I haven't written much lately. To some degree, I attribute that to the chill of winter. The season tends to freeze my creative juices. Like some people, I feel worse all around in the winter. It's the time of the year when I always wonder why I left South Florida.
With that said, it's going to be in the mid 60s today, so no complaints from this blogger in Northern Virginia. At least not about the weather. Not today.
As Floridians head to the voting booths to pick a favorite Republican in today's primary, I am mildly curious to see which presidential candidate emerges. The rhetoric has heated up in the Florida sun in recent days, but unfortunately rhetoric doesn't always equal intelligence or honesty on the GOP stage. So, one has to take what is said by these wannabe presidents with a grain of salt. From what I have seen so far, this is a particularly desperate and mean-spirited group of candidates that has only modestly improved by the worst of the lot dropping out in recent weeks.
Florida is a diverse state. Unlike the previous three state primaries, I view Florida as more representative of America. While Florida has its rebels, misfits and folks who act like they've been out in the sun a bit too long, overall there is a demographic balance in the state, which is why many presidential general elections are pretty darn close. The state is not simply made up of white, evangelical Christians, who tend to vote one way for generations. Florida sways back and forth in the warm Gulf breezes from year to year, decade to decade, as its population shifts.
I suspect Mitt Romney will be declared the winner this evening, not because he's head and shoulders above the others, but because he's closer to that sweet spot that appeals to a broader range of voters than exist in Iowa or South Carolina. Romney is the "safe" choice.
However, when the general election finally arrives in November, I can't envision President Obama losing the Sunshine State to Romney or anyone else. While the economy there is worse than most places, Florida is a state where seniors vote on issues like Medicare and Social Security. Too many threatening proposals about those programs have been suggested by Republicans for Obama to lose the senior vote.
The Cuban-Americans in South Florida have always leaned right, but a new generation of Latino voters is moving to the left. They are not tied to antiquated GOP ideas. The harsh tone of Republican stances on immigration will potentially sink the Romney ship in Florida in November, assuming he's the nominee. The red-meat immigration comments made to gain votes in conservative states will not be forgotten by the people of Florida or any other state where that type of thing rubs people wrong.
I've always been fascinated by Florida. Everything from its people to its politics is interesting to me. Its clean beaches and casual lifestyle is good for the soul. It's a place where young and old can feel they belong. You don't need to be wealthy to live well in Florida, although if you are, there is no shortage of places where you will fit in. You can be from somewhere else and still be accepted in Florida. That isn't always true in other southern states or even in places like New England.
Yes, Florida has problems. It always has. Sometimes, like now, it's the economy. Other times it's been the crime rate or political corruption that has spiraled out of control. Yet, Florida remains an attractive place to get away to -- whether for a week or a lifetime. When jobs return to Florida, I suspect the population will increase rapidly again, as it has for decades. And the only way for jobs to return to Florida is for the U.S. economy as a whole to improve. In that regard, I will continue to place my faith in Democrats and Independents, and only be a casual observer of the GOP results tonight. It is clear to me, despite comments from the GOP presidential candidates, that Republicans have no interest in rebuilding the middle class in Florida or anywhere else. Romney, in particular, seems clueless as to what the middle class even is, let alone how to rebuild it.
Virginia is a strange state. Folks here in the commonwealth elected one of the first black governors (Douglas Wilder) years ago, when it wasn't a popular thing to do elsewhere. It also elected Tea Party darling, Eric Cantor. It has a bunch of famous, intellectual presidents buried in its red-clay soil. Many universities are named after them and other home-grown leaders. Virginia is also the home of some of the least progressive thinkers in U.S. history. It has a warm-and-fuzzy, long-lasting marketing slogan to help boost tourism. And, until recently, it allowed people to smoke in restaurants. You can still carry a gun almost anywhere in the state, and also get one of the best educations available in the world.
Voters are fickle here, too. There seems to be no logic to how or when they vote, or what values they support from year to year. It's a big state with demographics that vary wildly. It's often unpredictable in its politics and legislation. It's local economies are uneven.
Loudoun County, in an area of Northern Virginia that traditionally leans left, now has an entirely Republican Board of Supervisors and a new Republican sheriff. And with the results of one election still pending, Richmond is on the verge of being ruled entirely by Republicans.
Yesterday's election results are disheartening to me, an on-and-off resident of Virginia for over 20 years. I want the state to be more progressive, or at least politically and socially balanced. I am embarrassed by the tobacco industry ruling Richmond for decades. Yet, I admire much of the history and beauty that can be seen throughout the state. It's a great thing to be able to go to a University of Virginia football game in Charlottesville and realize you're on the campus that Thomas Jefferson founded. Head over to Colonial Williamsburg or Yorktown in the Tidewater region and you will likely experience something uniquely Virginian.
But there are no more Jeffersons left in Virginia, only smaller and smaller minds encased in the skulls of leaders who want to make this a state where everyone only looks out for themselves. Our state and local leaders now speak to the wealthy and prey on the emotions of the uninformed. They don't warn of the dangers of greedy corporations, as Jefferson did. They romance big business and call for oil rigs to be constructed off of Virginia Beach. Virginia isn't for lovers anymore. It's for BP, factory farming and big-time lobbyists.
While some of the national results from Election Day are modestly encouraging, I am not feeling so good about Virginia. It's beginning to feel like a part of the country that is buying into all the Tea Party garbage and "Obama's a socialist" crap. Even Northern Virginia seems to be turning as red as the soil in the southern part of the state, which for an area as diverse as this, is quite alarming.
Over two-thirds of the registered voters did not vote yesterday. If that happens again in 2012, Obama will lose Virginia and empower conservatives in Richmond even more. It probably won't be long before Virginians are smoking up a storm in restaurants again, as the "Don't Tread on Me" slogan replaces the "Virginia is for Lovers" motto.
I voted at around 3 p.m. today in Loudoun County, Va. I had my choice of voting machines. All were vacant at the middle school polling place.
While this was an "off year" in Virginia, there were at least two state races of some significance in my district. For anyone concerned that the commonwealth could turn red in all branches of government, this was not an election to sit out. This was also a good opportunity to send a message to politicians in Richmond and Washington that we don't want to wait until November of 2012 for change. A big turnout in an off year would have helped to deliver that message.
Instead, it appears most people chose not to vote. I will know more tomorrow on the actual voter turnout, but on a spectacularly beautiful Election Day just outside of D.C., I expected to see a few more folks at the voting machines.
I am not judging anyone who didn't vote. Not everyone feels the pain of what has transpired in the last three years the way I and others have. Many people, especially in affluent Northern Virginia, are comfortably numb to most societal problems and therefore don't have my motivation to vote. However, as I grow older I realize that we only have two weapons against injustice -- public demonstrations (like the Occupy movement) and voting. Surrendering either of those options at a critical time in our history, when we are in such decline, seems dangerous.
On the other hand, many people vote based on little more than bumper sticker slogans, outdated stereotypes or self interests, and Fox News soundbites, so maybe low voter turnout isn't all bad.
Click here for more on Loudoun County voter turnout.
Republicans swept the three top offices in Virginia tonight.
My take on that is that we've reached a point where voters will give the boot to incumbent parties if unemployment continues to climb each year. Even in a relatively prosperous state like Virginia - a state that has been turning more Democrat in the last decade - jobs are the No. 1 issue according to the polls.
This is a state that voted for President Obama last November but tonight elected Bob McDonnell as governor by a 20-point margin over the Democrat, Creigh Deeds. And while the Commonwealth has done better than many states in retaining jobs, the fact remains that far too many folks are unemployed or are living in fear of becoming jobless soon. A lot of people are also underemployed, which is an under-reported but nonetheless growing problem in the higher-cost-of-living parts of the state.
I don't think the answer to unemployment lies with either party. But I am relatively certain that incumbents will continue to fall in future elections if people continue to lose jobs or are unable to get back to work at a reasonably similar level to their prior positions.
Whether you believed him or not, McDonnell was not shy about calling himself the jobs candidate during the campaign. Now we will see if he truly becomes the jobs governor. We already know from his own words that he's not a proponent of taking federal money to help extend unemployment benefits in the state, which is disturbing to say the least. But most unemployed people would gladly trade a state benefits check for paycheck.
The clock is ticking for many jobless Virginians. Time has expired for some who have lost their homes, and others are looking for cheaper digs in other states while they still have a few bucks in the bank.
The Republicans are now in the hot seat and must fix the problem if they want to remain in office. The Obama administration needs to step up efforts nationally to get people back to work or else face many more political casualties during next year's mid-term elections.
The Virginian elections were an unmistakable warning shot fired by citizens who are growing tired of change that hasn't really changed anything. Unemployment continues to climb, we're still pouring billions into war and bailed-out corporations are still handing out millions of dollars in bonuses while laying off workers.
It appears to a growing number of voters that politicians in Richmond and Washington aren't feeling their pain. Tonight, the tables were turned.
I will be glad when Election Day passes. Our home phone has not stop ringing in the last few days. Seems local and state candidates think they can win the favor of voters by calling day and night with automated messages about their campaigns. These calls are annoying and seem to do nothing other than turn people sour on the candidates. Do these campaign gurus really think that voters are going to be swayed by these hit-and-run recorded calls? If anything, candidates are going to lose votes by pestering people in their homes with shallow political messages.
