Thinking About the Election

It's So Orwellian

In every election I have voted in so far (all in the East) I have voted in a school, in a wooden booth with a curtain that pulls shut. But here in Santa Fe, I voted in the Small Animal Barn at the Santa Fe County Fairgrounds. No actual small animals were present, but the walls were full of memorabilia about various notable S.A.s who who have passed through there over the years.

We used a brand-new paper ballot system (New Mexico having rejected electronic voting machines) and voted in cardboard booths--basically a waist-high cardboard box with low cardboard walls on three sides--low enough to see over. A tad flimsy, but I guess it does the job (though trying to focus my wandering brain on the details of the zillions of ballot initiatives while able to see and hear EVERYTHING in the Small Animal Barn was tough!)

You go, Frank!

In the Sunday, November 12 New York Times, Frank Rich concludes his commentary with the following:

But his [Karl Rove's] party was routed anyway. It was the end of the road for the boy genius and his can't-miss strategy that Washington sycophants predicted could lead to a permanent Republican majority.

What a week this was! Here's to the voters of both parties who drove a stake into the heart of our political darkness. If you'll forgive me for paraphrasing George Allen: Welcome back, everyone, to the world of real America.

I do have hope that the country has finally come to its senses--even though it took an awfully long time! It reinforces my belief that democracy works eventually if you let it....

Things That Brought Tears to My Eyes

Deval Patrick's election as governor of Massachusetts. I've liked this guy for a long time--and I'm proud of the fact that Massachusetts is only state in the union to have elected a black senator and a black governor.

HIlary's overwhelming majority in her election. Well, OK, she didn't have strong opposition and she spent $23 million. But still....

Nancy Pelosi's rise to the Speaker of the House slot--the closest a woman has come to the Presidency in this country (so embarrassing). I'm not a huge personal fan of hers--largely (and unfairly) based on a commencement speech I heard her deliver in 2004--not inspiring.....But it is, I think the right time for a woman to take on this job--that a woman's skills in teamwork, niceness, and compromise could be just the right thing right now.

And hey, winning all those seats in the House!

And Finally, Heather and Patsy

Well, still no results in the District 1 Congressional election in New Mexico. Heather (the Republican) leads by 1,500 votes, and will probably take the election, but they are still processing nearly 4,000 provisional ballots, which are expected to break for Patsy. And, I imagine, there will be a recount. Heather held a press conference a couple of days ago where she announced she had won, and was heading back to Washington to do the people's business, but there are no official results yet, and Patsy certainly hasn't conceded.