The Post-Election Hangover

While I hope that our readers will hear from Senior and Founding Hedgehog Lowell today, he and Mrs. Hedgehog, Sonja Eddings Brown, deserve a late wake-up call in view of their tireless and successful efforts to pass Proposition 8, the Preservation of Marriage Amendment. Congratulations to them. Beyond their hard work, they have endured a vicious campaign directed against them personally and against their Mormon faith by the opponents of Proposition 8. I have never been prouder to say, "Yes, I know Lowell and Sonja--they are dear friends of mine!"

Always in character, the opponents of Proposition 8 have already declared their intention to challenge the proposition in the courts, hoping once again to achieve by judicial fiat what the will of the people would deny them.

The passage of Proposition 8 and the victory of Senator Norm Coleman in Minnesota (sparing us the advent of Al Franken in the U.S. Senate) give me reason to be grateful on an otherwise grim morning.

In light of the financial meltdown, it is remarkable that John McCain did as well as he did. Our best wishes to him for long life, good health and further service to our nation.

What went wrong? During 8 years of Republican rule we betrayed our own principles of good and small government. Government spending and deficits mushroomed. Government programs expanded. Corruption and scandal disgusted the voters who had been told they could expect better from the GOP, and in 2006 the voters reacted predictably, returning control of Congress to the Democrats. Ironically, Iraq turned out to be a minor issue in the election, as the counterinsurgency strategy of General David Petraeus, backed early on and vigorously by Senator John McCain, corrected the course there.

Enough instant analysis. I need a break from politics.