Surprising twists in Amercian elections.

That Obama won the presidential election is no surprise nor a twist.

But Americans voted for many things on November 4th. Might have something to do with the difficultly of getting Americans to vote, so they do it all in one big hit.

This includes referendums, such as Prop 8. Prop 8 is a proposal that would ban gay marriage. It was run in three states, one of which was California.

I have to admit I did not think it would pass in California. After all, they have San Fransisco for crying out loud. But it appears that it may just pass, but it is still too close to tell. However it has not achieved the majority of the vote many believed it would. In 2000 a similar bill, prop 22 was passed (it was defeated in supreme court and thus the recent gay marriages) with over 60% of the vote. This time it just holding at 52%.

California is being seen as a test case for the tolerance of gay marriage. Proponents of Prop 8 feared that if it fail that gay love would overrun the world. And while the gay community may feel disheartened by its loss, I would like to point out that while California is not ready for gay marriage now, try again in 2012.

Another surprising twist for all is Ted Stevens. Longest serving republican senator and recent convicted felon. He's just holding onto his seat. It may take weeks before it can be decided. For those who oppose him they're surprise because he's the first convicted felon to win a seat. Ted Stevens and his supporters are surprised because Ted Stevens has always won by a comfortable majority. Of course it may prove futile in a democrat controlled senate, with an ethics committee and all.