Election Day 2006 - My take

Thought I'd make some comments on the American election before the
results come in. It seems the Republicans are closing the gap in the
last days. They always do. Call it buyer's remorse, a failure of the
Democrats to do anything other than be not-Bush, concern for control of
congress, Kerry ... who knows?

For the first time in a while I split my ticket. Meaningless because my
choices were all going to win or lose anyway. But the incumbents are
moderate and mostly strong on defense, not left wing nuts. And in fact
my own representative answered my concerns about wanting her to oppose
the radical wing of her party and support the fight against Islamic
fascism (Rushdie approves the use of the term Islamic - i.e. the commit
their acts in the name of Islam) and show unconditional support for
Israel.

I have been impressed with some of the candidates on both sides. It
bodes well for the future of the country and the reform of both
parties. (Other than the veteran-as-victim candidates which the
democrats seem to love so much - they would prefer a female vet who
lost both her legs to a male vet who killed thousands of the enemy with
his bare hands. Pathetic.) Of course in some races there is no good
candidate.

My Election Day picks for saving the country in the US Senate

Factors

Stupidity v has a brain
Crook v honest
Ideologue v common sense
Party hack-ness v independence
Family entitlement v self-made
Rich guy / rich kid v common man

(Note that since I want the dems to loose in the case of no opinion I
admit that I myself would likely vote for the republican to punish the
dems. Still I have tried to put down my reactions absent the larger
considerations. And for me rhetoric matters. I hear Halliburton come
from a candidates mouth I'm not voting for them. I hear them call Bush
stupid, like Kerry tried or compare our soldiers with the SS forget it.
If the dems lose, or don't make as large gains as they expect, it may
be due to their rhetoric. A Pew poll on PBS last Friday showed big
gains by the republicans. 19% of the independents said that Kerry's
joke made them less likely to vote demoocrat. This elitist, snide
remark contempt for the average man - the idea that anyone who would
go to into the military instead of to law school is a fool and
therefore stupid - is contemptible in itself. It plays to the base, it
alienates those in the middle, and we decide the elections. )

(From northeast to southwest)

*

RHODE ISLAND - Chaffee (R) is pathetic. I know nothing about Whitehouse
(D) but he couldn't be worse than Chaffee on the issues or intellect.
That being said Chaffee was the only Republican who voted against the
war. You would think that if you wanted an independent congress rather
than one filled with party hacks he would be a valuable addition. On
the other he is a daddy's boy.

Verdict - No Opinion

*

CONNECTICUT - Lieberman (I) is a no brainer. Lamont is a rich guy
spending his own cash. He's kissing the ass of the special interest
party hacks. He's not very smart.

Verdict - Lieberman (I)

*

NEW JERSEY - What a race! A corrupt Corzine picked party hack against a
rich kid family legacy - who hasn't impressed me with his intelligence
- probably went to Princeton though.

Verdict - No Opinion

*

PENNSYLVANIA - Casey (D) is the worst candidate I have ever seen
running in Pa. He is corrupt, stupid, a family entitlement guy and a
party hack. Even though he is more moderate than he democratic friends.
I hope they are happy when he wins. I would argue that Santorum (R)
only losses on ideology. He is what he is. I don't agree with him on
lots of things but I voted for him.

Verdict - Santorum (R)

*

MARYLAND - Steele (R) a black republican is exactly the kind of
politician we want in Washington. I think you can argue that the
decline of American politics came when the blacks gave unconditional
support to the Democratic Party. The dem is a lackluster party hack.

Verdict - Steele (R)

*

VIRGINIA - Allen (R) is a joke. Webb (D) is wrong on the war - but he
is a warrior. I think Allen is going to win but the senate might be and
the Democratic Party would be a better place with Webb.

Verdict - Webb (D)

*

OHIO - DeWine (R) is a nothing. I know nothing about Brown (D) but I
would have listened to him and if he wasn't a left wing nut voted for
him. (Come to think of it he is a left-wing nut of free trade. Still
....) DeWine deserves to loose.

Verdict - No opinion


*

TENNESSEE - Ford (D) is a great candidate and would be a good senator.
He wins on everything except for the family entitlement. I believe his
family is corrupt beyond belief even though he is likely honest.
Corker (R) seems like a decent guy from what I've seen. The ad wasn't
racist. I would vote for Ford if the senate wasn't up for grabs. If I
lived in Tennessee I don't know what I would do.

Verdict - Ford (D) very very slightly.

*

MISSOURI - Both of the candidates seem reasonable from what I've seen.
The Michael Fox thing pissed me off. Celebrity victims make me want to
vote the other way.

Verdict - Talent (R)

*

MONTANA - From what I've seen Tester (D) seems like a reasonable guy.
He doesn't seem like a left wing nut. Burns (R) seems like a colorless
party hack.

Verdict - Tester (D)

****

As for the Governors - In Texas Kinky Friedman, in California Arnold,
in Pennsylvania Rendell (with a nod to Swann for trying)

***

My predictions

I think the dems will eek out a majority in the house. I think the
republicans will barely retain control of the senate.

I think Pelosi will be pulled both ways in the new congress. But as is
clear from this election the left wing nuts will not be the future of
the party. 7 of the 19 prospective committee chairmen will be over 70.
13 of 19 voted against welfare reform. They will not try and impeach
Bush and cut off money for Iraq. There will either be a civil war from
the frustrated left or a meltdown dooming their chances of winning the
2008 presidential election.

Meanwhile the republicans better start cleaning house.

The 2008 election is shaping up as being one of the most important in
American history (absent a McCain one-term caretaker administration.)
We have real problems - the wiretapping and habeas corpus issue not
being one of them. It's time to start living in the real world.