On the American Midterm Elections

So it's obviously a tragedy for ordinary Americans, and for humanity in general, when Republicans win, but putting that to one side, one may take some modest satisfaction in the fact that the three super-duper crazies to emerge from the ideological delusion of the Tea Partiers--namely, Sharron Angle in Nevada, Joe Miller in Alaska, and Christine O'Donnell in Delaware--all lost in their Senate bids.   Miller's loss to a write-in candidate in Alaska--despite his having the strong support of the right-wing entertainer Sarah Palin, former Governor of this very right-wing state--is a particularly hopeful sign.   (Rand Paul did win a Senate seat from the very conservative state of Kentucky, but like his father, Ron Paul, he will in many respects be preferable to his fellow conservative Senator from Kentucky, Mitch McConnell.  He is alone among Senate candidates, as far as I can tell, in proposing cuts to the "defense" [sic] budget, for example, and I am fairly confident he will not support war with Iran.)