Election Morning

Ok, I know, long time no update. But here I am, listening to the election coverage on NPR while having cnn and the 538 open to check their maps so I figured I might update with some thoughts and pictures.

So as of 12:25 local here, the election is mostly over. The key states of Ohio, New Mexico etc. have been called for Obama, so it's pretty much over. That's nice, yet it still sucks. Three things come to mind immediately as problems.

1. Federal Spending. Unless there is a target to reach a balanced non-porked out budget the US is screwed. This does not mean taxes should be raised. A couple of net places to keep your eyes on for information related to this: Downsize DC and Bailoutsleuth.

2. Continued attacks on rights and freedoms. Obama is probably the better choice of the two candidates on this topic, but his police and drug policies and appointments as well as Biden on the ticket raises some real concerns on this topic. Check out Radley Balko at The Agitator or Reason for information and links on that.

3. Bad economic thinking - Ah, NPR just called Virginia for Obama with 85% of votes tallied with some left in Fairfax and Arlington. Game, set and match as they say. - This is one of the topics where I think both candidates and general government are mostly wrong. You can't keep throwing taxpayer money out to prop up businesses or try to create markets where none exist. The government is not suited to this job, and the belief that they 'can fix the economy' is a joke. Take a look at the actual bailout bill, the pork laden piece of garbage that it is, and cry. This kind of thinking isn't going away, in particular under Democrats. Fiscal responsibility used to be a Republican idea, the Democrats have not been known for it, and their recent support for Bush's spending shows how unlikely we are to see a change in spending. This will be a recurring theme and problem. Many, many places to read about this.

Anyways, enough of the depression about in how deep shit we are, it could have been worse. Palin could have been in office, and as an atheist, libertarian, and (hopefully) rational person that would have been a ****ing disaster. She's a loon, a very, very bad loon. I'm really, really glad they didn't let her near the white house. If they put her on the 2012 ticket the republican party will not recover.

For me, I made the decision to not vote, CT wasn't ever in doubt for Obama, so I didn't have to vote for a lesser evil to keep Palin and the religious nuts out, but to vote for any evil is still choosing to participate and legitimizing it and I can't do that. Previously, I thought and my education emphasized that politics are all about being pragmatic. However when you're constantly being pragmatic and the only choice is a lesser evil you are on a slippery slope downhill. And because I don't think federal intrusion in state affairs, as for example the raids on legal medical marijuana growers in California, the ridiculous overseas adventures, the intrusions into the private affairs of its citizens and the disgusting, profligate waste of taxpayer money on everything from 'the war on terror' (read Bruce Schneier for some on that) to 'the war on drugs' and 'abstinence only education'. Stupid, stupid, stupid. I can't legitimize any institution that keeps doing these things. I can't participate in that, I won't participate in it.

And that's enough about that. I've had it up to here with politics... Next post will have some fun stuff.

And NPR called it for Obama. All done.