How do I spell relief?

[kaysho]

E-L-E-C-T-I-O-N.

Election Day, specifically!  You know, it's funny ... I used to be a political junkie.  Crossfire?  I was watching it.  Talking politics with my college friends every single day?  I was there.  I used to watch the stock market every day, too, and try to figure out the source of today's half-percent drop.

Then I realised, at some

Comments

[rattuskid]

I kind of blame Fox for how 'noisiness' of political discussion in the nation, at least in part. Not only for what they do, but how everyone else follows their format. The blogs are really just echos of the major networks or papers most of the time, and only function as a worn klaxon for those of us that don't live glued to televisions.

sorry about the rant. Interesting to see you're done with Arnold, is there a term limit or something? How did I miss this? I remember New Jersey under the 'self made man' and he really was both out of touch and CEOish in his approach, policies aside. Glad they dumped him.

I probably would be voting similar to you, but I don't live there. Prop 27 especially really strikes me, it's just so blatant. There really has to be some kind of national level districting oversight, but that too would only be abused. Perhaps something automated, or even randomized.

[kaysho]

The model of "politics as perpetual petty televised conflict" pre-dates Fox ... it's more a creation of CNN, which needed things to fill its news cycle. Thus you got programs like Crossfire, which became the model for snitty politicking afterwards.

By demanding that "your side" come up with some kind of Outrage du Jour so that the only voice on the program wouldn't be somebody else's, it helped to create the atmosphere we have today. Fox and the others have just run with it.

And yes, California's governors are limited to two terms, and this is Schwarzenegger's second.

[kaysho]

I wouldn't mind at all making it harder to put a proposition on the ballot, since that's where these often-silly technical choices lie. Deciding on a person or a party is quite a bit more straightforward, as you don't have to ponder as much the unintended consequences of the fine print.

[iamweasel_2112]

I think I voted exactly like you did, with the exception of the raising the VLF to give money to parks. What can I say, I'm a softy when it comes to the awesome state parks we have here.

[kaysho]

Oh, I am too ... but I'm less a softy about the bad habit state agencies have of trying to get the voters to reserve certain taxes just for them, so that they don't have to worry about getting the legislature to give them money every year. :)

[c_eagle]

That's pretty retailed.. thanks!
Gotta say I'm sorta pi**ed that even GOOGLE is LAME when trying to find a page with just the proposition results... and the tv shows are focused mainly on the candidates, so as usual, I guess I'll just have to pick up a newspaper tomorrow morning... So much for the internet.. it's only the year 2010... ;P

[kaysho]

I wait till morning, anyway ... there's very little on the ballot that ever would stop me from sleeping, one way or the other. :)

[3catsjackson]

There were plenty of election results sites out there -- certainly all the major media sites (NPR, NYTimes, LATimes, Google News, and scads more) covered national, governors, and some major state races. Your local media outlets will likely have more on state and local races

[kaysho]

I do like how Election Night commentary has become increasingly like sportscaster babble. We have time to fill and we're paid to talk. Say something!

Oh, and the graphics are getting to be about as overdone and content-free as well. :)

[mut]

Hiya. Just checked you against the results (with 78% reporting) and I gotta say, California agrees with you pretty solidly, which is heartening. The exceptions were props 19 and 26... and I think both you and the state were a bit undecided on 19. Shame about 26, though...

[kaysho]

I feel about Prop 19 the same way I did about Prop 8, really ... yes, the position I supported lost, but the surprise is that it did as well as it did. Even ten years ago, you wouldn't have had 48% of voters supporting gay marriage or 47% of voters supporting legal marijuana. Give both concepts a few more years and their time will likely come.