By Hugh Hansen
As a generally moderate friend said in response to the results, "This is why we can't have nice things." The electorate displayed so much id, so little superego. It is painful to realize how deeply I've misjudged our society -- I'm reminded of sci-fi stories in which advanced aliens are waiting until our species reaches a certain level of ethical enlightenment before welcoming us into Galactic citizenship -- well, the wait is apparently going to be longer than I'd thought.
And there are silver linings pretty much any of us can find.
Mine: It is valuable to know I've misjudged, so I can rejudge more accurately; Elissa Slotkin pulled it out here in Michigan, due in some small part to the work done by me and my friends; my town, which went for President Biden by 9 votes, went for Vice President Harris by 40-some, ditto; I've gained an hour of leisure time in the morning by not reading the news for a while, and feel better to boot.
Big One: It brings home how many millions of people who aren't well-off, highly educated white men have faced election news which brought them no comfort or hope over the history of our country.
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Your Thoughts?
We are using this column, which is meant to provide those on the left with space for opinion and commentary, to invite those on the left and on the right to provide thoughts on Tuesday’s elections, including Donald J. Trump’s victory in the presidential race.
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In addition to Trump’s win, Republicans gained Senate seats, according to The Associated Press. The count as of Wednesday morning was 52 Republicans to 42 Democrats, with eight seats to be determined.
We still await results for 57 seats in the House of Representatives. Currently, 198 Republicans and 180 Democrats have been elected to the 119th Congress.
Abortion Initiatives
Voters in Arizona, Missouri and Montana have passed ballot measures expanding abortion rights in those states (AP). In Florida, 57% voted to overturn an abortion ban, but that number fell short of the 60% needed to pass.
Voters in Colorado, Nevada and Maryland enshrined abortion rights into their constitutions, and in New York State, voters backed a reproductive rights measure that bars unequal treatment based on pregnancy outcomes, reproductive health care and autonomy, and sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin and disability.