I suspected as much. But I was trying to be magnanimous

I know exactly where you are… I would from Falls Church proceed down West St, turn right on Lincoln Ave and follow it until it turned into Washington Blvd on which Westover is located you are very close to me, probably 2-3 miles… very blue area indeed (but at least the State is Red).

Catherine

Leadership is critical and part of the “strong horse” selection process Clinton always talked about. Make no mistake, this President is a strong leader of historical consequence. But we must not underestimate the “values” issue. That is why this president won Ohio and the Popular Vote, 20% of the electorate voted on values alone. Republican shattered the voting models, especially in Ohio. By historical standards the Democrats should have won and huge. They did everything right, they out preformed in Cleveland and held down Republicans in Cincinatti. But the truth is the Democrats didn’t lose in truth Bush won and that is a huge difference. Republicans beat the Democrats on the ground game. They won by turning out the base and new voters that had never voted before in Western Ohio, and they voted on values.

I am glad I am not a Democrat looking at the political landscape these days, they have their work cut out. The divide between the secular and religious needs to be addressesed. Blue staters better stop belittling Social Conservatives or they will be in the Wilderness for a very long time.

Social Conservatism not Fiscal Conservatism is the reason why the Democrats are losing voters. This has been the case since the 1960′s. Democrats blame it on racism, “Southern Strategies” etc., yet they couldn’t be more wrong. It is “religion and common sense” vs. “intellectuals and secularism” and to use a phrase from the heartland… “that dog don’t hunt!” Refering to Social Conservatives as “The Taliban Wing” and making fun of the religious must end. Many blue staters draw some sort of moral equivelence between “Islamofacists” and “Social Conservatives” when in truth Social Conservatives are most apt to support the cause of freedom. Again, Democrats have their work cut out. They can’t just to take a position and fake it, they need to become true belivers themeselves… will this do it? We will see.

Good for you!

I’ve taken this as a Core Principle ever since you and a few others clued me into it, but I find it somewhat difficult to follow what the campaigns are doing . . .

I’m not willing to do the county math on election night, though given how intensely I’ve fallen in love with the subject thru homeschooling my son in the subject, I should probably start.

It would be a hell of a lot better project than figuring out that the pattern in the Math Enrichment Problem can be solved by counting the number of letters it takes to write the words one through seven.

And yes, yes, yes, thanks, everyone, for being around yesterday.

Enjoy your walk! A bright and sunny day it is, indeed, here in Blueville!

Back from walk here in Blueville, which is going to be my nickname for Here forevermore.

I had one seriously un-Christian moment this morning, driving my son to school. There were all the other moms, riding high in their Land Rovers and Lexi, the moms whose children have made it necessary for my own ten year old to hide his feelings about his country’s president.

I looked at them all and had a few moments of very dark thoughts.

Fully recovered now!

I am spent and have a splitting headache. But before I log off I would like to thank you all again for your wonderful insights. I will also be dropping by Rogerís tip jar later today, after I manage to locate such important objects as my purse in my immediate universe.

Congratulations to us all.

Short answer: I have no idea how our local Polonia voted.

I am being told that there is largish Polish community in the Bay Area (there is even authentic Polish restaurant near where I live) but I know noting about them. I never kept up with Polish immigrant community, perhaps because so few of them are capable of shedding their heavy ethnic baggage, which include sense of entitlement (we suffered for the world, so the world owes us now) and air of superiority, rather typical for provincial Europeanism. Besides, the earlier immigrants were typically sticking it to the later ones for not staying and fighting Communism to the end. All this annoys me.

My friendship with one immigrant Polish couple spontaneously dissolved when after 9-11 all they could talk about was creation of Department of Interior (i.e. Dept. of Homeland Security) and comparing that to its Soviet equivalent, and complaining how Neanderthal Americans were beating up Brown People on the streets in revenge for the WTC. And these are people with degrees, and high paying jobs. Perhaps part of the problem is that they consider themselves to be very very clever and do not let you ever to forget it.

I guess the reason why so many ethnic Poles vote Dem is that on economic issues they prefer Swedish socialism to American free-market, the pipe dream of many late night discussions when Communists still ruled. They also listen to the Pope, who is unfortunately very much against out evil consumerist ways. The Pope also expressed his opposition to the war in Iraq.

Poles were voting for Reagan only because he fought Communism.

They still need to connect the individual freedom with the freedom from external oppression.

I read your article and I appluad you for

it but don’t give us Cokie Roberts’ warmed over gruel, give us your prescription for the Democratic Party.

thanks

Don’t know whether one, two, or no dogs will accompany me, and don’t care!

I’ll find out when I get to the door.

I’m looking forward to reading Dave Schuler’s analysis of Ray Fair’s model when I get back.

But first: I want to write and post this.

I have had harsh things to say about Senator John Kerry, even today, which puts me in the category of sore winner.

But he has chosen to concede; he has called the President to offer his congratulations; he will deliver his concession speech at 1.

He has done the right thing.

Throughout the campaign John Kerry has made me feel that he was an “unbeliever” when it came to our civic religion.

But today he has acted like the believer I am going to take it on faith that he is.