It was a really interesting night. Unfortunately the pubs of Stockholm, as I will never forget, are forced to close the bar at 1 a.m. and thence - unless customers organize to either occupy the scene or buy very large quantities of Coke, Sprite and, uh, pure Schweppes - the TV sets, within about ten minutes, as I learned. Even more unfortunately, there didn't seem to be a single 7-11, billboard or, uh, McDonalds with a LIVE image of the nonwithstanding events of late November 6, 2012, a tremendously important date. For that, I'd like to dedicate this passage to Mayor Nordin and all the bigots who've suggested to extend the partial post-1-o'clock ban to every single night, including ones such as this one. I'm sure they're up to more important things, but seated before a Romney lead in electoral votes hoping Virginia or Florida would tip back to the blue fold when CNN cut to black, I did not recognize the existence of that argument.
No, I'm not going to pretend. 2008 was greater (not just because of the context in my case, which was truly magical) but this was a true milestone. We now can look forward to a deficit paradise lost, a multilateral foreign policy (hopefully extending to a joint intervention in Syria) and the true commencing of ObamaCare (or RomneyCare, as it is known in Massachusetts - not exactly the same thing, but none would exist within this parenthesis without the other). Who really cares about 1936, 1996 or 1984 (I'm not talking about the novel, though in hindsight, it's title must've seemed quite ominious to Democrats). It will not be memorable in the same fashion, but I will not forget walking at a tremendous pace from Södermalm to Kungsholmen, to my small but wonderful TV to see the new, but so far indecisive droves of votes roll into the pen. When Ohio changed from light red to even lighter blue and South Carolina the opposite, confirming the count was heading to a close and a close which Romney hardly could reach 270 with (and no Republican ever has; asides from JFK, no Democrat since Hangman Grover) it was pretty much done. Neither McCain or Mitt would have done very well if not in the lead before California and the Pacific states comes rumbling in. My tip to both leadership is this; watch the 2014 elections in New York and California. The rise of a moderate, secular, optimistic Republican Governor with any of those states within an armlength of his (or her) pocket might just be what is needed to turn the current tide, or arrest that in the happening. I have seen too little change for the last years to believe in a Democratic Governor of Texas succeeding Rick Perry, and if, he (or she; remember - or learn - that Texas was the first state to elect a female governor, nearly 90 years ago) will not be a prospective option for the party base.
There is already talks of 2016; I hardly need to mention the event, and did my first calculations on an unfolded train table yesterday. A possible scenario suggested is Jeb vs. Hillary, but the question is whether the voters will again want to see representatives of both the most pondered families on the final ballot (yeap, in the US the voters who decide the candidates for the nation's most powerful office, or at least would if everyone voted), and whether other options will exploit this fact. If so, they will likely be successful. Some of their names; Dayton, Cuomo, Biden (obviously, and yet you didn't miss him, right?), Begich, Shaheen, Christie, Jindal, Bohner, Haley, Pawlenty, Rubio. Ryan. My favorite donkey and elephant, both female, will remain secrets in a bag of undisclosed thoughts for now, but I might as well mention I'm rebuffed to learn Scott Brown was ousted. Though I'm likely to agree more with Senator-elect Warren, who in every aspect is worthy holding the seat of John and Ted Kennedy, I conclude pro-choicers, liberals, Northeners such as Brown would have preserved as certain degree of reason and sensibility within the weakened Republican caucus as the current Congress is replaced two days into the new year. The future GOP, if again to earn the endorsement the American people has predominantly granted it since the days of Lincoln, must move behind the Robert Taft's and Nelson Rockefeller's of today, and compose itself of younger counterparts of Olympia Snowe and Dick Lugar. I am honestly sad to see them go, but happy that the Democratic caucus has tigthened its grip on the Capitol, as much a tradition as the generally Republican-dominated White House. An even greater relief is that McCaskill, another prospect, stays, and that Lugar will not be succeeded by the great fool of greater faith who so strangely bested him in the primary. I also mentioned Jim Brown in the other column, but it's not going to happen - if you don't know him, he ran a rather strong second behind Carter in '76. All Brown is... down.
For those who haven't seen the electoral map; here it is. The Devil won Florida, just as my friend Todd (not Akin) suggested would happen in 2008, and hence it's dyed in devilish gray.
If Florida flings back like NC, IN and the lone Nebraska district, the state count will be 25-25, in itself heralding, without any other information, a victory for Obama. I did not expect any other outcome; Romney's best bargain would have been to wrestle away the popular vote, as some late polls indeed suggested he would. The Virginia result is just as impressive as Romney's showing in NH and MN (you can't see either here, being thewinnertakesitall as it is). Compared to the last two decades, the electoral map seems to be undergoing a change rather insufficient for a break of the political standoff which most unfortunately has emerged during the same period, and not by an unrelated cause. Combined with the increased devouring of the Republican party by the serpent known only as "very conservative", it is a dangerous prospect. God, I miss the Clinton years. Not that I want to relive them. Not with what we got to work with now.
This image, taken in Barcelona last week, ended up here for an unknown reason. And please, TV networks, don't switch the colours back to the old scheme. Blue is just so much more..... ;)
Election night 2008, now shining in a new and clearer light.
= )
And yes, I just watched Election Day - Part II, and the consecutive two episodes of West Wing upon returning home to the Cold North. Now I know. Another three to go. Feels... sad. For that election, just as thrilling (but, or rather and with the tranquility of realism, that you're actually living something, of a real-life event), look for the greatest event of 2006 over here and bask in awe and comment your fingers off with your thoughts, but !!!beware!!! of spoilers that may ruin your life as much as being on the wrong team would.
In contemplating the probably unbearable loss and disdain of yourself that may bring, I offer my sincere condolences to Mitt Romney. Whether it really means something or not, Daddy is watching.
!!Spoilers!!!
!!Spoilers!!!
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