LESSONS LEARNED AND UNLEARNED

One may take several lessons away from last week's elections..probably depending more on what you believed going in, than coming out.  Here are a few of my "lessons."

Statehouse Democrats tried hard to redistrict the Congressional races..and it did NOT work. See: Chandler, Ben (Remember the courts upheld these districts while throwing out the maps drawn for state races.) But it failed. The "safer" 6th district for the Dems went to the GOP. And some Jessamine County citizens are still to be represented, along with Owensboro, several hundred miles away, by a man who previously, if now, had little knowledge of the issues of importance to them.

But in January the House and Senate will come up with new districts and try to get court approval...if a challenge is filed. These maps will, as ever, be designed as "incumbent protection" districts, not true representation of local citizens.

Citizens everywhere should insist this job be taken out of the hands of the legislature, and given to a nonpartisan commission of poli-sci people, and geographers and population specialists--as  many states do...with the final maps subject to being overridden by an extra-ordinary legislative majority. Will Kentucky be that smart?  When race horses fly!

We MUST end the electoral college. One person, one vote--that's true democracy. It took 125 years to get U-S Senators to be elected by the people..it's about time we extended this to our Chief Executive--just as some districts do surveyors and dog catchers.

Polls are getting better..the ones in advance..and exit polls are getting worse. I have asked the experts, googled and searched, and I still can not find an explanation of the margin of error they supposedly have. Several experts have told me they don't understand this either. We should end this invasion of our supposedly secret ballot.

Finally, may I express my absolute dee-light at Indiana's rejection of the GOP candidate for the U-SSenate..you know, the guy who defeated Sen Lugar in the primary, but later didn't understand rape?  Before coming here 37 years ago, I spent 9 years covering politics in the Hoosier state.  Dick Lugar is my idea of a great public servant.

Any of you who wish to sign my petition nominating ex-Senator Sam Nunn (D-Ga), and soon-to-be ex-Senator Richard Lugar (R-Ind) for the Nobel Peace Prize for their work in attempting to lock-up all the loose nukes and nuke material around the world, feel free.

I'm just sayin'...