It's time for us to get some cigars, dammit.

[Armstead]

Heard the phrase "Close but no cigar"?

That's what the Hackett loss feels like. If he'd won it would have been a small victory to boost our spirits. But alas, it was yet anotehr case of "Close but no cigar."

They win again -- barely. But even with a "barely" win, they get the prize and the power that goes with it.

Same as CAFTA. Damn thing passed with just a handful of votes. A few votes the other way and it would have gone down. "Close but no cigar" yet again.

John Kerry looking like he might have upset the applecart and beat Bush in the clinch. But, alas, "Close but no cigar."

This is a very frustrating time. Almost as frustrating as when progressives were clearly being either ignored of stomped on regularly. These close calls are tantilizing glimpses of how close we are to restoring some parity. But it always seems like it's close but no cigar.

We need some cigars for a change.

[derby378]

1. Agreed

There's still something wrong with the Democratic Party if Hackett, an Iraq war veteran, can lose to an anti-abortion party-line monkey like Schmidt.

[Skittles]

2. especially after said piece of shit Schmidt smeared Iraq war veteran

just disgusting

[Carolab]

3. Yeah, they aren't addressing the REAL problem, which is e-voting

optical scanners give us a paper ballot, so what, big deal. It's no good unless they can be counted by hand, and they are making sure they steal just enough to prevent that.

Optical scanner tabulators = the way to steal more votes without really looking like it because, after all, we have a paper trail/ballot, right? Wrong. The counting is STILL controlled by secret programming, Republican-owned machines, lax security procedures, etc. How does ANYONE know that those tabulators are counting those ballots accurately? Answer: because Diebold/ES&S SAYS so!

[seriousstan]

4. BULLSHIT! We did a hell of a job! We took a 70% Rep. race and pulled 48%.

That is a shift that could be converted to more Dems in future votes. All the rancor toward Ohio voters will not do this and neither will self pity. I won't even talk about the tinfoil "stolen election" fools.

I think this actually indicates a shift we should quickly take advantage of.

[Armstead]

6. I hope you're right

I am trying to tell myself the movement is in our direction. And I give Hackett and all who worked for him mega-kudos.

I just find it frustrating that it keeps being "so near yet so far."

[Land Shark]

9. there's no basis for confidence when there's no disclosure

of either the ballots or the method of counting ballots (trade secret software).

Lordy, we got elections officials-people running around presenting conclusory 'results' of important elections who refuse to disclose any data or methods of analysis and the scientists and statisticians (often) who call bullshit on this secrecy get denounced as "tinfoil"?

Man, even in a simple drunk driving case the govt has to disclose how the breathalyzer works, what it's software does, etc., or there's no due process.

But complete faith in the incumbent government is demanded in election results deciding all we hold dear.

Is this what Jefferson created when he wanted SELF-government, forget checks and balances just trust the election results blindly?

In the last 22 minutes of counting, the totals changed dramatically:
http://www.bradblog.com/archives/00001652.htm

[Cocoa]

5. Hackett is positive about the loss

I'm with him. :bounce:

[Old and In the Way]

7. What did the Republicans win?

A seat they already had. Nothing changes as far as the balance of power in Washington is concerned. Nothing would have changed if Hackett won.

But I think the Republicans are the big losers.

(1) A 30-35% swing from solid R district to toss-up. Now think about how this maps out nationally.

(2) There's still a lot of questions about this election that may surface.....this could further generate backlash against the Republicans.

(3) To win, they had to smear a vet and put another corrupt politician in office....that's not going to play particularly well to the rest of the country.

If I'm Mehlman and the RNC, I'm not getting a whole lotta positive vibs from this "win". It's the kind of win that comes just before you lose the war.

[Liberal In Texas]

8. More and more....thinking about moving out of the counry.

Gawd........