[or_politics] Winners And Losers

I'm thrilled that Tom Potter and Sam Adams won. Especially Tom.

I'm aware that there are people who are unhappy that Nick Fish didn't win. Keep your eye on Sam. I have a feeling he's going to make us all glad he won.

And I said before that if Nick runs again for council, he's gotten my vote. I mean it.

And even though Bush apparently won legitimately, I at least don't have to be ashamed of my own state, which is still Blue Oregon (apologies to the website).

Ecotopia, anyone?

The passage of 36 is a big shameful spot on everything though. We, the electorate in aggregate, did not do a good thing here. We wrote discrimination into the state Constitution, moreover, we-in-the-aggregate actually removed rights from a group of people who aren't really harming anything.

But, if you aren't on the same page with that sort of thinking, look at it this way; we have now made it concievable to remove rights of any group of people we choose to scapegoat. It's the Niemoeller Principle, of which I will refer thus to prevent the repetition of a quote many are no doubt doing now. Essentially spoken, as long as nobody is out to get "me", it's okay if someone is out to get "them" and gets "them". But since I didn't object to going out to get "them", they now know it's okay to go after various forms of "them". Eventually the "them" could become "me".

Actually, I don't know why I'm worrying. The real immediate result will be litigation (and isn't it nice that our state has money to toss around for that)(oh, wait, we don't). This is going to court. This will eventually get overturned because it's unconstitutional. I'm counting on it.

It's a real mean world now. Choose up what side you're gonna be on. It's going to be a rough ride for a few years.