11/5

Disconnected thoughts:

• Twelve years ago I watched the returns from the Jewett TV room at Vassar. I saw Clinton win almost immediately, said "cool," and went back to my room. I think that sense of detachment was a harbinger of bad things to come. I'm very sorry.
• We shoulda done better in downballot races. My sense is that the turnout operation for Obama was so effective that ticket-splitting independents also showed up--a bit like what happened with Prop 8.
• And regarding Prop 8, I hope too many people aren't crying into their beer over that one. How recently was it that these initiatives were 100% unwinnable and blamed for upticket losses? This was a narrow loss for the most controversial of issues, and demographics are only going to push it further in our direction. California will get equality back in a few years (sooner if the ACLU wins its suit to have the amendment itself declared unconstitutional), and in the meantime civil unions will remain a stopgap.
• Alaska is fucked up. You guys want to secede? Be my goddamned guest.
• Still crossing my fingers for Darcy Burner and Al Franken (Jeff Merkley has got it sewn up, I think). Why is counting ballots so goddamned hard? One of the first things I want to see out of an undivided Democratic government is something to standardize elections. It's beyond absurd that George Bush (wow, I haven't thought of him in a while) didn't even throw us that bone in the course of eight years after the way he got into office.
• How awesome is Nate Silver? Is there any potential role for him in the administration?
• I'm looking forward to getting a little rest. It's hard to think clearly about anything when your world is dominated by the reality that people in power are genuinely out to make your life worse. Let's try it the other way for a little while.