I know it’s been a couple weeks since the election. There was a lot of stuff to digest, both good and bad that I’ve been digesting.
Obviously the best news was Barack Obama becoming the 44th President of the United States. What a night it was watching things unfold. Watching and counting and seeing what states were coming in quickly and which were close. Calculating how soon things could be over.
I also spent the evening texting with a longtime friend about results as they were coming in. He was busy in California working to defeat Proposition 8. (More on that in another post.) So he was out on the street working for equality and I was texting him results as they were coming in. The best part was getting to call and tell him Obama had won. We’ve been very political and very much Democrats since we were in elementary school. It was a great moment for us, and even though we couldn’t witness that particular history together it was nice that in some way we could share.
Along with Obama’s victory came some great victories here in the usually red state of Colorado. The biggest was the defeat of Marilyn Musgrave. It was so heartbreaking last time to come so close and not get rid of her. It was so great to get rid of her this time. Most of you know the nastiness that seeped it’s way into the Presidential campaign. But, man this one got rather nasty at times too. It was pretty obvious that Musgrave was going down as those ads got nastier. We also now have to Democratic Senators from Colorado. Although I’ve heard rumors that Salazaar may be under consideration for a position in the new administration.
As far as laws that did and didn’t pass. Colorado defeated the completely ridiculous “person-hood amendment”. For those who don’t know that was an attempt to put into our state constitution that life begins when sperm meets egg. This amendment was so broad that even anti-abortion groups were against it. It put too much at risk. It would have handcuffed doctors and caused all kinds of court problems. So happy to see that South Dakota again defeated an attempt to outlaw abortion in that state.
Of course the downside was the passing of same-sex marriage bans in Florida, Arizona, and California. As well as the banning of adoption by unmarried couples in Arkansas. It was a shame the Arizona passed a ban after defeating it the last time around. And the passing of Prop. 8 in California was the most upsetting. It was upsetting because it actually took away rights that had been given. It actually took away equality.
Overall November 4, 2008 was a great night. A night I’m glad I got to witness at 30 not 70. A night that hopefully will lead to great change now and in the years to come. Yet as with all elections there was heartbreak too.
