Random election thoughts

Just a few thoughts on the election results.

While the Iraq war was no doubt the overriding factor in the Republican defeat last night, I think two other things contributed - perhaps even subconsciously - to the public disatisfaction with the GOP: Hurricane Katrina and Terri Schiavo.

After the government's disastrous response to the aftermath of the hurricane, when we saw a once great American city left to drown, with people literally begging for rescue from their rooftops, and crammed into the squalor of the Superdome for days without food or water, many began to question the competence of the Bush administration. I think that was a real turning point.

Of course, many of us have thought all along that Bush is an empty little suit who has cruised through life on his daddy's name, money and connections. Seeing his response to Katrina brought that home to a lot of others.

And the GOP's revolting interference in the tragic case of Terri Schiavo, the Florida woman who had lain in a vegetative state for a decade, was a real stomach turner for the American people.

When her husband tried to have the life support machines removed to allow her to finally die in dignity, the GOP, the party that claims it wants less government interference, sprang into action.

Looking to appease the pro-life zealots, Republicans passed a law forbidding doctors to remove the machines. Bush flew back from a vacation in Texas to sign the law (he didn't interupt his vacation for Katrina, of course).

And like the Katrina aftermath, this was a real eye-opener for many independents, a group of voters that looks like it voted overwhelmingly for the Democrats last night.

The war in Iraq and the general sense of corruption and sleaze from scummy Republicans like Tom Delay, Duke Cunningham, Bob Ney, Mark Foley, et al, were certainly the main forces driving the votes - but, even though they didn't get a lot of attention during the analysis of the election results during the TV coverage last night, I think Katrina and Schiavo played a not insubstantial role.

And, in a final bit of common sense from the voters: "In a triple setback for conservatives, South Dakota rejected a law that would have banned virtually all abortions, Arizona became the first state to defeat an amendment to ban gay marriage and Missouri approved a measure backing stem cell research."

Michael J. Fox - 1
Fat, drug-addled, triple divorced Rush Limbaugh - 0.

Beautiful.