Let's Crow (a little)

How many Republicans does it take to screw in a light bulb? What, the way they spin?

Today is a day we Democrats can crow about, a little. The actual victories we won yesterday were minor but one thing is certain, except in homophobe Red Texas, the social conservatives got their butts kicked (Even there, the town of White Settlement voted to change their name to a more PC version). We kept the two governors' seats, we won big over the Governator (Gropen macht spass) in California, last week here in Colorado we proved that government can rely on its citizens to fund it, we won in Maine and in a number of districts so small no one outside of them have ever heard of them. Most importantly, those polled said the Shrub's attempt at influence worked, albeit not in the direction the Shrub planned. Swift boating didn't work in either New Jersey or Virginia, not even trotting out ex-wives worked. They couldn't wrap themselves in the flag they desicrate by torturing prisoners and holding them in secret jails. They couldn't claim ethics while the majority of their leaders are under some form of investigation. They couldn't claim fiscal responsibility while refusing to eliminate funding for a bridge for fifty people. They couldn't claim economic development when real wages have declined every year for the past five. The number one play in the Republican playbook, character asassination, just didn't work. What will Karl do next time around? He may actually have to run on issues.

So let's crow, a little. We won minor victories in a mid-term election. The Republicans are already trying to spin this using the "all politics are local" theme. I read of Republican strategist Carl Forti, a man with a limited grasp of statistics, attempting to prove that Virginia and New Jersey are poor political indicators based on the results of two previous elections. Some statistician please calculate the margin of error on that one. In Texas, though, the homophobes won out over equal rights but in Maine, voters defeated a measure that would prevent discrimination against gays. In Pennsylvania, voters turned out a school board that would have approved teaching of intelligent design even as Kansas approved it. The Kansas legislature is expected to define pi as equal to three in an upcoming session, citing the ratio of the circumference to the diameter of a circular basin in the first Jewish temple as defined in the Old Testament.

We made progress, that's certain. The Shrub was quiet today, apparently choking on that healthy serving of crow the results of his last-minute appearance in the Virginia race served him. They won't be quiet long. The spin machine will engage, the Swift Boats will be raised and repaired and all will be readied for the next campaign. Hopefully, they'll have to run on issues and their record.