Friday, November 11, 2022

Midterms

I lost two subscribers on my Substack site this week after I published an "Election Day Special Edition." 

I guess I should not be that surprised, but I thought I was pretty equal in my disdain for both political parties. But some people don't want to hear and read what they don't want to hear and read, and they certainly have the right to have delivered to their inbox what they prefer, so I'll not lose sleep over it. 

I picked up four new subscribers, so I made a net gain of two. 

I have not decided if I will revisit the topic there next week. I know there are those who would prefer I stay away from politics. But I warned everyone that I would go there on occasion. 

Apparently, a "red wave" had been expected, i.e., the Republicans would make big gains and take over the House and Senate. I guess I missed all that speculation and conjecture. I did not know it had been all but a foregone conclusion that the GOP would mop up the floor, so to speak, with their Democratic opponents in most races.

I suspect this is more spin than anything else -- the Democrats saying "look, we're still strong" (even though the margin will still be razor thin and more gridlock is guaranteed).  President Biden said it was "a good night for democracy." 

I agree, but for a reason different from his. He said it because his party did better than expected. I think it's always a good night for democracy when people have been allowed to have a say in how their government is administered, and all of that happens peaceably -- no matter the outcome. 

Maybe I am mistaken about this, but I believe there are more people like me than the pundits and prognosticators realize. I am an independent voter and I vote for the person I wish to be elected. 

When I voted this time, as I recall, I voted for two Democrats and one Republican.  In one race I abstained because I simply could not bring myself to vote for either candidate. 

On election night, the commentators seemed amazed that, in the Georgia governor's race, incumbent Republican Brian Kemp won decisively over Democrat Stacey Abrams, while in the race for the U.S. Senate in the same state, the margin between Democrat Raphael Warnock and Republican Hershel Walker was so close, with neither receiving 50 percent, that there will be a runoff. 

This did not surprise me at all. Hershel Walker has absolutely no qualifications to be a senator and throughout the campaign had to fight off all kinds of accusations and allegations of impropriety. Had I been voting in Georgia I would have likely done the same thing: voted for Kemp for governor and Warnock for senator (or abstained). 

Had the Republicans had the good sense to nominate someone who had been the least bit qualified, they would probably have easily taken that Senate seat, but for whatever reason, they nominated an ex-football player with a shady past. And a whole bunch of folks in Georgia who might have otherwise leaned toward the GOP decided they just could not swallow that.  

As much as the folks who study and ponder all of this would like to categorize us and put us into neat little boxes, and by doing so predict the outcomes of elections, the fact remains there are those of us who maintain a stubborn independent streak and will not vote along a strict party line. 


5 comments:

Ed said...

You aren't the only one. When I turned on the television to watch the results come in, that was the first time I had heard of the "red wave". I mean I have heard and seen that midterms often swing for the opposite party of the president but I've never heard "blue wave" in the past either. Like you, I think it is mostly just the media seeking attention/relevancy.

I had a mixed ticket too this year. I had planned to abstain from voting for our governor but ended up voting third party at the last minute. I have yet to see any graph, bar chart or figure announcing his vote total. Par for the course.

Although I don't know this for sure, I'm guessing all the sleaze about Walker came out after his nomination. At that point, it puts his party in a tough spot. Does one continue to support him despite the sleaze or bow out withdrawing support and leave the other guy the winner. I personally would be willing to walk away but then I'm not supporting a party. His party obviously thought differently.

Ed said...

P.S. I thought you were being fair with your political post on Substack. But I know many a person who simply shuts down at the mere mention of anything negative said about their party of choice. I was banned from commenting on another blog earlier this year for that very reason. I just move on and feel sorry that they have to live their life so close minded in order to function.

Kelly said...

As you know, I'm with you on voting for the person and not the party. I'll always vote third party, if it's a reasonable option, rather than abstain, though.

I've found in the blogosphere that "like attracts like", so even though I'm pretty moderate in my views (leaning neither left nor right all the time), I've learned what not to say in my comments. As Ed mentioned, many folks are close-minded (despite what they might think!).

Debby said...

I think anything that pulls us more towards a middle area is good.

Andrew said...

Agreed.

I think the Hershel Walker was a nomination made by Trumpers. Trump and his acolytes seem to glory in putting in very unqualified or misqualified folks. I don't know why his followers do it, but I think Trump loves to embarrass people. I remember when he was going on and on about bleach and light up people's rear-ends in a covid press conference. He seemed to love watching Dr. Brix squirm as he said absurd things.

I know nothing about substack. How do I find you there? Link?