Don’s Random Thoughts

As usual with elections, you win some and lose some.

Of course Barak Obama winning is a great sign of hope for the future.

I’m really happy to see that Proposition 1A, the High Speed Rail initiative has won. As usual, California leads the way and hopefully the rest of the country will follow and rebuild our passenger rail system, a much more effective and efficient method of travel.

I’m VERY disappointed that Proposition 8 won. It is an extreme step backwards for California. It is the anti gay marriage initiative. Government should NOT support religious views as a function of government. It should maintain order, and the safety and security of ALL citizens. This measure doesn’t do that. Government should regulate marriages similar to the businesses they are. If people don’t want the government to sanction marriage for gays, it shouldn’t for straights either. Let the churches copyright the use and definition of marriage. Take all reference to marriage out of the laws and substitute civil union for all, gay and straight. It would have been a lot easier to just use marriage for all and apply it equitably instead and let the those churches that only want straights limit themselves, not others. Of course, it should have been obvious that it shouldn’t pass. No initiative modification to the constitution is ever an improvement to the original document.

Maybe there is hope for this country! I think the majority of the voters finally believe as I have for eight years, that we need a new direction for this country. A positive direction with hope of a more peaceful world, civilized leadership and considered judgment.

I was so glad to see the old John McCain return. He’s been gone for so long now. His campaign was almost 100% negative which has worked well for too long for the Republican party. He was supposed to be a maverick but detoured into the extreme right wing during his campaign. His concession speech was gracious, unifying, and timely. His speech occurred moments after the polls in California closed when the results were obvious. It would be wonderful if he is really back on the right track and he and Obama can both show the world a unified USA.
I now have to hope that the current president, that will remain in office for another  2 1/2 months, doesn’t burn the white house and or the country as he leaves.

I’m confident that Barak Obama will hit the ground running and get the country back in proper order rather quickly!

Previously, I estimated how the election would go.  I think, at least part of that estimate has been proven true, that Barak Obama would win with about a 5% lead. We will never know if the other estimate would have been true, that if Hillary Clinton had been the candidate, she would have done better possibly sweeping about half the states that did vote red with a 10% lead and even more differential of the electoral vote. I think it also demonstrated the 5% difference in how people say they voted and the voting result which, I believe, shows the Republicans still control a 5% adjustment in the actial vote.