I could not stay up to watch California and other late closing States come in last night. Storms were predicted for our area so I was careful to put the computers to bed too.
I was hoping to wake to an Obama victory in California and a delegate lead but such was not the case. Maybe my May 20 vote will actually make a difference.
The lights worked and the computers booted up as the storms were not a factor for us. But to my horror others were not so fortunate. Current reports are that up to 45 died overnight and tornadoes are still threatening the Southeast.
I grew up in Iowa where Spring tornados were always a concern. As a child, we had one "Close Encounter of the Third Kind" that sent us to the basement. The house stood firm and we survived. A corn crib was lost and our neighbors lost their barn. And about 15 years ago in Southern Indiana, we again found ourselves in the basement. Again our house was safe but we lost several very large trees in our front yard. Fortunately, they fell across the street missing houses and cars.
Those tornados were in the Spring, not early February. We never worried about tornados in early February. So, what is going? I consulted two friends with different perspectives on extreme weather for some answers.
Evolution Eve is your typical liberal academic science geek who points to Global Warming as one factor. "As the earth warms," she lectures, "we can expect more extreme weather patterns. With February temperatures in the 70s, it isn’t surprising that tornado season is coming earlier."
Bible Belt Betty rejects Eve’s atheistic science, placing her faith in the Lord. "God didn’t just create the world, then retire" she preaches. "He is still our everyday conductor. He directs all nature - lightning bolts, tornados, hurricanes, and rainbows. Obviously, God isn’t happy about something."
"Those tornados seem to have hit the States Huckabee won. Maybe God is punishing Republicans for their votes," I offered.
Betty would have none of that. "How about the Democrats?" She snapped. "I heard Obama is a Muslim and his father was an Islamic terrorist. And everyone knows the Clintons are in league with the devil."
We compromised agreeing that the primaries were just too darn early. As the primary season moved up, politicians should have realized the tornado season would follow and move up accordingly.
So goes Cheney’s last year. Be safe. Vote early and often.