Political Cynicism and Geography
It's all in where you live, I guess. Here in Tennessee, election time approaching means anti-gay ballot initiatives and crowd-pleasing bills passing the legislature promoting religion in schools, restricting women's rights, etc... But, in California, political pandering looks very different. Wouldn't it be nice to live in a state where the desire for re-election requires a Governor to do things like this?

Leaders of the state legislature and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger announced a deal yesterday under which California will mandate a reduction in the state's emissions of gases contributing to global warming to 1990 levels by 2020....California, the world's sixth-largest economy, accounts for only about 2% of the world's annual global-warming emissions.

And this?

The religious right is fuming after California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed a law that requires schools that receive state funds to introduce nondiscriminatory practices relating to sexual orientation...