Democracy's hangover
Yes, Obama won a second term. I doubt you're coming here for breaking election news, however. Here's a few other important electoral results that might have slipped beneath the radar:
• Montana declares that corporations are not people Montana overwhelmingly passed a referendum declaring that “corporations are not entitled to constitutional rights because they are not human being." Yes, rural, conservative Montana has a long tradition of fighting corporate involvement in politics, due to a strong populist and conservationist tradition. What I wrote a few weeks ago about not regarding rural areas as societal monoliths is entirely applicable here.
• the Urban Electorate Obama's victory was in part based on the growing strength of urban voters. I wonder if increased political clout will start to change the politically impotent situation most city governments find themselves in, or if both parties will start to more actively court them.
• Congress' first Buddhist, Hindu It used to be an assumption that one must be Christian (or occasionally Jewish) to win political office in the United States. Not anymore.
• Women break records The new Congress will include the most female senators ever, as will the House of Representatives. For the first time, a state (New Hampshire) has a congressional delegation made up entirely of women.
• EFF, ACLU fight Proposition 35 While Montana was fighting corporate power (at least on one front), ostensibly liberal California passed Proposition 35, complete with onerous online surveillance provisions of "sex offenders." This is a legal category stupid enough to include people who dance nude alongside rapists and pedophiles. Watch this fight: whether or not Prop 35 is struck down will affect the future of online free speech.
• We're becoming more like Europe Buried in this story, along with the fact that for the first time in American history a major party's congressional delegation isn't mostly white guys, is "voters are continuing to cast ballots based on who they think ought to control Congress, not who they think would do the best job of fixing their streetlights." Politics is getting less local, as people care less about the name and more about party affiliation. Slowly, the US is starting to resemble a European parliamentary democracy, at least in one way.
• Puerto Ricans favor statehood for first time Can't believe I forgot to include this the first time around (h/t to contributor Jen Bowen for reminding me). In addition to how a 51st state would change the country's political make-up, this is hopefully another nail in the coffin of the outdated and wrong status of "territory." The idea, in the 21st century, that a whole island of people can be part of a country but have no vote in how its governed should have died with colonialism.
• 2012 was not the most expensive election ever Not even close, as a percentage of GDP. Blame the fact that 19th-century bankers really hated William Jennings Bryan.
• The best quote from election night managed to incorporate a Dune reference 'Nuff said.
Comments