Red, Blue, or Purple?
national

These maps give a much more accurate impression of how the country voted and it isn’t nearly as “red/blue” as you would tink.

I do wonder if the purple they use weights a bit too heavily blue psychologically, but even so, it is a much more informative look on the situation.

(As a note, at Tom Taylor campaign headquarters, we all cheered when they declared Ohio a “Green” state. Granted, they designated green as too close to call, but it was as close as we were going ot get to victory.)

November the Ninth
The years pass like leaves falling
Thirty Three cycles.

If you really can’t believe that 51% of this nation’s voters would pick GW Bush, go read Joshua Norton’s take on the situation and think about it for a bit.

Make it good.
politics

Well, Republicans. You won.

Your party controls the White House, the Senate, and the House. You are not facing a hostile supreme court. At this point, nothing can legally stop you for the next two years. The best any opposition can do is to throw a fillibuster to slow you up a bit. Frankly, if you let that stop you, you don’t really want to accomplish whatever goal is being stopped.

Your opportunity is now.

You have two to four more years to prove to the American people that your goals will create a better society, a better world.

I’m skeptical, but my skepticism doesn’t matter. Here is your chance to prove that the fears of people like me were unfounded.

Where ever we see the next four years take us, for good or for ill, it is on your shoulders.

Please make it good.

sigh
politics

Well, again, I see that I am so far in the minority on my political views that I am effectively insignificant.

Nationally – Neither Cobb nor Badnarik made a significant showing. Just for the record, Kerry won Minnesota, so all you Democrats can stay the fuck off my back. You ran a lousy horse, I didn’t vote for him, it didn’t matter.

For the US House, Sabo beat Pond. I’m not really suprised there.

For the State House, Loeffler beat Taylor. I really thought Tom had a good shot and I was truly suprised at how few people voted for him.

For the state judges, I was supporting the incumbents, and they all kept their seats.

Locally, the only judge that I supported that won was the open seat of Burke vs Baker. I didn’t have a very strong feeling on that race since there were open concerns about both candidates.

For the School District, I wasn’t heavily participating, but the one candidate I did pick did end up getting elected.

I don’t yet know about soil and water district 3. Michael Wyatt did manage to bring in district 5 which, given the endorsement on the issues list, does not suprise me.

So that’s it.

Argh

Well, I ran out of time. Here’s the rest, no commentary:

STATE REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT 59A
state politics
TOM TAYLOR (GPM) vs Valdis Rozentals (Rep) vs Diane Loeffler (DFL)

I am voting for Tom Taylor. Supports IRV and the code for corporate responsibility among many other reasons.

---

SOIL AND WATER SUPERVISOR DISTRICT 1
county politics
Kim Boyce, running unopposed.

I am not voting in this race.

---

SOIL AND WATER SUPERVISOR DISTRICT 3
county politics
no one running

I am voting for Dan Jones who is running as a write in candidate. He is a retired outdoor enthusiast, a member of NWF, Rails to Trails and Nature Conservancy, and has ample civic experience.

---

SOIL AND WATER SUPERVISOR DISTRICT 5
county politics
Jonathan Burris vs Kevin Rodewald vs Gregory Bownik vs Michael Wyatt

I am voting for Michael Wyatt. He received what I considered to be the best recommendations on the local politics list.

---

SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 1
county politics, pick 3
Lydia Lee (DFL) vs Peggy Flanagan (DFL) vs Sharon Henry-Blythe (DFL)(i) vs Dennis Schapiro (DFL(i) vs Sandra Miller vs David Dayhoff (GOP)

For the most part, I am avoiding this race because the issues facing public schools are not issues that I have really been able to pick a side on and understand. In general the discourse tends to have far too much emotion and far too little fact.

I have decided to vote for Peggy Flanagan because, on her website, she focuses on one thing I do firmly believe is an issue for many urban students: bridging the gap between school and home and receiving the support and mentoring they need to succeed.

---

JUDGE – 4TH DISTRICT COURT 1
county politics
(i) Thor(wald) Anderson vs Julie Delgado O’Neil

I am leaning towards voting for Julie Delgado O’Neil

---

JUDGE – 4TH DISTRICT COURT 18
county politics
Stephen Allan Baker vs Susan N. Burke

I am leaning towards voting for Susan Burke

---

JUDGE – 4TH DISTRICT COURT 27
county politics
(i) Lajune Thomas Lange vs Kevin Kolosky

I am leaning towards voting for Kevin Kolosky, but may not vote at all in this race.

---

US PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT
national politics
Michael Peroutka and Chuck Baldwin (Constitution) vs
David Cobb and Pat Lamarche (Green) vs
Michael Badnarik and Richard Campagna (Libertarian) vs
George W Bush and Dick Cheney (Republican) vs
John F Kerry and John Edwards (DFL) vs
Bill Van Auken and Jim Lawrence (Socialist Equality) vs
Roger Calero and Arrin Hawkins (Socialist Workers) vs
Thomas J Harens and Jennifer A Ryan (Christian Freedom) vs
Ralph Nader and Peter Miguel Camejo (Better Life)

I am making my decision on the Presidential race based almost entirely on international politics. I think our national issues will be whiplashed by our international actions until we improve our behavior.

A superficial review of policy trims us down to Cobb, Badnarik, Van Auken, Calero, and Nader.

Socialist workers are a bit too militant for me at this point in time. Nader mathematically can’t win the election (not on the ballot in enough states), so I’m not looking too hard him. Van Auken seems like a good guy, but I’m not that socialist. Which leaves Cobb and Badnarik.

I’ll flip a coin in the booth tomorrow.

Let God or Fate decide.