in place a “science” curriculum that seems to embrace “intelligent design.” There was obviously little intelligence behind the design of the curriculum.
But in Virginia, Kaine beat Kilgore and a Democrat keeps the Governor’s Mansion. This is not as big a deal as some people make it out to be, Virginia has had Democratic governors often, but the General Assembly is still top-heavy with ultra-right nutcases. (By the way, if you combine this year’s Republican candidate, Kilgore, with the last Republican governor, Gilmore, you get Kilmore.)
Here in California, I’m giddy at the results — every proposition was voted down, including the four initiatives from the Governator. His four were designed to shift power to the governor, much as the Bush administration has engaged in a shift for the last five years. This time, the people we having none of it. The more interesting of the 8 propositions:
#73: minors must notify parents before obtaining an abortion: NO
#74: making it easier to fire teachers, extending term before tenure: NO
#75: making it illegal for unions to make political contributions without written permission from members: NO
#76: restricting state spending: NO
#77: amend the state constitution by taking away redistricting power from the legislature: NO
… and so on.
Yesterday’s special election cost the state many millions of dollars, and there was already an election scheduled for next summer anyway. People here are pissed off that Arnold is wasting time and money and trying to grab power through technicalities and sneaky tricks, like the Republicans in Washington. The honeymoon is not only over, they’re already talking about a divorce. Yep, there’s already a recall movement to bounce Arnold. Ah, California politics…
