What Happens in Vegas: Long Live Mayor Goodman!

Yes, sadly, "The Happiest Mayor in the Universe," Mayor Oscar Goodman has been term-limited into retirement. But as of tonight, his wife, Carolyn Goodman will take his place! I don't know if that's good or bad, but at least Oscar will continue to be the face of Las Vegas to some extent (even if he never was Mayor of the strip. . .shhhhh!). It didn't hurt that Mrs. Goodman's opponent had an unspellable, unpronounceable, missing syllable name. Giunchigliani? And it was pronounced Gin-kill-iani. Maybe that was ultimately the problem: Goodman's deal with Bombay Sapphire Gin!

Image from source, Huffington Post

[Excerpt]

Las Vegas Election Results: Carolyn Goodman Projected Winner, Chris Giunchigliani Defeated

The wife of Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman is taking over his title. . .

Read more at: Huffington Post

Democrat Wins Solid Republican District in New York

How's that killin' medicare thingy workin' out for ya?

[Excerpt]

Democrat Kathy Hochul Wins NY Special Election For House Seat

In a victory certain to be read by many as a positive omen for House Democrats looking forward to the 2012 general elections and a warning for Republicans, Democrat Kathy Hochul won the closely watched special election to fill a vacant seat in a congressional district that until now has been reliably Republican. . .

Read more at: WVIZ

NY-23: Hoffman Un-Concedes Race

Image from source, Think Progress

I've gotta wonder if we might not have another Norm Coleman/Al Franken type battle in the birthing here. Glenn Beck (and Sarah Palin) would like very much to see this swing their way after the initial apparent defeat. And frankly, a reversal would be--not embarrassing, exactly--but something akin to it.

[Excerpt]

Hoffman ‘Un-Concedes’ The NY-23 Election After Prodding From His ‘Mentor’ Glenn Beck

On Nov. 3, Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman conceded the special election in New York’s 23rd district after finding out that he was losing considerably to Democrat Bill Owens, who has already been sworn in and cast an important vote for health care reform. However, “a standard process of correcting human errors in election night spreadsheets” has narrowed Owens’ lead over Hoffman from more than 5,000 votes to about 3,000, and the New York Board of Elections is counting around 10,000 absentee ballots. . .

Read more at: Think Progress

How FOX "News" and the Teabaggers Lost NY-23

As I wrote earlier, the mini-election yesterday was a mixed bag with enough political stuff to let both sides crow a little, and cry a little. Amazingly enough, it's being touted more as a GOP win than a Democratic one, even though that is very debatable. The most puzzling development is the downplaying of the loss of New York's Congressional District 23, a race that had a massive hard right-wing push for a "Conservative Party" candidate. They ended up losing a seat that has been held by Republicans since there were still Whigs around. Wow.

How Fox News and the teabaggers lost NY-23

A video montage showing how Fox’s coverage of the special election in New York’s 23rd Congressional District empowered Republican teabaggers to push aside moderate Republican Dede Scozzafava in favor of a hard-line conservative candidate Doug Hoffman, allowing the first Democratic victory in the district since the Civil War:

Source: DailyKos

Election Results: My Take

Okay, the big question brewing already is, were the results of last night's elections a "referendum" on President Obama? My take? Not exactly.

What we have here is a rinky-dinky little off-year election. But we all were so invested in 2008, some of us still have a bit of the bug. Gays were also especially invested because of anti-gay ballot issues in Maine and Washington. Republicans and/or conservatives are all still a little bruised by 2008, and also energized by all the 9/12er, tea bagger, Glenn Beckian nuttiness, and desperately wanted a change in their fortunes.

So did it happen? Sorta. And also kinda not. In Virginia, a Republican took the Governor slot, something that was long predicted. Bob McDonnell, the guy who won seems like kind of a creep to me, but apparently the Democrat was a weak candidate, and Virginia has a history of putting the opposite party to the President in power. Whatever. In New Jersey, Gov. Jon Corzine, the Democratic incumbent, was fairly unpopular. There was also a third-party contestant. As I type this, the winner, Chris Christie has been getting some intense coverage on FOX "News," so they must be scoring it as a big win for their side.

Perhaps the biggest news, at least among office races, was the upset in New York's 23rd district. It's a district that has gone for a Republican for like 120 years. But the Beckians and the Palinites threw out the Republican there, and installed a "Conservative Party" carpetbagging candidate named Doug Hoffman. Dick Armey called the move the tip of the spearhead of a plan to do this around the country in 2012. But they lost. Boo-hoo.

The other big news is of course, the anti-gay measures. In Maine, after the legislature approved same-sex marriage, a ballot measure was offered up to reject it. And, by all appearances at this writing, it passed. It was tight, but it passed. In Washington, there was almost an identical situation, except there it was an "everything but marriage" measure that was to be voted on. But it looks like (again, it's not 100% yet) it passed. Again, slim margin, but to the good side!

So yeah, I'm bummed by Maine. I still think this sort of human rights issue shouldn't be up for popular vote in the first place. But at least it wasn't a constitutional amendment, and it can always be tried again. The margins get slimmer all the time.

Kalamazoo, Michigan Upholds Gay Rights in Vote

As of this writing, there is still no result in Maine or in Washington on the gay rights issues on the ballots there. Having been battered 0-30 in various state votes, a win in Maine would be a pleasant surprise, but I'm not ready to get my hopes up. This is, as I've stated numerous times before, something that shouldn't even be up for a popular vote.

Still, there is some good news. In Kalamazoo, Michigan, a gay rights measure passed. How 'bout that?

[Excerpt]

Kalamazoo, MI Gay Rights Ordinance VICTORY!

Kalamazoo residents approve nondiscrimination ordinance

“Our campaign started with a very basic idea, and today voters confirmed that we are One Kalamazoo,” said Campaign Manager, Jon Hoadley.

With only absentee ballots outstanding, 65 percent of Kalamazoo voters have approved Ordinance 1856 by a vote of 6,463 to 3,527, adding protections for gay and transgender people to the city’s nondiscrimination ordinance. This margin is larger than the number of outstanding absentee ballots that are currently being counted. . .

Read more at: iQreport

The Political Day in 100 Seconds

If I'd have known this video would be available, I wouldn't have wasted my time watching all four Sunday morning political shows! All of them encouraged me on Barack Obama's chances on Tuesday. But the later-day "special edition" shows on cable news right now give me pause. People like Ken Blackwell (spoiler of the 2004 election in Ohio) are ramping up the anti-Obama attacks. Will it be too late?