Obama wins!
November 5th, 2008By Monica F. Helms
As I type this, there are just two states that haven’t been called, Missouri and North Carolina. Obama has won 349 electoral votes to McCain’s 147. McCain took Georgia and the Senate race is still a toss up. With Republican Senator Saxby Chambliss at 52%, Democrat Jim Martin at 44% and Libertarian Allen Buckley at 4%, and with many votes still uncounted, we could be looking at a run-off. I hope that happens.
However, most of the propositions and initiatives aimed at LGBT people passed. Arizona’s amendment to their constitution to ban same-sex marriage, Prop 102, passed, 56% to 44%. Arkansas’ Initiative 1, a ban on gay couples from adopting children, passed 57% to 43%. Florida’s Amendment 2, a constitution amendment banning gay marriage, needed 60% to pass and it got 62%. California’s Prop 8, a ban on gay marriage, is still undecided, but it leads 52% to 48%.
(Break)
There are many other interesting initiatives that were voted on here in then US, such as banning affirmative action in Colorado and Nebraska. It passed in Nebraska, but is at 50/50 in Colorado so far. Arizona’s Prop 202, a ban on hiring illegal immigrants, failed. Abortion limits failed in South Dakota and hasn’t been called in California, but is losing so far. Colorado’s Amendment 48, defining life beginning at the moment of conception, failed miserably, 73% to 27%. Michigan had two interesting propositions, Prop 1 allowing medical marijuana use and Prop 2, allowing stem cell research, passed 63% to 37% and 53% and 47% respectively. And, Washington State becomes the second state allowing doctor-assisted suicide. Oregon is the other.
History was made last night, and I got to see it, as I have seen many others in my lifetime. Hope has come to this country. Change has come to this country. Respect from the rest of the world has come back to this country. As a transgender activist, I have more hope than any time in the 11 years of being involved in this community. This day after is one I will never forget.
Now, it’s time to roll up our sleeves and help to move this country forward for everyone. I am thrilled.
November 5th, 2008 at 7:23 am
Forward with Change!
A bright new future where marriage is between a Man and a Woman, as God ordained. Well, that;s what Obama believes.
I think that was worth a few percent in all the anti-GLBT measures. It certainly made the difference in California and Florida (where they needed 60% to pass)..
70% of Black Americans believe in oppressing GLBTs on religious grounds, and Obama’s their man. He must shore up his base, so pardon me if I view the Glorious New Future with a gutted space program, a 25% cut in the military, and massive programs of wealth re-distribution with less than total enthusiasm. The same programs worked so well in Chicago, after all, with $100 million being spent. Obama’s business associates in that are all under indictment, not that that’s recieved any publicity.
Having a VP and foreign policy “expert” who doesn’t know the difference between Iraq and Iran, or Austria and Australia doesn’t make me wild with excitement either. MSM has done a great job not reporting Biden’s Quaylisms, but if you go back into the Internet archives, you’ll find he’s a buffoon.
Monica, can you please tell me what Obama’s record is so far? What Great Projects (be they successes or failures) has he been responsible for?
Unfortunately…the alternative, while the best of a very, very, VERY bad bunch, didn’t fill me with wild enthusiasm either.
Expect the 2012 election to be even dirtier, with ACORN’s 40% fraud rate in new registrations, and Obama’s “buy the vote with illegal foreign donations” being emulated and improved on by the less savoury GOP elements. In order to win, you have to cheat now.
I expect Obama to be like Carter. Politics in the US won’t be pretty in the coming years.
I wish I could say that things would have been less bad under McCain. Less corrupt and less incompetent, certainly. But Bad Policy implemented well may be even worse than Good Policy implemented badly.
I think there’ll be quite a bit of Buyer’s Remorse, quite a bit of “What have we DONE??” after this. But hey, I could be completely wrong. Obama’s bright enough, and I hope is unprincipled enough, to do U-turns on policies when he thinks it’s for the good of the country.