By John Stark
It was a long, long ballot bristling with people and issues that mattered, from the White House to the Port of Bellingham offices on Roeder Avenue. The local races are in some ways the most suspenseful, because there is seldom any polling data to warn us what the voters are going to do.
What election result was most surprising to you? Was it Obama’s win? Rob McKenna’s seemingly weak showing? (People are saying that one is too close to call, but McKenna’s weak showing in King County makes it hard to visualize a comeback for him in late rounds of vote counting.)
How about Democrat Suzan DelBene’s rather healthy margin over hardy perennial John Koster in the redrawn 1st District, which includes most of Whatcom County outside Bellingham?
Or was it the big margin of victory for the Bellingham Home Fund, with city residents once again enthusiastically embracing a tax increase?
How about the port commission expansion, which seemed to have broad-spectrum support in Bellingham but looks headed to a narrow defeat in countywide voting?
Please share your thoughts once or twice.
None of it surprised me.
A slight majority of the population is influenced and lulled into non-critical thinking by the corporatocracy-owned media entertainment of both the left and the right (witness the charter schools issue, crammed down our throats by the 1% who stand to make a bundle sucking dry the souls of our Washington state students while dumming them down into a controlable abject state of powerlessness at the same time).
I was surprised and very dismayed that apparently only 1155 (as of yesterday) people care about civil liberties
Gary Johnson / James P. Gray
Libertarian Party Nominees
513 0.88%
Jill Stein / Cheri Honkala
Green Party Nominees
554 0.95%
Ross C. (Rocky) Anderson / Luis J. Rodriguez
Justice Party Nominees
88 0.15%
The most surprising point of the evening for me wasn’t really the election results as the
pundits/analysts reply to them.
First, there was drunk Dianne sawyer… while entertaining, it was hard to watch, so I
sped up the channel surfing.
About the only time I watch Fox news is when I know they aren’t going to be happy,
so i didn’t tune into them until the race was called.
Much to my delight and surprise, I got to witness Karl Rove literally have an emotional meltdown on air. He threw a fit when his network called Ohio and then called the race for Obama.
All the money he poured into the campaign. To watch him not only get the news live that Romney lost, but to see him throw a hissy fit over it was truly, a highpoint of the election.
Humm……..Just how easy it is to buy votes with a little class warfare and charm.
The overall election results dismayed me, even if I was on the fence until the end.
What surprises me is the fact that I checked online and it says my ballot was counted, but when I look at the election breakdown by precinct it says the candidate I voted for (Gary Johnson) got zero votes in my precinct, when I definitely know that I at least voted for him, so he should have at least one vote:
http://vote.wa.gov/results/current/whatcom/Precincts-1.html
I would encourage anyone who voted for a third party to take a look at your precinct and see if your vote was counted properly.
I’d say the biggest election surprise was that God didn’t just strike Mitt Romney with a full on lightening bolt for all of his straight faced lies.
Well, I was surprised when AFY’s first choice, Bachman, wasn’t nominated. But it’s truly, truly surprising how poorly his second choice performed.
I certainly hope this won’t discourage future lessons from the master …. or more from his sidekick, dingaling!
I was surprised when the early results were coming in and for a few moments I thought Romney’s snowball in Hell may not have melted.
Well Kirsh, at least those dingaling’s didn’t vote for more of em on the Port Commission.
Isn’t 3 great hamsters enough?
http://www.brosamersbells.com/index.html
General Hospital (commonly abbreviated GH) is an American daytime television medical drama that is credited by the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest-running American soap opera currently in production and the third longest-running drama in television in American history after Guiding Light and As the World Turns.
And can we get back to those Coal Trains now Kirsh?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRTYNxtbnjI&feature=related
Biggest surprise is how much of a repeat this election was to 2004 except for the parties being flipped.
In 2004 you had the Bush haters thinking for sure he would be thrown out only to witness his re-election. Same goes this time around for Obama. Obama even used the same tactics Bush used to get re-elected. Focusing on how the alternative candidate is “unacceptable” instead of campaigning based on his merits and accomplishments. Worked for Bush in 2004 and for Obama in 2012. I would recommend many of those Obama fans who are ecstatic to remember how they felt after the 04 election and show some compassion to the other side. Rubbing it in will not create an atmosphere for compromise that is needed for this Country to move forward.
I was also surprised by how few people voted for third party candidates in non competitive states. I can understand choosing between Obama or Romney if you live in a state like Ohio or Florida, but if you live in Washington state and are truly fed up with the partisan gridlock and inaction why the heck wouldn’t you vote for the Social Justice, Green, Libertarian, or Constitution party candidate? The Commission on Presidential Debates needs to be revamped to promote a wider range of voices and opinions.
I thought I would have to move, but now I can stay.
My big question going forward is will the GOOP just recycle the same old load again or are we actually moving back in to a time with a loyal opposition determined to get something done by compromising with the Dems or are we going to be regaled with the same sad lack of substance and cynical attitude of the last 4 years…
I was not surprised by the results. My views were confirmed that to make a real change there needs to be a shift in the human consciousness to develop a morality that has reverence for life, values true freedom, justice and liberty for all , insures that the daily needs are provided to all persons and that our earth continues to be a livable planet.
The election of the rulers did not reflect that we are there yet. We may never arrive. Apparent in the results is that voters have lost critical thinking skills and are willing to give up their freedoms and buy the packaged goods created by the corporatocracy that rules us.
Hank, Same old plus. Fox is packaging every jobs layoff as related to the outcome, and in fact one personnally-yeld mining company did say a prayer for the country before firing a bunch of people to make the point that Obama is bad for the economy. That’s what we can expect from the goon squad on the right in the next four, but Obama as a lame duck is what I’ve been waiting for.