My Thoughts & Fears on Tuesday Night's Elections

I'm going to try not to make this long or over complicated. Also if it wasn't obvious already, I am a liberal and generally support Democratic candidates, however, not blindly.


So this must be what it felt like for republicans two years ago after Obama was elected. Defeated, scared, sad, almost hopeless. I get that, and maybe its deserved. But something is different this time. This isn't just a simple power switch with the main outcomes affecting the way government is run or its reach. No, this time our nation has elected a plethora of candidates who genuinely scare me because of their beliefs on Religion, Homosexuality, Education, and many other topics. I am fearful with what congress will do with the health care bill, but that's the least of my worries. I also have hope there since Republicans didn't take the Senate and we still have Obama, for now.

The people we have elected to "represent" us for the next two years have radical ideas on the topics I mentioned above. Many believe that we are first and foremost a Christian nation, that if you are a Muslim you are also a terrorist, that the Department of Education should be abolished, that being gay is choice and/or is "curable", that many of the amendments made to our constitution in the last 200+ years shouldn't stand. These things scare me. People like Michelle Bachmann from Minnesota, John Boehner from Ohio, Renee Ellmers from North Carolina, Rand Paul from Kentucky, and many others, scare me because they have been given power that they can and want to use to oppress minorities and carry out their own far right "morals". (I dislike the term agenda, everyone has an agenda with whatever they do, I have one in this blog)

Being from Minnesota I have much more experience with Michelle Bachmann in particular, and that... woman thrives on fear and the tears of the people she oppresses. She doesn't care about Minnesota, much less her own district. Last night she would only grant national, not local, interviews, and her event was held in an upscale hotel that was not in her own district. Why the people of the Minnesota 6th have sent her back for a third term I cannot comprehend. And I need to move on before steam starts pouring from my ears.

Speaking of Minnesota, for the second election in a row, the results are looking like they'll fall within a half percent, thus forcing an automatic recount. Minnesota has not had a Democratic Governor in more than 16 years. Mark Dayton was never my first choice for the Democratic nomination, as I was originally in favor of Matt Entenza, but I think Dayton would do fine. Much better than Tom Emmer, who seems to be a doppelganger, if not worse, than Tim Pawlenty. But now it looks like it won't matter either way, as both the MN House and Senate have gone back to Republican Control. I really do not understand, but we cannot afford to keep going in MN like we have the past 8 years under Pawlenty. Cities cannot afford more cuts. K-12 cannot afford more cuts. Higher ed cannot keep raising tuition.

I'm am not as concerned with the outcomes of this election on the way government is run, or even the most controversial topics like abortion. I'm concerned because we have been making so much progress especially in gay rights, and that progress is in serious jeopardy. We saw this past summer how people reacted to the Islamic Center in New York. That type of fear and hate is now in bigger positions of power. It scares me.

No, the results of this election are about much more than simple government and spending policy. We cannot let civil rights continue to be denied or taken away. We must stand up. I am cautiously optimistic that with a Republican House and a Democratic Senate the two sides will be forced to work together, but that light isn't very bright. I some take comfort that a few good people were elected, and we still have people who are doing a good job like Betty McCollum and Amy Klobuchar (a Representative and Senator from MN). I pray that my fears do not come to fruition, and that the next two years prove to be productive. But right now, sorry John Stewart, fear has taken control of me.