‘Red Wave’ Turned Into Mud Puddle!

Posted on by under Bits 'n Pieces, Election 2022, History, Political commentary, Social commentary

Well, folks, it ain’t over until December 6th when Georgia holds a runoff election between Warnock and Walker, since neither received 50% of the vote, but I do have a few observations about yesterday’s election.

Overall, I went to bed around 4:00 a.m. feeling much less stressed than I had expected to.  Why?  Well, for one thing, that ‘red wave’ that the pundits had been predicting failed to materialize.  Sure, the Republicans had some wins … that was to be expected.  But they did not ‘sweep’ the election as they had planned.  Methinks ol’ Kevin McCarthy better have a ‘Plan B’!

Needless to say, I was highly disappointed that the people in the state of Ohio, where I have the misfortune of residing, chose the highly unqualified J.D. Vance over Tim Ryan, but Ryan gave it his all and at the end of the day, he was a gentleman and conceded graciously to Vance.  I will be a thorn in Vance’s side for as long as he stays in the Senate!  Sadly, the people of Ohio lack either brains, consciences, or both.

I cheered … literally … when I saw John Fetterman’s win over Mehmet Oz for the open Senate seat in Pennsylvania.  I must give credit where credit is due, though, and say that my view of Oz has notched up a point or two since he called Fetterman and conceded the election with grace – something most Republicans don’t have the courage to do.  From Oz’ statement this morning …

“This morning I called John Fetterman and congratulated him. I wish him and his family all the best, both personally and as our next United States Senator.”

THAT, my friends, is how it should be.  I give a thumbs up to Mehmet Oz  👍

Most of the disappointments were easily predictable and therefore no big surprise.  When I went to bed this morning, Democrat Katie Hobbs was beating Kari Lake by a substantial margin for governor of Arizona.  When I got up a few hours later, she was (and is, as of this writing) still ahead, but by a much slimmer margin, leaving me biting my nails over that one.  With only about 69% of the vote tallied, it’s too early to call.  Hobbs is ahead by less than 1%, only about 11,720 votes, so I’m keeping my fingers crossed there.

It doesn’t look like we’ll have to worry about Sarah Palin sitting in the House of Representatives any time soon, as Democrat incumbent Mary Peltola is far ahead of the pack with a fairly comfortable 20.5% lead.  And while it’s too close to call, with only 90% of the vote tallied, it looks like ol’ pistol-totin’ Lauren Boebert might well lose her seat in the House, as she is trailing Democrat Adam Frisch, though only by 0.8%, or 2,449 votes.  Do you reckon she’ll be as gracious as Oz was?  Hah!!!

There were some history-in-the-making wins, too!  Here are just a few …

  • Wes Moore, 44, a Democrat and a political newcomer, will become the first Black governor in Maryland’s history. Moore will be the only Black governor in the country.
  • Maura Healey, a 51-year-old Democrat who is the attorney general of Massachusetts, became the first openly lesbian woman to be elected governor in the country. She is also the first woman to be elected governor in the state’s history.
  • Maxwell Frost, 25, is a liberal Democrat and the first member of Gen Z — those born after 1996 — to win a seat in Congress.
  • Kathy Hochul, 64, was appointed governor last year and on Tuesday became the first woman ever elected to lead New York.
  • Becca Balint, 54, a liberal Democrat, won her race to become Vermont’s lone member of the House of Representatives, the first time the state has elected a woman to Congress. Vermont is the last state to send a woman to Washington, behind Mississippi, which reached the same milestone in 2018. Balint is also the first openly gay person to represent the state.

So, while there were some results that I didn’t like, such as Vance, Abbott, Budd, DeSantis, Rubio, et al, it seems that the messaging of the GOP fell short of its intended goal.  We won’t know for another few days, perhaps, which party will have a majority in either chamber, and likely won’t know about the Senate until after the December 6th runoff in Georgia, but I feel better about it than I expected to.  And, I think Warnock will ultimately retain his Senate seat there.

The other thing that had me holding my breath, and I’m still a bit on edge, but less so at the moment, is that there was no violence that I’m aware of.  I half expected some cities to erupt into violent outbursts, since there was so much tension and contention over this election, but thus far it has been peaceful.  Let us hope it stays that way!

28 thoughts on “‘Red Wave’ Turned Into Mud Puddle!”

  1. Also: Katie Hobbs is Arizona’s Secretary of State. Lake asked that Hobbs recuse herself from election duties, but Hobbs declined. Numerous problems delaying voting in certain precincts, delays in counting votes (yet again), and a serious potential conflict of interest ignored. Let’s hope this works out in the end.

    California is also taking considerable time to count votes. Ten of the 23 undecided House races are in California. They have been slow to update totals all week. Why can other large states, New York, Florida, Texas, call races on election day, yet California still hasn’t called 20% of House races, four days later?

    Why are Arizona and California always late?

    We have early voting, same day voting, and now late, late voting. With everyone voting at different times and the counting continuing interminably, can we be sure the process is fair and accurate? Just asking does not make me a crooked election denier. It seems the opportunity for further hanky-panky and fraud is more likely in this scenario. We need to do better.

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  3. Why did you expect violence, my friend? Do you believe what President Biden says that voting in a democratic election will somehow bring the end of democracy? I’ve been telling you for months the violence of January 6 that you so frequently bemoan is so overblown. Republican voters are not going to commit violence because an election didn’t go as well as they hoped. The number committing violence on January 6 is a very small fraction of those attending the Trump rally that day. They are not representative of the sentiment of his supporters that day nor of the people who continue to support democracy. You convinced yourself this lie was true and so expected a violent reaction which was never going to materialize. I didn’t expect violence from either side.

    You mentioned a few races I was following as well.

    Bobert has pulled ahead in Colorado and may actually win.

    The AP reported today that nearly 600K votes are not counted in Arizona and it may be next week. Why is Arizona a problem in every election now? Hobbs is the Sec. of State. Maybe she should be asked to explain. Lake is confident she will win once all votes are counted. We’ll wait patiently and see.

    DeSantis won big, the largest margin of any Florida governor, because he was someone who actually did things. Most of these politicians tell you what they are going to do and often fail to follow through. He acted first and then told you what he did, a complete reversal. He has turned Florida into a red state because people like his leadership. Miami-Dade voted overwhelmingly for Biden and turned red for DeSantis. Kemp and Noem and other governors who bucked the trend in COVID were also rewarded for their leadership.

    Other Republicans didn’t do as well as because they didn’t have as much to run on. Republicans are waking up to the fact that most of the people they’ve put in office before didn’t produce. You have to do more than say you’re better than the Democrat. It is good that the standard is being raised a bit. DeSantis hit the standard and was rewarded. Lake, if she prevails, looks like she will be an action oriented and effective leader as well. We need more people who actually govern and follow through on promises.

    You didn’t mention Trump endorsements, but his endorsed candidates didn’t do so well (Oz, Walker, Masters). Maybe Republicans aren’t blindly following him off the cliff after all? His former press secretary said he should stay out of Georgia and hold off on his big announcement. She is right. Many of us on the Right liked many of the things Trump did as president and the fact that he exposed so many of his opponents, but an increasing number of Republicans do not want him to run again. His time has passed; he will be too divisive and may wind up losing in 2024. DeSantis and Lake are the future of the Republicans. Trump needs to step aside.

    Fetterman? You are happy Fetterman won? Oz was not my choice at all, but Fetterman has a mental disability that was on display the last six months. I just cringe watching clips of him speak. Why didn’t they find a replacement? Why give us someone who clearly cannot do the job? Why did so many vote for a man who should not be a leader of the country? The party should be held to account for putting him up. MSNBC was speculating about Fetterman as a presidential candidate in two years. Are you kidding me? The Right has vibrant, intelligent, articulate, action-oriented and popular candidates like DeSantis and Lake and your side wants to promote Fetterman as a counter?

    Finally, I don’t care if we have the first lesbian or first woman or first whatever. What I care about is: can they do the job? Why is some characteristic that has nothing to contribute to their ability to do the job trumpeted? We’ve had women, blacks, lesbians, etc in other similar positions before and I’m fine with those who do the job well. Sarah Palin could have been the first female VP a few years back, but I’m sure none of you would have trumpeted that accomplishment. Clarence Thomas is one of the few black supreme court justices in our history (and the best one we have in my opinion) but you guys hate him. Why is diversity important to you only when the person your promoting agrees with your views?

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    • Hi Dave! Sorry for the delay in responding, but when a comment is as long as my post was, I have no choice but to set it aside until I have the time and energy to respond thoughtfully.

      I expected violence because it that has become the ‘norm’ in this country, even subtly encouraged by the likes of Lindsey Graham and Trump. President Biden never said that voting would bring the end of democracy – quite the opposite! He said that we needed to get out and vote to protect democracy. No, Dave, the violence and the intent of January 6th has not been “overblown” by myself or others. It was an insurrection, an attempted coup. People died. Many more would have died had it not been for the heroic efforts of law enforcement. I didn’t need to convince myself of that truth … the evidence is all there.

      Yes, it looks as if Boebert will retain her seat. While I would have loved to see her lose, it’s not one of the more important races. She will spend the next two years doing just what she did for the last two: nothing. She’s naught but a distraction, though a rather nasty one.

      Arizona isn’t the only state still counting votes, but the main difference is that there are a number of tight races in that state, such as the one you mention between Hobbs & Lake, so it remains too early to call them. Also, one county, Maricopa County, is home to more than half of the state’s voters, and nearly 300,000 votes were dropped off in ballot boxes ON election day. I really do hope that Lake doesn’t win, but at least I’m pleased that Kelly and Fontes did win the senate seat and Secretary of State.

      Yes, DeSantis was the “man of the hour” in Tuesday’s election and I won’t be surprised if he is the Republican nominee for president in 2024. It’s perplexing to me, though … I have probably 20 friends in Florida and every single one of them despise DeSantis. Some are even considering leaving Florida because of DeSantis.

      I think other Republicans didn’t do as well because they weren’t qualified. I was surprised that Vance won here in Ohio, for he was far less qualified than Tim Ryan. But, I was not at all surprised that Oz and Mastriano lost in Pennsylvania, for they were both election deniers and neither had the qualifications to govern. I have an immense dislike for Lake for a number of reasons that I really don’t have the time to get into, but suffice it to say that I do not believe she is an honest person. That, above all, should be the first and most important qualification for anybody seeking public office. We need truth-tellers, not conspiracy theorists.

      No, I didn’t mention Trump’s endorsements as I largely try to stay away from the topic of Donald Trump. He should have faded into the background the week after he left office, and it is the media who have allowed him to keep such a loud voice … the media and the Republican Party who seem not to be quite sure what they stand for, only what they stand against. I agree with you that he should step aside, but we both know he won’t voluntarily do that, and when the party eventually pushes him aside, he will be like a 2-year-old child throwing a temper tantrum.

      Yes, I’m happy that Fetterman won. He is an intelligent man who is suffering the aftereffects of a stroke. His mind works fine, he just has a hard time communicating. To prey on his disabilities is a low blow and not worthy of you … you are, I believe, a better person than that. On another note, though, Mehmet Oz did rise a notch in my esteem when he graciously conceded to Fetterman on Wednesday morning, then issued a public statement congratulating him and pleading with the party to work with him, to set aside their differences.

      I agree. The most important thing is whether they have what it takes to do the job. The reason the first LGBTQ person or first woman or first Black person is important is that it shows we are finally stepping away from bigotry, finally learning to accept all people, regardless of those differences that have no meaning in the things that matter. Sarah Palin isn’t even worthy of discussion … not because she’s a woman, but because she’s a nutcase. She doomed John McCain’s bid for the presidency. I disagree about Clarence Thomas, but that’s a whole ‘nother topic for another time.

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      • A concise response to your counter:

        Violence? Rand Paul was attacked by his neighbor. Nancy Pelosi’s daughter responded: “Rand Paul’s neighbor was right.” Rand Paul and other Republican Congressmen were shot at by a gunman out to start his own insurrection (a Bernie Sanders supporter by the way). Congressman Steve Scalise was injured in the attack. A Brett Kavanaugh assailant was arrested recently (before Kavanaugh was attacked, but after he was denied additional protection). Madonna talked about burning down the white house. President Biden says if he were still in high school he would take Trump behind the school and “beat the hell out of him”. A young teenage boy, a Republican, was run over by a man because of his political views last month. Comedian Kathy Griffin made a joke of holding a bloody head of Donald Trump. More is on this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdbRDopglFM.

        It is all bad, on the Left and the Right, but what exactly did Graham or Trump say to encourage violence? I have heard convoluted interpretations of their words, but nothing as stark as the other examples above.

        One female protestor died on January 6 after being shot by police. Nobody else died during that event. Nobody was killed by protestors. 25 people were killed during protests in the Summer 2020. A large portion of entire city was occupied by protestors for weeks. An insurrection? A courthouse in Portland was attacked repeatedly. A police station was burned. Police cars burned. Buildings were burned.
        Interstates were shut down by protestors and passer-bys in their cars terrorized. Police attacked in organized fashion repeatedly. There was $2 billion damage throughout this protest which lasted way longer than 3 hours. Protestors were urged on by leading Democrat politicians. See the video in #1.
        I am not preying on Fetterman. I am saying that his illness makes him unqualified.
        Just like an injury keeps a professional athlete from playing. He should have been replaced. I don’t see anything wrong with what I said.
        Oz, Mastriano, and Walker were not good candidates. Name recognition is key to picking candidates unfortunately. Trump supported people who supported him instead of supporting the best candidate. Also not good. I think we agree here.
        Too bad you don’t like Lake, DeSantis, Vance, and Thomas. I don’t like most Republicans but I like these folks. Of course, Lake hasn’t had office yet, but she is so straightforward and articulate. Vance too is just taking office, but I like what he says as well. We’ll just disagree on these.
        DeSantis won Florida by less than 1% in 2018 and almost 20% in 2022. A lot of Floridians like him. Perhaps you should take with other Floridians.
        I don’t see America as bigoted any longer. That ended in the 1960s. Some individuals certainly remain bigoted, but this is no longer prevalent. Palin could have been the first female VP a few years back, but liberals would not have trumpeted that accomplishment. Liberals have refused to honor or acknowledge Clarence Thomas in any way the last thirty years. He is a highly intelligent, articulate, accomplished, and principled man. Ric Grinell is a Trump gay appointee, but liberals ignore him and talk about Levine and Buttigieg instead. These examples demonstrate to me diversity is important to liberals only when the person they promote agrees with their views.

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  4. I really can’t get my head around American politics – the stuff here in the UK is more than enough for me. Wherever I look brains and integrity seem to be in short supply. I hope your optimism continues to increase.

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    • That’s funny, ’cause I just said to another of my UK readers that I don’t understand the way things work in the UK political system as well as I would like. But I have to agree with you that intellect and integrity are largely missing in the political systems of both our countries, but many other Western nations, as well. Look at Italy’s new Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni. Or Marine LePen who keeps getting closer and closer to winning the presidency in France. The ‘populist’ movement is spreading, and frankly I find it frightening. When Putin decides to expand his ’empire’ to take over one after another nation, will there be any with enough brains to stop him? Or will he be handed the keys to the proverbial castle? Sigh.

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  7. I still have not heard any reports on the popular vote, except in one state where 65% of eligible
    voters showed up at the polls, though I cannot remember which one. 65% is a good number, but not a great one.
    But it seems all 5 referendums on abortion came out positive, though how the one in Kentucky was worded leaves me less than positive on what they were talking about.
    All in all, so far, I think the big questions come off as “undecided.” That’s better than losing!

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    • You’re right, but … somehow it seems that there is no taste for the violence, even among Republicans, at the moment. Perhaps they are busy licking their wounds? It may yet come, but I’m glad it hasn’t thus far.

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  9. Mostly good news…hope the runoff in Ga goes to Warnock. D the Lake loses. She is a piece of work. I’ve seen some of her comments and she reminds me of a cross between trump and MTGreene…
    Abbott was expected but Vance winning was a big disappointment.
    And being in Fla…well you see what happened there. The big DeSantis win will encourage him to run for President against trump. I’ve already seen some veiled threats from trump..should be quite sh—show the next year or so. Someone likened it to the WWE.

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    • I strongly suspect Warnock will win the GA runoff next month. I think the majority of the 2% who voted for the Independent candidate will swing toward Warnock and give him a majority, just as the runoff in 2020 did. Lake is … yeah, she is a nasty piece of work. She makes no secret of the fact that she doesn’t give a damn about the people of Arizona, and she is crass, callous, and vulgar, to boot. The results for AZ haven’t been updated since nearly 6 hours ago, and as of that time, Lake was losing to Hobbs by a very slim margin, some 13,000 votes, or about 0.6%. Still, fingers crossed. And Lauren Boebert is behind her competitor, Adam Frisch, by only 64 votes!!! Oh how I hope she loses!!!
      Yes, my friend, I saw the Florida results early on this evening and I sighed a deep sigh. It wasn’t at all unexpected, but I had so hoped that Crist and Demings could pull a rabbit out of their hats. Sigh.

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