Election Day 2012 - The Aftermath

Through the years, I've conditioned myself to keep my comments to a minimum when my emotions are high. When you're emotional, you're more prone to say things that are hurtful and could come back and bite you in the ass. So, that's why I'm writing this now instead of last night....

No doubt, people are very passionate about their politics. There were endless heated online discussions after the election, especially on Facebook. Scrolling through the profanity-laced tirades, it was quite clear that more than a few people were upset about President Obama winning re-election. And I can assure you that many Facebook "friendships" are now on the ropes as a result of some of the verbal beat-downs.

It's no secret that I'm conservative and that I was puling for Mitt Romney. Obviously, things didn't turn out the way I had hoped. But I support the political process in this country, so I'll just have to move on and accept the fact that Obama won hands down. I, along with my conservative friends, might not be happy with what he'll do in the next four years, but nonetheless, he is going to be our President. For the sake of our country, I hope Obama proves us all wrong.

There are different theories about what the GOP or Mitt Romney, in particular could have done different to win this election. Personally, I believe that Romney made a mistake by not choosing Senator Marco Rubio for his running mate. Rubio would have most likely delivered the 29 electoral votes from Florida, as well as brought a larger overall percentage of the Hispanic vote. In a tight race, this would have most likely pushed the Romney ticket over the top. But enough of the Monday morning quarterbacking..

Moving on.....

There were some interesting developments in some of the country's local elections. For instance, voters in Maine and Maryland made history by approving gay marriage. This was a first time that gay marriage has been approved by the popular vote in the US.

Also, in Maryland, the "Dream Act" was voted in. This basically gives in-state tuition rates to children of illegal (or "undocumented") immigrants. I don't understand how someone can be rewarded for breaking our border laws. I'm starting to wonder if we should just open up the borders for everyone since it seems like the existing immigration laws mean nothing....

In Washington and Colorado, voters approved the legalization of marijuana. At least for Colorado, this gives a whole new meaning to Rocky Mountain High. I've been to Boulder, Colorado many times and I can tell you that the folks up there will take full advantage of the new law.

Ending on a positive note, I was really happy to see the high voter turnout yesterday. Many of my friends told me stories of waiting in line an hour or more at the polling places. My visit lasted about thirty minutes. My favorite moment was watching an elderly veteran push his walker over to the voting booth. He had a smile on his face the entire time. And he naturally put one on mine. It was a powerful example of why everyone should exercise their right to vote.

Although not everyone is happy with yesterday's outcome, there will be other elections. Keep in mind, that none of this changes the fact that we're all still Americans. And that, my friends, is always something to celebrate.....

kw