In addition to the disappointing outcome of California's Proposition 8, banning gay marriage, the state's voters made mistakes in rejecting Proposition 5, which would have shifted the state's response to drug crimes from incarceration to treatment, and approving Proposition 9, which purports to give new "rights" to crime victims.

It is particularly troubling that MADD aggressively lobbied voters to reject proposition 5 even though it had nothing to do with drunk driving, and even though an organization that wants to prevent impaired driving should be supportive of increased funding for treatment programs. This is the latest example of how MADD, having accomplished its objective of raising awareness of drunk driving and toughening drunk driving penalties around the country, has outlived its usefulness and now seeks to perpetuate itself by intruding into criminal justice issues that are none of its concern.

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At the height of recent Republican dominance, 2002, Ruy Texeira and John Judis wrote a book titled The Emerging Democratic Majority. In the book, Texeira and Judis posited that, as Judis and Texeira wrote about the 2006 elections:

Just as important as these victories is who voted for Democrats in 2006. With few exceptions, the groups were exactly those that had begun trending Democratic in the 1990s and had contributed to Al Gore's popular-vote victory over George W. Bush in 2000. These groups, which we described in our 2002 book, The Emerging Democratic Majority, included women, professionals, and minorities. But in 2006 they also included two groups our book slighted or ignored altogether: younger voters (those born after 1977) and independents. These voters can generally be expected to continue backing Democrats.

The thesis forwarded by Judis and Texeira has been confirmed in this election. Women (56%), African Americans (95%), Latinos (66%), young voters (66% (among whites (54%)) and college graduates (53%) form the new Democratic majority. Older white voters remain Republican voters. And, as Texeira and Judis noted this has policy ramifications:

Via Yglesias, Fox News declares America a "Center Left" country:

Via Sirota, Ruth Marcus proves Broder still rules the Beltway World. Here's the thing, if the Beltway takes Obama's platform and declares it Center Right, hell even Far Right, I will not complain. But they won't. That is Far Left to these bozos. Their contempt for the American People is disgusting.

By Big Tent Democrat, speaking for me only

History was made last night. But the historic night was marred by the passage of Prop 8 in California (a similar proposition was passed in Florida with overwhelming African American and Latino support). Particularly troubling was the voting of African Americans in California (and to a lesser extent Latinos) - who voted 70-30 in favor of stripping gay Californians of their state based constitutional right to marry the person they love.

There were a lot of signs last night that declared "We Have Overcome." No, we have not.

By Big Tent Democrat, speaking for me only

Update: The gap has been narrowing throughout the day. The latest report shows Coleman leading by 476 votes.

original post:

In Minnesota's senate race between Norm Coleman and Al Franken:

With 100 percent of the 4,130 precincts reporting, Coleman had an unofficial margin of 601 votes out of nearly 2.9 million cast. Recounts are required in races with a winning margin of less than one half of 1 percent.

The recount probably won't be completed until early December.

Remember when Joe Lieberman hated filibusters? When he helped form the Gang of 14 to stop those awful filibusters of extreme Bush judges? Now he sings a different tune:

Lieberman also hinted that next session, he would be supportive of conservative efforts to filibuster progressive legislation. Lieberman said that the filibuster is a “key” to stop such “passions of the moment” [-] LIEBERMAN: And I think the filibuster is the key. You know, it gets a bad name, but it was really put there, a 60-vote requirement, to, as somebody said to me when I first came to the Senate, stop the passions of a moment among the people of America from sweeping across the Congress, the House, through the Senate, to a like-minded President and having us do things that will change America for a long time. So the filibuster is one of the important protections we have.

If I were Harry Reid, I would put it to Lieberman this way, the moment you join a Republican filibuster is the moment you are thrown out of the caucus and stripped of all committee chairmanships. If you want to act like a GOP freshman Senator, then we will treat you like one.

By Big Tent Democrat, speaking for me only

The Day After History.

Later I will be providing a detailed analysis of the now Emerged Democratic Majority and what it can mean in terms of actual policy. But for now, some gloating. . . .

Here are some late-breaking election results, as of 1:00 am MT:

• CBS calls Indiana for President-Elect Barack Obama.

• The South Dakota abortion ban failed.

• The Colorado "personhood" amendment failed.

• No final results on Prop. 8 in California which would ban gay marriage.

• Marijuana reform passed easily in Massachussetts and Michigan. Mass. voters agreed to decriminalization of small amounts for adult possession and medical marijuana was approved in Michigan.

More...

We will live blog President Elect Barack Obama's victory speech.

The live blog is below the fold so it can be bigger. You can comment below as usual or send us messages.

Update: Transcript of Obama's speech is here.

Update 11:21 pm: McCain gives concession speech.

1100 pm: CNN, NBC and ABC News: Obama wins. He's over 270.

Barack Obama, 44th President of the United States.

CBS calls Florida for Obama.

I'll be bumping this to the top periodically all night. It's a widget and will update automatically. Click on the "President" link for live vote tallies.

Update: 11:10 pm: McCain called Obama and conceded. He will speak tonight, Sarah Palin will not.

Update: 11:00 pm: Obama wins the Presidency.

Update: 10:50 pm: Obama wins Virginia. [More...]