"Tea Party Tidalwave?" More like a tempest in a tea cup....

So, America went predictably Red in the mid-terms, handing the keys to the House Of Representatives while letting the Democrats keep the Senate, which seemed an odd goodwill gesture. The West Coast went almost universally Democratic, surprisingly. Harry Reid got to keep his seat, which was more a sign that Sharron Angle scared the bejesus outta Nevada as much as she scared the rest of us!

 Sharron Angle pressing the flesh: "I'm a lil' teapot, short and stout...."

Jerry Brown has been returned to California's governor's mansion nearly 30 years after he left, and Barbara Boxer's been granted another term. Also, against most predictions, the marijuana-legalizing Prop 19 didn't pass, yet neither did the energy-industry-sponsored anti-anti-climate change bill Prop 23.

What does it all mean? It looks, from many angles, like America was letting the Obama White House and Congressional Democrats know they'd banked on 'em, felt they weren't being listened to, and were disappointed. Change was desired, but the American public seem to feel the bill they're having to pay for it is too high. They're also confused as to what the Obama Administration has really done. (Might I suggest poking around this handy site?)

What it isn't, is the "Tea Party tidalwave" Rand Paul was crowing about in his cocky victory speech Tuesday night. Only 30 Tea Party candidates apparently passed approval at the polls, including Paul. In fact, the biggest, most vocal nutjobs the Tea Party backed - Angle, Carl Palladino, Christine O'Donnell - received a major smackdown from voters. (Palladino and O'Donnell especially got curbstomped!) If anything, America said "no" to loonbag extremism.

Christine O'Donnell will now hold her breath until you tell her she won!

The public clearly feels either over- or underwhelmed by Obama's activist agenda - not sure which. They're certainly cranky about jobs and the economy. They're hoping to be listened to, finally. And they're wanting reason and moderation. (Unless they live in Kentucky, in which case they want Rand Paul. And by golly, they've got him.)

If you live in California, witchy, extremely conservative women with several semi's filled with cash can't spend a semi or two to buy an office. California would prefer experience, it seems. They just don't wanna experience legal weed. And they also see through corporate assholism that attempts to block anti-global warming measures.

Meg Whitman appears to be taking her gubernatorial defeat with grace and dignity.

Now, where do we go from here? Well, the Los Angeles Times a few weeks back predicted the President would begin relying far more on executive orders than legislation to pass his agenda. That could go in either direction, depending on how quickly he gets results, and if the American people like those results. Obama could also pull a full Bill Clinton and pull to the center, working with John Boehner and the new GOP House majority. Somehow, that seems doubtful: Presumptive new Speaker Of The House John Boehner and his orange skin have let it be known the GOP will work with Obama only if he does what they want. (Besides, Clinton's not exactly a fave of mine. True, he balanced the budget and gave America its' first-ever budget surplus by the time he left office. But he also got us into a lot of poisonous crap like NAFTA in his time.)

"I DO NOT look like an orange toad!"

Mostly, though, America has just doomed itself to two years of House Republicans passing all manner of noxious horseshit that will never make it past the Senate. What does pass will most certainly meet a Presidential veto. And Rand Paul and his fellow Congressional Tea Baggers will meet the culture of Washington they so (rightfully) despise and find they can't topple it or change it, and their heads will pop off and orbit Mars.

In short, you think nothing gets done in Washington now? Then, America: You ain't seen nuthin' yet!