2008 Woodie Awards
The Real Deal: Voting results not a victory for liberal values
Paul McNeill
Issue date: 11/14/06 Section: Opinions
Democrats celebrated a lot last week. Nancy Pelosi gave a lot of speeches with a smile stretched across her cosmetically enhanced face. Liberals joined hands and jumped for joy. A guitar and a rendition of "Kumbaya" were the only things missing.
Last week's votes were more anti-Bush than pro-Democrat. Pelosi and the Democrats claim they've earned the people's trust, but in many races Republicans still received almost half the votes. Despite Republican George Allen's racial slurs and his attempts to hide his Jewish heritage, nearly 50 percent of people who voted in Virginia wanted Mr. Macaca as their senator. Democrats may have been grinning and winning, but last week was not a triumph for liberal values.
Pelosi said voters "spoke for change and they spoke for a new direction for all Americans." Obviously, Pelosi didn't look at ballot measure results.
Every measure to ban gay marriage was passed except for Arizona's. Every measure to legalize marijuana failed. Colorado, Idaho, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia and Wisconsin banned same-sex marriage. Colorado and Nevada voted against legalizing marijuana. South Dakota voted against medical marijuana. Ohio voted against slot machines.
It's 2006, yet we're still terrified of gays, gambling and plants. While many Democrats won by slim margins, conservative values reigned supreme on many ballot initiatives.
As of Nov. 9, a ban on same-sex marriage won by 12 percent and an amendment to legalize marijuana lost by 20 percent in Colorado. In Wisconsin, 59 percent said no to gay marriage. In Idaho, it was 63 percent; South Carolina, 78 percent; Tennessee, a whopping 81 percent. In Virginia, more voted against gay marriage than voted for Democratic Sen. Jim Webb. Fifty-six percent said no to pot in Nevada. In South Dakota, 52 percent couldn't bear to allow ill people to use marijuana.
Many newly elected Democrats would kill for such margins of victory. Democrats didn't earn political capital. They didn't win the trust of the people. Republicans lost, Democrats didn't win. After everything the Republicans have done wrong, after all the blunders, lies and scandals, most Democrats still only managed to win by a few percentage points.
Last week's votes were more anti-Bush than pro-Democrat. Pelosi and the Democrats claim they've earned the people's trust, but in many races Republicans still received almost half the votes. Despite Republican George Allen's racial slurs and his attempts to hide his Jewish heritage, nearly 50 percent of people who voted in Virginia wanted Mr. Macaca as their senator. Democrats may have been grinning and winning, but last week was not a triumph for liberal values.
Pelosi said voters "spoke for change and they spoke for a new direction for all Americans." Obviously, Pelosi didn't look at ballot measure results.
Every measure to ban gay marriage was passed except for Arizona's. Every measure to legalize marijuana failed. Colorado, Idaho, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia and Wisconsin banned same-sex marriage. Colorado and Nevada voted against legalizing marijuana. South Dakota voted against medical marijuana. Ohio voted against slot machines.
It's 2006, yet we're still terrified of gays, gambling and plants. While many Democrats won by slim margins, conservative values reigned supreme on many ballot initiatives.
As of Nov. 9, a ban on same-sex marriage won by 12 percent and an amendment to legalize marijuana lost by 20 percent in Colorado. In Wisconsin, 59 percent said no to gay marriage. In Idaho, it was 63 percent; South Carolina, 78 percent; Tennessee, a whopping 81 percent. In Virginia, more voted against gay marriage than voted for Democratic Sen. Jim Webb. Fifty-six percent said no to pot in Nevada. In South Dakota, 52 percent couldn't bear to allow ill people to use marijuana.
Many newly elected Democrats would kill for such margins of victory. Democrats didn't earn political capital. They didn't win the trust of the people. Republicans lost, Democrats didn't win. After everything the Republicans have done wrong, after all the blunders, lies and scandals, most Democrats still only managed to win by a few percentage points.
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