my pinko-anarcha-feminist thoughts

[sophiaserpentia]

At the moment the Democratic candidates have leads in the two remaining contested Senate races -- Virginia and Montana. If this holds, then the Democrats have won control of both houses of Congress. But the margins are razor thin and recounts are certain.

I have mixed feelings about the election results.

A part of my mind still cheers at the sight of many blue states, and the thought of Bush as a lame-duck with no political capital is a happy one. I'm heartened that perhaps people around the world will look at the election results and think slightly less ugly thoughts about Americans.

But the votes on various referenda indicate that the country has not turned liberal overnight. Virginia, in particular, has added a particularly odious amendment to its constitution which not only bans gay marriage and gay civil unions but bars even private contracts between individuals to approximate some of the rights of marriage. Previously in American history only slaves (and children, and maybe Indians) have been restricted on the types of contracts they can enter into. Virginia has given the world a brand new type of Apartheid. Way to go, intrepid heterosexuals of Virginia! That sucking sound you will soon hear is the exodus of large corporations with non-discrimination policies packing up and moving to Maryland, DC, and North Carolina, along with their queer employees.

Also, i want to see what the Democrats are actually going to do. Will they reverse the Approval of Torture and Revocation of Habeas Corpus Act of 2006? Will they do anything about Bush's program of illegal warrantless wiretapping? Will they investigate Halliburton's corrupt war profiteering? Will they really let the wall be built on the border with Mexico? I am holding off on my excitement about the election results until i see some real action on these things.

I'm happy to see that the abortion ban did not pass in South Dakota. I'm somewhat heartened that the people of Arizona voted against homophobic bigotry, though i maintain that it is unethical for a society to vote on the civil rights of a minority. I'm disappointed by Michigan's rejection of affirmative action.

ETA: When i read that President Bush invited Nancy Pelosi and second-ranked house Democrat Steny Hoyer to lunch at the White House, my first thought was, "Don't go! It's a trap!"

Comments

[x-bluerose-x.livejournal.com]

I share your mixed feelings. I can only hope that with a Democratic ruled government the climate will change and for the better. :/

[lassiter.livejournal.com]

Will they reverse the Approval of Torture and Revocation of Habeas Corpus Act of 2006? Will they do anything about Bush's program of illegal warrantless wiretapping?

Since the Dems overwhelmingly voted for and supported both measures, probably not.

Will they really let the wall be built on the border with Mexico?

Ditto. CNN's talking heads were pointing out that a large number of the Dems elected to the House last night supported even tougher anti-immigration laws than their Republican opponents did.

[x-bluerose-x.livejournal.com]

And LOL I thought the same thing when I read that story

[orb2069.livejournal.com]

The 'It's a trap' Generator (http://elitemrp.net/iat/?l1=Don%27t+go%2C+Nancy%21&ackbar=head&back=lho&font=default&id=)

And I made the mistake of listening to NPR to/from school this morning. Their endless bleating about "Voters decided on MODERATE democrats this election" as well as their (pretty damned obviously) blatant hardballing interview of Muthra was kind of nausiating.

Has the "left-wing" media come down with stockholm syndrome, or something?

What I'm hoping is that everybody's doing the 'Let's play nice and get along' song until the votes are cleared up and they've got control of the house AND senate - then the impeachment and subesquent trial for treason paperwork gets started. Ideally, they'll televise 'W''s execution by dull hatchet on the whitehouse steps, but I'll take a few days off and travel to see it if I have to.

PS-How did you expect them to vote on those measures? I mean, it would have been a token show of objection (Due to the republican majority and their iron-fisted control of it), that would have been used at their next election - By all those wonderful republican attack ads, and their massive war coffers - to tar-and-feather them all, and they would have lost MORE seats in the '04. It's easy to look back and say 'Well, Iraq would never work', but how much would you have bet on it then?

[lassiter.livejournal.com]

Has the "left-wing" media come down with stockholm syndrome, or something?

NPR hasn't been "left-wing" for two decades now, if it ever was. It's the national media outlet of the mainstream (aka right-wing) Democratic Leadership Conference, and most of its board members have tight ties to the party hierarchy.

Pacifica Radio and Democracy Now are the primary sources of progressive radio news in the USA now.

[sable-twilight.livejournal.com]

Sadly, CO, like VA, added bigotry to it's constitution, not as sever as VA's, but it did the next best thing, which was vote down a referendum to allow domestic partnerships for homosexuals... this from a state that shifted a little more to the left (even electing a dem for a govenor). so what it looks liek is not even the dems are really on our side...