The Lions lose. Michigan State loses. The University of Michigan loses. Who says a new day has dawned?
True to my word, I spent zero time watching the Wolverines and the Lions. I am convinced we are cursed in this state when it comes to football. Other than Michigan’s shared national championship in 1997, we have had no NCAA division one or NFL championship since 1957. To be born as a Lion’s fan is to be born with a lifetime curse of disappointment and losing. It can easily be argued the Lions are the worst professional sports franchise in the U.S. Michigan State looked overmatched by an 0-2 Iowa team and U of M is starting to look like the Lions with too many penalties, no running game, no positive in-game adjustments, and poor preparation. Coaching is a major problem for both the Lions and Wolverines.
Joe Biden won the presidency, but the Republicans were the big winners at the lower levels, including the Michigan legislature. This election was not the blue wave, the pollsters were predicting. Presidend-elect Biden has his work cut out for him. His strength has always been working together and coming to compromise. Those strengths are going to be tested immediately. Trump’s ability to rally his base and get out the vote, didn’t result in a victory for him, but it sure did help the Republicans as a whole.
As I refect back on the election, I continue to appreciate all the election officials and workers who went above and beyond to make sure the votes were counted accurately and as timely as possible. The pressure they must have felt had to be overwhelming, especially in the swing states like Georgia, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Arizona and Nevada. They are the true heroes in this election.
Mail-in voting is here to stay, Changes need to be made to allow for the mail-in ballots to be counted sooner rather than later. Many states like Florida were able to count the mail-in ballots in a timely manner so they were included in the vote count on the day of the election. Because mail-in ballots were counted last in many states and because the mail in ballots were skewed toward Biden we saw states flip as the counting of the mail-in ballots were released. For many this left a bad taste in their mouth. Refining the process is critical for the future.
I am still undecided on how I feel about the electoral college. I understand why it was created but I am not sure it serves the purpose for which it was created. On the other hand, without the electoral college, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Arizona and Nevada would never have been in the spotlight the way they were the last few days. I am trying to come to grips with whether that is a good thing or not.
We lost a class act this weekend with the passing of Alex Trebek. Nolan Finley of the Detroit News wrote this in his daily blog. “Jeopardy is still my favorite TV show. It’s a half-hour of intellectual entertainment, hosted by the official National Nerd Alex Trebek. Trebek died Sunday after an admirable battle with pancreatic cancer. He worked till the end, presenting an image of a man who accepted with grace the end of a long and successful life.”