Mid-term Election Night 2006

Tonite is the first time in my voting history that I watched the results come in and didn't physically feel sick after a while. With the Democrats having control of the House I actually feel like now maybe a platform other than "we're not republican" can be launched and the people of this country and see what it means to be progressive.

Furthermore with the Senate coming down to Virginia I'm not trying to get my hopes up, but with Democratic control of Congress finally there will be some sort of checks and balances restored to our Republic. The other day I picked up Common Sense by Thomas Paine, more out of curiosity, but once I began reading I understood why our Nation was built and what Principles it was founded on. Our government is historically the best in the world, but in order to keep it that way single party control is completely the wrong direction. I may be a democrat, but I'm also an American, and America is built on the principles of diversity, Democrat or Republican.

Ironically I live in a traditionally "blue" state, but by looking at the current results of our state propositions it almost looks like we're as conservative as a Southern red state. For instance there are multiple progressive props, such as 86 which taxes oil companies and directing funds into clean energy. That prop should have passed passed in a progressive state, but due to huge rallying by Big Oil people assumed it meant higher gas prices, which is one of the easiest issues to scare on. Other props for women's rights and clean elections also aren't appearing to do well. We (The Democrats) may have taken back the country, but it looks like my state lost it's integrity.

Guess you can't win them all.