Monday, November 06, 2006

Your Guess Is As Good As Mine

I was on the David Goldstein Show on KIRO radio last night, along with fellow local bloggers Will and Carl, for a roundtable discussion on Tuesdays election and we were asked at the end of the segment to give our predictions, and I just couldn’t do it. I have read the polls, I have seen the general numbers and the numbers on individual races and I know that a big wave is coming, that the Democrats will likely sweep into the House AND the Senate on Tuesday, but I’m just not sure that it will actually pan out that way.

I was shocked this morning (well, this afternoon really, I’m a bit under the weather today which could be a sign that the Democrats will win, since I’ll be too sick to attend any parties!) to find that Nancy Pelosi expressed concern over a fair counting of the votes on Tuesday. "That is the only variable in this," Pelosi said. "Will we have an honest count?'' At this point, she’s exactly right, it is the only variable, with a level playing field, it’s a no-brainer, the Democrats win, and win big. I hope this means that she, and other Democrats will be up for the fight if there are clear signs that the count wasn’t honest. They have, in the past, been too afraid to touch the issue and instead have been all too quick to go straight to self-flagellation and cries of “where did we go wrong?”

On the bright side, Move On has built an incredible tool for their Call For Change program that will be helpful in turning out the vote in all future elections (if you haven’t signed up, do so now and make a few calls). This is exactly the kind of infrastructure and coordinated effort that the left has been slow to implement. Now, any time there is an important race anywhere in the country, we can all pitch in from our own homes and I’m hopeful that Howard Dean’s leadership at the DNC will help implement the 50 State Strategy and build up the state and local Parties in a way that will allow Democrats to be competitive in every single district in the country. We have the strength of ideas, we just need the infrastructure to back it up.

The big question is, will the Democrats take over tomorrow? If there’s no hanky panky, most definitely they will. And if they do, I will have a whole new slew of things to write. As much as I’ve needed to rail against the Bush administration, I’d much rather be holding the Democrats feet to the fire. If they fail to take control of even one chamber of Congress, I’m not sure what I will do. I’m prepared for that eventuality. However remote it should be, it still feels like a distinct possibility. I’m tired of writing about our slide toward fascism, it would be great to focus on moving back in a positive direction, even if we are at the very bottom of the canyon looking up.

7 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hi.

I am/used to be a huge fan of Comearmageddon.blogspot.com

I'm not sure if you have ever read this site before, but she (the author) stopped posting mysteriously. I was wondering if you could pick up where her and all of her readers left off, that is, with a Religious post.

I wanted to know your views on religion and their role in society.

Thanks,

GS

1:59 PM  
Blogger Yellow Dog said...

Wow, anon. LGND is world famous for her athiest post here and smirking chimp. And her dad's somewhat less famous piece scolding her for her heathen ways was a work of art. Time to look back in the archives.

5:37 PM  
Blogger The (liberal)Girl Next Door said...

GS--I have not read her blog, but I will now at your suggestion. My feelings on religion and their place in society and especially in the political realm can be found in previous posts here, here, here and here. I do love to touch on this issue and I will continue to do so in the future, although I have been a bit preoccupied lately with the upcoming election.

Oh yeah, and my dad's hysterical piece of satire in response to my post on atheism can be found here.

6:13 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I was also surprised (and pleased) to hear Pelosi's comment on the honest count. I saw Howard Dean on one of the talking head shows tonight, and he said anyone who has a problem casting a vote should call 1.888.DEM.VOTE.

It looks like the Dems will definitely take the House, but the Senaate is anyone's guess. I have a good feeling about it, but I've been wrong before. I keep wanting to think the best of my countrymen, and they keep taking way my justification to do so.

7:08 PM  
Blogger Yellow Dog said...

Wow. Not even a "long time,no see"? Where's the love. Even on the eve of great triumph you remain ever the skeptic. God bless you, girl. JK, you know I know better.

7:59 PM  
Blogger The (liberal)Girl Next Door said...

Yellow Dog--Hey, long time no see. I've missed you terribly and am so glad you poked your head in for a visit. I'm not usually a skeptic so it's kind of fun to play one on my blog! I believe in the American people, perhaps too much, to do the right thing when it matters. Maybe that's why I'm looking for an answer that explains why we haven't stepped up yet. I think I'm on the right track, but I'm open to the possibility that I'm wrong. I hope to be proven so tomorrow as a matter of fact. How's that for optimism?

8:04 PM  
Blogger Yellow Dog said...

Hope! I remember it, vaguely. I've missed you, too.I do stop in quite often, but I've been remiss in failing to say hello for so long. I could say I've been busy, but frankly I've been politically exhausted. Talk to me on Wednesday. I suspect by then I'll have experienced a renewed vigor.

8:12 PM  

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