With a Light Heart

What a week it’s been! 

The Blue Tsunami over the last week has been nothing short of amazing. I cannot think of a more resounding repudiation of MAGA and all it stands for than the election results of this election. 

As usual, I was an election judge in my county, and we had many more people voting in person than in any other year I’ve worked. People came in droves - Republicans, Democrats, Unaffiliated voters, confidential voters, first time voters - you name it, they were there. And since our state and county have long been bastions of mail-in voting, the turnout was amazing. 

The race in my own District (Colorado District 4) has yet to be called, but so far the Democratic candidate, RADM Eileen Laubacher, USN(R) is leading our national embarrassment Bo-Bo the Clown by .85 points. Colorado does not automatically call for a recount until the margin is .5 points or lower, so for right now, we’re looking good for a Democratic Representative in our District for the first time in fifteen years. Since our district is typically red as a bing cherry, that should tell you something about the dissatisfaction which is currently prevailing around here. 

Of course Bo-Bo and her lackeys are grumbling about how there are “unusual voting patterns” associated with her race. Well, no shit, you turnip. Here’s the map of District 4 voting, taken directly from the Colorado Secretary of State’s website:

As usual, the Eastern plains voted overwhelmingly for the Republican candidate, while the more populous counties went for the Democratic candidate. And here’s the thing, which should be obvious to anyone but (apparently) Representative Boebert: The blue suburban counties are experiencing rapid population growth, while the rural counties’ populations are shrinking. 

Politically, the Eastern plains have always had more in common with Kansas and Nebraska than the front range, so these outcomes are predictable to anyone who has ever taken statistics (oh…wait). 

As for me, I cannot believe how good I feel. Not just because my own District has decided that Bo-Bo is not the best representative for us, but because of the entire nation’s middle finger to the Republicans in general, and MAGA in particular. I’m sure the bloom will come off the rose in due time, but for now, I no longer feel that the United States is someplace I don’t recognize. I no longer feel that my time in uniform, defending our Constitution, was wasted because half the country isn’t worthy of my oath. I no longer feel that I should advise every young person I know to leave the country, especially those who identify as LGBTQ and people of color. 

For now, I’m going to enjoy peace of mind and a light heart, until it’s time to take up the gauntlet once again. 

Which will probably be next week. As President Jefferson said so many years ago, “The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.” I’m glad the blood is symbolic rather than literal this time, and we have the people of the Untied States to thank. 

Well done, us. Well done, indeed.