And the winner is...

[Zedability]

Looks like I lost a friend due to my response to the election, or at the very least she's giving up on FB for a while. I know I shouldn't have posted on her status, but I was getting so frustrated with the drama from some of my Republican friends - the ones linking the White Horse Prophecy, declaring that these are indeed the last days, going on about the world ending... seriously guys! I really wanted Obama to win, but I would NOT have started crying about the end of days if he had lost!

WORD.

[Portia]

I'm more sad about the sweep of Republicans in UT (I voted nearly straight-ticket Democrat this year) than I am excited about the Obama reelection.

What about Jim Matheson?

Also, due to shameless gerrymandering, I barely recognize the legitimacy of our reps. I should have the chance to vote for a progressive to represent reliably blue Sakt Lake.

[Talons]

Looks like I lost a friend due to my response to the election, or at the very least she's giving up on FB for a while. I know I shouldn't have posted on her status, but I was getting so frustrated with the drama from some of my Republican friends - the ones linking the White Horse Prophecy, declaring that these are indeed the last days, going on about the world ending... seriously guys! I really wanted Obama to win, but I would NOT have started crying about the end of days if he had lost!

Reminded me of This American Life where friendships are ended after hearing each others' political views.
http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-a ... blue-state

[Imogen]

Looks like I lost a friend due to my response to the election, or at the very least she's giving up on FB for a while. I know I shouldn't have posted on her status, but I was getting so frustrated with the drama from some of my Republican friends - the ones linking the White Horse Prophecy, declaring that these are indeed the last days, going on about the world ending... seriously guys! I really wanted Obama to win, but I would NOT have started crying about the end of days if he had lost!

Do you really WANT to be friends with someone like that?

[Katya]

Matheson? Meh, he's a.......DINO.

It's Utah. I'll take what I can get.

[bobtheenchantedone]

Looks like I lost a friend due to my response to the election, or at the very least she's giving up on FB for a while. I know I shouldn't have posted on her status, but I was getting so frustrated with the drama from some of my Republican friends - the ones linking the White Horse Prophecy, declaring that these are indeed the last days, going on about the world ending... seriously guys! I really wanted Obama to win, but I would NOT have started crying about the end of days if he had lost!

Do you really WANT to be friends with someone like that?

No, not really, but I'm one of those who feels too guilty to unfriend people.

[Genuine Article]

This was my first time voting in an election, mainly because I never registered to vote when I came of age. But I decided it was time, so in October I sent off my registration form without telling my husband about it, because I figured it would be a colossally good joke to secretly vote for the next fifty years without telling him. Except then he went and accidentally outed me.

We were talking politics and he very jokingly asked me if I knew who I was going to vote for. I told him a little too seriously that I hadn't made up my mind yet, which confused him and made him think I didn't get the joke. So he pointed out that I wasn't registered to vote, and then I had to admit that I was, but goshdarnit, it was supposed to be a secret!

Also, every election we color in maps with red and blue crayons as the returns come in, which is fun, but takes forever. I suggested that next election we go to sleep without watching the returns, so that when we wake up to find out the winner it will be like Christmas morning. Or, we like to set over/under bets on things, so it could also be fun to set an over/under on how long it would take us to hear who won without trying. Do you guys have election traditions?

[Katya]

Also, every election we color in maps with red and blue crayons as the returns come in, which is fun, but takes forever. I suggested that next election we go to sleep without watching the returns, so that when we wake up to find out the winner it will be like Christmas morning. Or, we like to set over/under bets on things, so it could also be fun to set an over/under on how long it would take us to hear who won without trying. Do you guys have election traditions?

That's a really cool tradition (albeit one that would work better in the western time zones).

[bobtheenchantedone]

So... states are trying to withdraw from the union, now? Wow.

[UnluckyStuntman]

So... states are trying to withdraw from the union, now? Wow.

For those interested, this article shows how many people have signed secession requests in each state: http://www.examiner.com/article/citizen ... ted-states

Texas is the closest to the 25,000 signature minimum, though they still have time to get the rest. I wonder how the President and his staff will choose to address this.

UPDATE: As of 12:25 pm, Texas now has 22,612 signatures - just a few thousand shy of the requirement. Does anyone know if online petitions count in the same way that a hand-signed petition would?

[bobtheenchantedone]

I wonder how many of those states realize how much of a damn mess it would be to try to be its own country, especially in the first few months. Every government employee would be out of a job until they decided how they could run things. All sorts of rules about travel and shipping would have to change or even be made up. So many new laws would have to be enacted. Their populations would change wildly as people who still wanted to be US citizens would get out of there and those who wanted to leave the US would get in.

Knowing all of this, I have to say that requesting secession really seems like more like throwing a fit than anything else. It is a very clear signal that they don't like what's going on, but it's also a very dramatic one.

[Zedability]

I wonder how many of those states realize how much of a damn mess it would be to try to be its own country, especially in the first few months. Every government employee would be out of a job until they decided how they could run things. All sorts of rules about travel and shipping would have to change or even be made up. So many new laws would have to be enacted. Their populations would change wildly as people who still wanted to be US citizens would get out of there and those who wanted to leave the US would get in.

Knowing all of this, I have to say that requesting secession really seems like more like throwing a fit than anything else. It is a very clear signal that they don't like what's going on, but it's also a very dramatic one.

We've been dealing with Quebec throwing the same fit for years. They never actually get around to it, due to similar logistical reasons.

[Marduk]

Not to mention the hundreds of thousands of lives lost trying to prevent that very thing....
But sometimes those ultra conservatives don't really want to understand history.

[TheBlackSheep]

The difference between the situations in Texas and Quebec, Zed, is that there are some redeeming qualities to Texas. (Man, I love southern Alberta.)

And I have done that same coloring thing every presidential election since I was 8! But I didn't do it this year. I was so disenchanted after the Republican primaries.

However, Matheson! President Obama! BEN MCADAMS! First passage of marriage equality by a popular vote (times three)! So you know. It turned out okay.

[TheBlackSheep]

And, hey, Orrin Hatch.

[Zedability]

The difference between the situations in Texas and Quebec, Zed, is that there are some redeeming qualities to Texas. (Man, I love southern Alberta.)

I love everything about Québec except the politics. Actually, the people in general.

[Whistler]

Orrin Hatch hdjka;gh ;hjkl hdjgkh *illegible political drivel