Election night was fun and frolic. Our great friends, Polly B. and David F. joined HG and BSK before the TV. Naturally, there was plenty of vodka, wine, garlicky chicken, fried potatoes and other good things. Strong Obama supporters, the group’s joy kept mounting as the results came in. Now, the morning after, HG is in a contemplative and cerebral mood. Some observations. The American elections are mad, bloated, excessive. (Funny, the Europeans who disdain us often use these words to describe Americans). However, how else can one describe an election process that costs billions, goes on endlessly and is unable to efficiently handle the process of voting? No other industrialized nation has such an irrational system.
Another observation. Plutocrats must seem frustrated today. What’s the of having billions if you can’t buy an election? After all, you can eat just so much caviar.
Observation three. Republican party leaders must make it mandatory that rape cannot be discussed and all mention of women’s reproductive processes be banned.
Observation four: Republicans would be better served if they stopped listening to Limbaugh and Rove and spent more time reading Nate Silver, The New York Times’ extraordinary polling prognosticator. As usual, he was 100% accurate in his forecasts.
Observation five. It is time for civility and consensus. The present division in our country is dangerous and unproductive. One or two mishaps could trigger violence — and that would be terrible. HG spent time this morning talking to two saddened Republicans: HG’s long time (almost 40 years) accountant and the banker who, for some eight months, has been trying to refinance HG and BSK’s home mortgage. The accountant felt that our federal deficit is a true danger and Mitt Romney, a sophisticated financier, was best qualified to reduce it. The banker pointed out that Obama regulations governing bank mortgage policies were an overreaction to previous excesses. He said that HG and BSK’s refinance had been approved (good news). He added that the Obama regulations had made mortgage financing unwieldy and cut off financing for many credit worthy applicants. Perhaps, mused HG. This is being mentioned because the two Republicans are not mad right wingers but decent people who have differing views on taxes and economics. There is a middle ground. Let’s hope that it is reached in the next four years. Republican leaders have to realize that demonization and intransigence don’t work. Obama’s triumph proves it.
