Donkeys smack Elephants

Last night's results in U.S. Congressional elections were more or less expected, but after three straight election nights of throwing Cheetos at the TV and choruses of "what the f**k?", the results are certainly welcome for Americans tired of Karl Rove's Republican Noise Machine. As of press time, Democrats control the House and may yet take the Senate. To those of you north of the border unfamiliar with U.S. government, it doesn't mean that the Bush Presidency is over, but it does mean it's now forced to listen or run out its remaining two years in irrelevancy.

One thing that struck this page watching the Democrats' congressional pickups roll in was the number of times the CNN talking heads referred to winners as being "social conservatives". This may not necessarily be a bad thing - Evangelical Christians may have realized that they have more political clout if they stop tying themselves to Bush's phony wars on Terror, the Environment, and the Middle Class. If these Conservative Democrats can be convinced that issues like gay marriage and stem-cell research are left to the states like the Constitution says they should be, the country can move forward from the culture wars and Congress can do something meaningful, like raise the minimum wage and establish affordable health care.

Hopefully, the Democrats won't be too eager to accommodate social conservatives, as unfortunately illustrated at Senator Maria Cantwell's (D - WA) victory party.