It's Tea Time

Liberals seem to be ecstatic over their big win in New York's 23rd district. They love to talk about how a Democrat hasn't been elected there since the time of the dinosaurs, and tout it as the beginning of some liberal revolution in the area. What they lack, either via willful ignorance or an ability to comprehend, is perspective.

See, Hoffman, the Conservative party candidate running opposite the Democrat, is a new comer. Now I don't mean just new comer in terms of who he is, I mean the actual party he's running under. When is the last time you seeing a "C" next to anyones name at the ballot box?

Add to that the fact that the local "Republican" candidate, Dede Scozzafava, pulled her self out of the race at the last minute and threw her support to the Democrat. You read that correctly. Why did this hurt? Because not only was she still listed on the ballot, but she was listed on the ballot twice. In the end she received five percent of the vote, people who didn't get the memo on her departure and likely just vote party lines. Given that the race was lost by a meager three percent, that's a very big deal.

Why not include voting for more than one candidate in situations where there are more than two parties involved? Seems like a simple solution. Vote for your first pick, then your second pick. If all first pick votes will not be enough for that candidate to win, your votes go to the second candidate. If the sum total of first and second tier votes for a candidate still can't pull him through, he loses, and the people truly have their choice. A system like this would actually allow for third party candidates to be viable, because people wouldn't be "throwing away" their vote on them. They can vote for a third party candidate secure in the fact that if he or she is destroyed on election day, their choice will automatically be switched over to the second pick. Simple no?

But back to the point: Democrats lost way more than they gained here. The New York 23rd win is a sham and temporary. It will be back red in no time. The losses in both New Jersey and Virginia were much more telling, and only the most delusional of folks registered (D) can write them off. They won't be able to write them off for long however, enjoy fantasy land while it lasts. Reality is coming to kick your door in.