November
2006
How About Them Midterm Elections?
Since we can’t vote in midterms it was somewhat anti-climactic. Although Presidential races are too, since when do they ever really count the absentee ballots? But I was glad to hear that so many people voted. Just before leaving Pittsburgh we became much more interested in our electoral system and pro-voting. We even managed to encourage some of our friends to vote for our candidate (he lost with less than 1% of the vote, but I’m sure we made a difference!) Anyway, just when we were all ready to participate more fully in this democratic institution…we leave the country and can’t vote at all. So now we do our best to “encourage” others to vote.
I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised that PA and OH both changed hands and sent Dems to Washington. After 12 years it’s time to have a change. But with a 2-party, 3-issue government, can anything new really happen? Will Kyoto ever pass? Will senators stop being persuaded by big business and lobbyists rather than their constituents? Will abortion laws change? Will same sex marriage be legalized? Will American’s rights continue to be violated in the interested of anti-terrorism? Will there still be racism/classism/genderism? Will we ever look outside our own interests to places like the Sudan and Sri Lanka? What was it that King Solomon said?…”There’s nothing new under the sun.”
As much as I’m happy for the change in government, I’m also pessimistic. Until we move away from our white, rich man’s, two-party monopoly not much new is going to happen. We’ll see, maybe I’ll eat my words… It’s not as if a lot is being accomplished in Canada’s minority government either.
Did you move to San Francisco recently? You are sounding very liberal…uh..I mean Progressive
Well, I really did try to choose my words carefully, maybe I failed. We’ll see who replies. : ) I originally wrote in my answers to those questions, but then thought it might get me into a lot of trouble because people would read the wrong things into them. And since I really don’t feel like writing a discourse on each topic (although I have in my mind a million times) I thought it best to leave them out. If anyone wants to know they can ask. They might be surprised…or maybe not.
By the way, do you remember that poll we took during the last election, the one that showed who we should vote for? I was very surprised by my results. It was kind of an epiphany for me. Now I just have to figure out how that fits into my beliefs as a Christian. Can a moral conservative be a progressive?