I’m sure you don’t need me to tell you that Obama will be our next president, but I had to say SOMETHING about it.  And I won’t go on and on about how significant and historic that is, either.  That’s already been beaten into the ground.  What I really wanna talk about is the good ol’ red state of Virginia.

Great news!  You ain’t red no mo’!

After voting Republican since 1964, something different started happening in 2002. That’s when Virginia voted for Mark Warner, a Democrat, for governor.  Then, in 2006, Virginians elected Tim Kaine, another Democrat, to replace Warner (Virginia governors are only allowed to serve one term).  Also in 2006, Democrat Jim Webb was elected to the Senate over the incumbent Republican George Allen.  And this year, former governor Mark Warner easily defeated Republican Jim Gilmore to fill the seat vacated by Republican Senator John Warner (no relation), who’s retiring.  Through all of this, and for more than 40 years, Virginia continued to vote for the Republican candidate for president.  Until now.  Virginia finally did the thing and Obama won Virginia by four points — a devastating blow to the GOP, who used to be able to rely on Virginia.

I kinda get a kick out of it though.  Let me tell you why.  Not long after I moved down here (from the ORIGINAL blue state of Massachusetts) and I started working for the “large financial institution” that I do, I got to talking to some of the locals I work with.  This was right around the time of the ‘04 election.  They were giving me a hard time about supporting Kerry and being a blue stater stuck in a red state.  Now, a mere four years later, the tables have turned.  Maybe I brought the blue with me.  Or maybe it’s just coincidnce.  Who knows.  But now that Virginia has completed it’s transition to a blue state, it seems to me that Buddy and Tracy might be the ones that’re a outta place!  Poor babies…

But seriously, being a blue state is a good thing!  I found this little blurb online to help you get adjusted and feel better about it.  It’s put together well so I don’t feel any need to reinvent the wheel.  It’s a bit more passive agressive, but definitely less angry than this similar message. (Seriously, that last link is a little rough around the edges, to say the least, but it has some valid points between the f-bombs.)