Life Improvement

I voted at 9AM Tuesday.  I did not check on a single result for 24 hours, knowing that the presidential race would not be definitive.  My wife did tell me about the state and local races. William Bryk, who I mentioned recently, did not win. I shuddered as I saw his name on the ballot. I caught information only peripherally, from reading the headlines but not the links at Maggies and both over at Grim's, combined with some texts from family.  I did follow one link sent about the claims of fraud, and that most but not all had reasonable explanations behind them, with strong implication that conservatives were going crazy with accusations. Sarah Hoyt is going crazy with accusations, with lots of hyperventilating not backed up by data. Having come from a very-leftist country, I can see why she would be more susceptible. 

That was behind my post last night, which I hope has the right perspective.  Because of the chaos of mail-in voting on top of the usual incompetence and workers in urban areas trying to game the system, the predictions that things were going to look bad no matter what has held up. We are into second-level at some places now, where there has been accusation and a defense, and folks are looking at whether the defense itself is part of the problem. That is exactly what should happen, no need for screaming. Cold eyes here. 

It's also why I went looking for something light to put in. In hard times we need more humor, not less.

While writing it I went over to one of the sites keeping up with real time results and dug deeper into the happenings and predictions in the close states. Wisconsin is actually closer than Arizona, but I guess the understanding of where the rest of the votes are coming from keeps it from being declared uncertain.

See, I have already gotten obsessed, as I predicted would happen a few days ago.  I woke up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom and went to the computer looking for updates, and checked this morning upon arising even before brushing my teeth.  I did start the coffee water. I am going for another long walk now, listening to podcasts about the History of the English Language, or maybe that fascinating Hasidic Rebbe explaining the Book of Joshua to a group that seems to be talking continually and not listening to him.*

It looks like Biden is going to win, and the amounts of fraud still looking possible will not be enough to change any states except Pennsylvania and Georgia. Well, that's important. I don't think Trump should drop it, I think even small items should be attended to for principle's sake, and I think there should be some recounts.  What fraud there is may "only" be the usual, of a thousand people on the margin making small decisions about eligibility and spoiled ballots in favor of their candidate, almost always city machine operatives and hence Democrat. Impossible to trace most of it.  Republicans have to win by more than the amount of fraud. If It's Not Close, They Can't Cheat was Hugh Hewitt's book in the early 2000s, and it's still true.

 *Because I hear the occasional clink of china or tableware in the background, perhaps it's a dinner and their custom is to have the rabbi speak during rather than after the meal?  I'm trying to be generous here, because the clinks are very few in number and are probably only coffee.  But why go to listen to a famous preacher if everyone is going to talk the whole time?