It is the day after the elections and time to determine if the pundits” predictions of a blue wave or a red wave prevailed. Depending on where you look an argument can be made for either position.  Locally I believe we had a red wave, with a blue wave at the state level and ending with modest streams of blue and red at the national level.

In DeWitt County all three Democratic County Board candidates were defeated. All three campaigned on their bipartisan work on the Board and all three supported the wind farms. Cris Rogers and Sue Whitted came to the Board during a time when the County Board was in turmoil and for lack of a better term—total chaos. They worked with mainstream Republicans and significantly helped to restore civility and order to the County Board. For those efforts the public is indebted to both of them.  The windfarm  issue is very divisive in county politics at present. DeWitt County is historically a Republican County. The voters in DeWitt County clearly forced a Red Wave on the County as well as giving county officials a message to use caution in the area of supporting windfarms. Both those supporting and opposing windfarms have meritorious arguments. We shall see what happens next.

Congratulations to winning county board members Ferguson, Tilley, Ennis, Houser, Matthews, and Pruser. Thank-you to departing County Board Members Whitted, Rogers and Perring.

The Sixth Circuit at large judicial races were also very interesting as to Blue and Red. Republican judges Webber and Rosenbaum were soundly defeated in Blue Champaign County by Democrats Beckett and Sullivan, only to ride a wave of red from the other five counties to victory. Champaign County was a solid wave of Blue and all Republicans were vanquished. From what I can ascertain that Blue wave was solidly U of I students. I have no problem with students voting in their home districts, but deeply resent students, who are only in town to go to college, voting in local elections. These students certainly consume the public services, but their contribution to the providing of those services is questionable at best.

At the state level, it was a tsunami of Blue. All state wide offices are now solidly Democratic as are both the state house and senate. Republicans are an endangered species in Springfield. Governor elect Pritzker has yet to give us any idea of just what his plan his and how he is to fund it, save he supports an increase in the state income tax. I wish him and the legislature well in governing the state, but to do that significant efforts are needed in getting a handle on state spending and not increasing entitlements. We shall see, but I fear anyone in what we call the middle class is going to see a significant increase in their state income tax bill.

On the national level, I saw a mildly steady stream of Blue giving the Democrats the House. I also saw a steady stream of Red giving the Republicans a greater majority in the Senate. This is an historical normalcy. The public simply doesn’t like one party in control of everything at the national level. The public wants a check and balance system. The problem is the extreme liberals in the Democratic Party and the extreme conservatives in the Republican party have never learned common civility and the art of compromise that served our nation so well for 250 years. 

President Trump stakes claim to the art of the deal as his mantra. Perhaps with the opposing party in control of the House, we will now see some deals that can benefit both political parties and more importantly the citizens of this great country.

I leave you with this final political question:   Isn’t it great to see all the political signs taken down and no more attack ads on tv?