Wednesday, November 17, 2004

 
Red America

Of course, this luvly map has almost certainly made it's way into your email inbox since the U.S. election but I had to laugh the first time I saw it (thanks HJ).



Of course it wasn't so clear cut with many states being as close as the results themselves with the population split almost down the middle. Still, I think for folks outside the U.S. it's hard to imagine that it was close at all let alone the result itself. I think for most moderate thinking people a Kerry victory should have been obvious and yet, it wasn't. But then maybe that's part of the problem. Much like many who likely voted for Bush I believe I have an handle on what is moral and what isn't and I find many of the republican policies immoral. It's the same for the other side too right. I think it's going to take an incredible leader to find common ground from here on in. Obviously it's not going to happen anytime in the next 4 years. But then the next election isn't shaping up to bridge this huge divide. What do we have potentially on the horizon ... Hillary vs. Arnold?

A somewhat scary post election happening was the resignation of Colin Powell. One of the only moderates in the Bush cabinet and he's gone. I think Colin was one of the few people that would hold much respect outside of Republican circles. While he played the good soldier and stood by Bush with the weapons of mass destruction deal I don't think he was convinced of it's truth. Still, I can admire loyalty nonetheless.

There were lots of beyond scary Republicans who got elected. One rather frightening man is
Tom Coburn in Oklahoma. Just have a look at his nice record on rights there. This is a guy who once said that lesbianism was so rampant in Oklahoma schools that they only let one girl go to the bathroom. Where do they find these people and how do they get elected?

As the map indicates, it's Jesusland which I find most frightening of all. God is now the policy maker in America. Abortions rights, gay rights, social service funding for faith based organizations, and the thrill of capital punishment all right there in the bible in black and white for the faithful to espouse and God's laws will be the people's laws. BOO!

Tuesday, November 02, 2004

 
U.S. Election Day

Today is the day where half the U.S. will want to move out of the country after the results. What a bitter election this appears to be from north of the border. I was never that familiar with how the U.S. President is elected but from the radio and a newspaper article I've garnered this much (I think). Each state has a fixed number of electoral college votes assigned more or less by population. The higher percentage vote in a given state gets all of it's electoral college votes. There is a total of 538 electors so a total of 270 is needed to win the presidency. It's very possible to win the presidency without winning the popular vote as happened last election but it's very rare.

Not all states hand out all their college votes according to who won the state. Maine and Nebraska hand out college votes somewhat similar to our system in Canada and Colorado is thinking of doing the same. Two votes go to the candidate with the largest vote percentage state wide. Then the state is divided into congressional districts and each district gets a vote according to who won the percentage vote in that district. So the obvious question is why not just hand the presidency to the person who wins the vote country-wide? Well, that would take a constitutional change which Americans reserve only for very important issues like preventing gay marriage. Uh-huuuuuuuh.

In one more very important election issue ... famed porn producer Seymor Butts is giving out free DVD's in New York to anyone who can prove they voted today. There should be lotsa calls to work after picking up that DVD eh ... "Good morning boss, I'm not coming into work today, I'm exercising my rights as an American Citizen." I would've put up a link to that story but just try and search the Internet for free porn and/or Seymor Butts eh.

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