Spare me

Three things.

First, to those of you who supported Proposition 8 and are frustrated by the vehement protests against it, tough shit.

You voted for a measure that had no direct effect on your lives and a dramatic effect on the lives of many people who opposed it. They have a right to be angry.

First, Prop 8 was passed based on lies, largely about churches getting sued and teh gays being front and center in the schools. Second, the majority doesn’t have the right to do anything it wants to a minority. Finally, a pissed-off minority is constitutionally entitled to let people know they’re pissed, and why.

My patience for the pro-8 folks is at about zero. That said, the No on 8 campaign was incompetent, and those who ran it should be ashamed.

Second, why is it that I was looking at Steve Forbes on the TV at the gym this morning? I mean, it was Fox News, but still – is there some talking head preference program for the least successful Republican Presidential candidates ever?

Forbes was railing against a stimulus package,which means that he disagrees with about 95% of economists at both ends of the ideological spectrum. He prefers “incentives”, although I don’t know how tax breaks help companies without profits. Also, in case he hasn’t noticed, this country is falling apart, and we’re going to have to fix it sometime. A severe recession is a really good time to do that – just ask around.

Finally, Norah Vincent, I don’t care that you didn’t fee like voting and now regret it. Maybe there’s a principled case for not voting – I don’t think there is, but you did, up until a few days ago, so let’s assume I’m wrong.

To say, now, that you messed up?

…after watching the video of Obama’s acceptance speech (I went to bed early Nov. 4), I have, to my great surprise, found myself moved to tears by the president-elect, by his poise and graciousness, not to mention what seems to be his almost Hegelian historical significance. I now wonder if I missed out on the moment. Am I going to feel a little caught out one day when I have to say that I did not vote for him? Or will I feel vindicated by what will surely be the many and great disappointments of the Obama administration?

Perhaps I’m just grumpy, but too f-ing bad. Choices are hard because they’re imperfect. I’m sure all of us will be disappointed at times by President Obama, but it was clear to me that he was the far superior choice. Many people felt otherwise, and that’s fine, too. But you took a pass, not anticipating, among other things, Obama’s poise and graciousness? It was a very long campaign – how’d you miss that?

As you clearly already regret that you didn’t vote for him, my hope is that next time, you’ll buckle down and make a choice.

And if you choose not to (which is, of course, your right), don’t whine about it seven days later.