It was on election day 2 years ago that boarded a plane to leave the country. The political climate of the country wasn't the reason we left, but it made the decision easier. Wisconsin, despite being the first state in the nation to pass anti-discrimination laws for sexual orientation, was voting to add gays and lesbians to a constitutional class that required discrimination; that was on top of an existing law that threatened any gay couple that had been married elsewhere with fines and jail time.
This election cycle sees the desire to demonize gays and lesbians again. The Mormon church, not satisfied with taking over the Boy Scouts of America and changing the meaning of Morally Straight to mean sexual orientation, has dumped millions into Proposition 8 in California. Prop 8 seeks to strip gays and lesbians of fundamental constitutional rights (Loving v. Virginia saw the Supreme Court classify marriage as a basic right guaranteed by the Constitution). Even the republican Governor thinks it's a bad idea, but polls up to the election showed the numbers very close. Historically the polls have been artificially pro-gay, as there are some voters who will only share their anti-gay bias in the booth.
Of course the election's biggest impact will be with the choice of President. I am at a loss as to how anyone could be undecided. I'm equally baffled by the people that continue to vote Republican even while they claim they're for less government intrusion in people's lives and less government spending. That republican party doesn't exist anymore and continuing to vote for them won't bring them back.
Almost as important will be the shake up in Congress. Projections have the Democrats increasing their numbers in the Senate to 58, just short of the 60 mark that would almost guarantee passage of their "agenda". The House could see an increase in the Dems majority from 235 to 249 (leaving the Repub with 184).
Living in Australia will make it easy to stay with the incoming results until the results are pretty final. It's 11 a.m. and polls are already starting to close. With the state of the economy and America's reputation abroad - with W being considered the worst President Ever by many people, I don't see how people can vote for more of the same.
Links
http://www.electoral-vote.com/
http://isobamapresident.com/
http://ismccainpresident.com/
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=Euu_DMhsXQo (McCain's "domestic" policy)
This election cycle sees the desire to demonize gays and lesbians again. The Mormon church, not satisfied with taking over the Boy Scouts of America and changing the meaning of Morally Straight to mean sexual orientation, has dumped millions into Proposition 8 in California. Prop 8 seeks to strip gays and lesbians of fundamental constitutional rights (Loving v. Virginia saw the Supreme Court classify marriage as a basic right guaranteed by the Constitution). Even the republican Governor thinks it's a bad idea, but polls up to the election showed the numbers very close. Historically the polls have been artificially pro-gay, as there are some voters who will only share their anti-gay bias in the booth.
Of course the election's biggest impact will be with the choice of President. I am at a loss as to how anyone could be undecided. I'm equally baffled by the people that continue to vote Republican even while they claim they're for less government intrusion in people's lives and less government spending. That republican party doesn't exist anymore and continuing to vote for them won't bring them back.
Almost as important will be the shake up in Congress. Projections have the Democrats increasing their numbers in the Senate to 58, just short of the 60 mark that would almost guarantee passage of their "agenda". The House could see an increase in the Dems majority from 235 to 249 (leaving the Repub with 184).
Living in Australia will make it easy to stay with the incoming results until the results are pretty final. It's 11 a.m. and polls are already starting to close. With the state of the economy and America's reputation abroad - with W being considered the worst President Ever by many people, I don't see how people can vote for more of the same.
Links
http://www.electoral-vote.com/
http://isobamapresident.com/
http://ismccainpresident.com/
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=Euu_DMhsXQo (McCain's "domestic" policy)
Thank God, Obama won... I'm scared to think what would have happened if the scales tipped to the other side.
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