Oh noes! Brown people and bitches vote!

The above is a (not-verbatim - but almost verbatim) quote from Fox News last night (see "horror" link below). The Republicans seemed stunned, just stunned, that people with non-white skin and non-Wall Street jobs and non-penises would dare to vote in an election of critical importance.

The shock!

The horror!

The "demographic problem."

It's going to be interesting times, I think, to watch this party fight amongst the ranks to figure out a platform where they don't alienate, humiliate, degrade, and condescendingly mansplain to over half of the country's voters.

As shocking as it has been to the strategists and bobbling news-heads to learn that people who say they're most concerned about the economy actually mean that in a nuanced way,  I think to the rest of us this is one big DUH. Available healthcare = ability to work and get paid and pay taxes, right? A decent education = children growing up to create and fill jobs that enhance the country's economic prospects, yes? Fair pay for women = more money for everyone, mmm-hmm?

So I guess we'll see what happens now. I worry that when people like John Boehner talk about "bipartisanship" they really mean "You do all the compromise while we gloat and filibuster," but I am more than willing to choke down that cynicism if it proves to be unwarranted.

I also worry that these election results will ignite a certain element of people who will stop at nothing to repress non-whites and women and anyone they see as a threat to "traditional America" (a hideous term that is being used a lot today).

I worry for the Texas gubernatorial election that is barreling down on us like a freight train. Though I will say, seeing Obama win 41% of the vote in this blazing red state gives me a flickering reason to believe that a carefully chosen Democratic candidate could make the election for our new governor interesting to say the least. 

I worry for a lot of things, still. And that's why we can't just sit back now and put our feet up and be glad this bread and circuses show is finally over. It's so not over. If you are unhappy with the senatorial choices your state has made; if you are unhappy with the House choices, with the state legislature choices, with the general political atmosphere of your country and/or state and/or city, now is the time to start thinking about how you're going to help make some changes. The momentum is here. We're all civic-y and duty-y feeling and it's not time to hang up our pitckforks and pencils just yet.

So let's all take a vacation to Washington and smoke some weed while we all gay-marry our best friends. Then, when we come back let's figure out how we're going to make some real change. Let's figure out how we're going to get all voices heard no matter what color skin the throats are that contain those voices. Let's keep working to make sure women don't become second-class citizens in a first world country. Let's keep fighting the fight so that everyone can marry the person they love.

Let's keep on making noise, friends. Making noise and making change and making a difference.

Who wants to run for governor of Texas? I'll write sweary blog posts on your behalf until you politely ask me to stop.

Comments

[Blairmundy]

I really can see Julian Castro as our next governor. He's like the Obama of Texas back when Obama was "that awesome new kid." Right?

[Benita]

People want "things" like affordable healthcare and first class public education and oh yeah, politicians to stop worrying so much about who sleeps with who. someone needs to go all medieval on O'Reilly and show him what traditional is really like.