Okay tonight has been a mixed bag for a lot of people but I’m genuinely in shock at what has happened in Utah:
– Mitt Romney only won for Senate by about 60%. That doesn’t sound exciting if you’re from a blue state, but given that most people here have sort of unofficially labeled him a prophet destined to lead our country toward Mormon values, that is mind-blowing.
– Even crazier, Mia Love may lose, it’s still too close to call. She’s been absolutely awful to just about every minority in this state, is deeply in the pocket of the NRA, and has mimicked Trump’s positions 96% of the time. The idea that she might be out of here is insane, especially considering she’s both the incumbent and also the face of the Republican party in Utah. And if she does in fact win, the fact that she even had to sweat over this is almost enough by itself.
– The biggest news of all: Medical Marijuana seems to have passed. Medical Marijuana. In Utah. In Utah: Medical Marijuana. Which is great news for patients and those suffering from chronic illness, but what’s most exciting is that the Mormon church didn’t even use their normal backdoor approach for getting what they want, they literally sent an email out to all their members telling them to vote against it. And STILL they lost. The last time they used that blatant a tactic was their infamous influence in banning gay marriage in California back in 2008. The Mormon church wanted something out of Utah, and they didn’t get it. That idea always gives non-mormons here a bit of hope.
I know none of this sounds like humongous game-changing wins but all of it is so much more than I expected out of tonight on a state level, and it really reaffirms my opinion that voting absolutely and without question matters.
bongdanceking 