Except for tangential observations, I avoid politics in this blog. I want anyone who comes upon this site to feel comfortable and welcome here. But today is too big to ignore. My conservative friends, please be tolerant of me for a moment.
It has been a very long time since I have felt happy the day after an election. I generally feel marginalized and irrelevant the day after, just another minority member of that latte-sipping class in that tiny, liberal enclave of Seattle, with no voice in the affairs of this nation. I don’t expect nor want my individual views to be the ones that dominate the national politics. My viewpoint is too narrow for that. But I sure would like my side to have an influence, and it feels like it has been a very long time since that has been so. 1992 was the last good election. The last time before that when I felt as good was watching the resignation of Nixon. These are almost once in a generation events.
It feel almost too good to savor this schadenfreude, to see the Republicans reap the harvest of their hubris and hypocrisy. I can still feel my blood pressure rise remembering the Clinton impeachment hearings and the utter meanness of it all. There is a Jacobin part of me, I’m not proud of it, but I’m not entirely not proud of it, that wants revenge. I want subpoena power, I want hearings, I want to make life as miserable for the Republicans as they made it for the Democrats. I want to make them pay.
This, though, is no good for my blood pressure either. Nor for the longer term success of progressive causes. The fact is, there’s more of them (conservatives) than us (latte-sipping liberals). A middle way is what I most fervently hope will emerge.
The last word on this: Obama in 08!!!
My blog is not political either, but I am one happy camper today. Now, if we can just get Darcy in, political life will be really good.
There is so much work to do. First, the conversations need to change -- no small feat.
Love the blog...thanks..
Scot
Posted by: Scot Herrick | November 08, 2006 at 04:26 PM
I can't say about Seattle, but up here in Vancouver, where it's been raining almost non-stop, I woke up this morning to brilliant sunshine. Coincidence? I think not!
And now Rummy's resigned, too!
Posted by: stephen connor | November 08, 2006 at 04:43 PM
It's been a long time coming! I can't believe how complete the sweep was. The work has just begun.
Posted by: Gordon Coale | November 08, 2006 at 09:27 PM
I feel the same way. Even the Senate! Got to love it. Sure, it may hard to avoid politics on a blog, but whoever says voting for my opponent is a vote for 'the terrorists' ought kicked out of office. Oh, and I'd love to see some subpoenas flying out too. More than a few should go to jail.
Posted by: John A | November 09, 2006 at 04:20 AM
Crap, are you so young as to not remember the about 40 years of Dem's rule?? The Republicans had good teachers in the techniques you find so offensive. Perhaps the Dems too have now learned their lessons .. we shall both be watching for promised civility and governing, or subpoenas and legislation designed for veto and use for finger pointing in the '08 elections
Posted by: WS | November 09, 2006 at 07:18 AM
I think WS has the correct point. Most of my younger years were spent under the rule of Democrats ...not a great record. The relatively short rule of the Republicans has been no better. Bottom line ...so much time is spent on party politics that almost nothing ever gets done. When I scan my memory over the last 40+ years, the same issues and problems prevail. Neither party has been capable of much progress. It may be the best we have, but this level of mediocrity is hardly worth getting excited about. We need REAL change and neither party is capable of driving it!
Posted by: CM | November 09, 2006 at 08:00 AM
"no voice in the affairs of this nation"? How about 95% of mass media, a larger percentage of academia, a law-making (rather than interpreting) hard-left judiciary.
America, in terms of social policy, intrusive do-gooding government, and general discourse has been sledding hard left for nearly forty years.
I love your site, but the abused underdog posturing is laughable to me.
P.S. Obama is about as light-weight a candidate as you could find. What job has he held, what major, difficult issue has he taken a hard stance on? If what you want is a suit with a Donkey lapel pinned to it, then I guess he'd be your man.
Posted by: Trevor | November 11, 2006 at 08:27 PM