Election Day

I could almost stomach the idea of the GOP getting control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate if I knew that Sharon Angle and Christine O'Donnell wouldn't win. While I may disagree with a lot of GOP candidates, I believe those two are genuinely dangerous for America. Speaking of dangerous, New York gubernatorial candidate Carl Paladino is another frightening prospect. Then again, so is Jerry Brown in California. Politics is always a mixed bag, where voters are often faced with the lesser of two evils, but that's no excuse not to vote if you're eligible. If you're eligible to vote and you don't do it, then your complaints are merely whining.

First Amendment Blues

When looking at a political faction like the "tea party", that prides itself on adherence to the Constitution, it's especially amusing to see their chosen ones display fundamental ignorance of that document. Case in point, in a recent debate Delaware Senatorial candidate Christine O'Donnell questioned whether the United States Constitution actually outlines a separation between church and state.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/19/AR2010101902501.html

For anyone who thinks I'm picking on O'Donnell and/or doesn't agree that virtually every public move she makes cries out for it, here is the first amendment of the Constitution.

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

If people believe that the current political establishment isn't paying sufficient attention to the principles of the Constitution and want to replace those politicians through peaceful democratic elections, that is of course their right, but they should pick replacements wwith at least a passing knowledge of said document's contents.

Why Are The Democratic Candidates So Boring?

Putting aside the corrosive impact of the "tea party" on American politics, they deserve credit at least for backing colorful candidates. When you're up against the likes of Christine O'Donnell, Carl Paladino and Rick Iott, it's harder and harder to feel like San Francisco liberal darling Nancy Pelosi is in any meaningful way outside of the hum-drum mainstream of American culture. Seriously, the tea-party wing of the GOP has the congressional candidate who enjoys dressing up in a Nazi uniform, the evolution denier who would be senator and the gubernatorial candidate whose homophobic remarks may be some of the less offensive things he's said. Read the stories below and tell me how the democrats can compete with this.

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/tea-party-nazi-reenactor-rick-iott-defends/story?id=11845422

http://abcnews.go.com/News/christine-odonnell-evolution-myth/story?id=11721684

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/2010_Elections/carl-paladino-gay-successful-option/story?id=11846967

Please democratic party, what good is winning the war of ideas if you lose the battle of media attention. Candidates like Christine (not a witch) O'Donnell, Carl (I'll take you out) Paladino and Rick (doesn't like the Nazi ideology, just digs the clothes) Iott may be bad for the country, but they're much better for the media circus that really makes the country go. Sadly, I suspect that the remainder of the election cycle will ignore boring, dedicated public servants like Barbara Mikulski and Chris Van Hollen. Then again, if people vote for those boring, dedicated public servants on election day, I guess I can live with it.