As of midnight, all eight initiatives are losing in California, although two of the measures are still too close to call. That would be Prop. 73 (mandating parental notification for minors before abortion) and 75 (prohibiting the expenditure of public employee union dues without prior consent of member). I voted against both, as well all of the various Schwarzenegger referenda save the redistricting measure (Prop. 77, which is losing decisively). The most important proposal, Prop. 76, which would impose a spending cap on the budget, is getting whomped, as are the two progressive-backed measures (limiting pharmaceutical costs and re-regulating electricity).

With half the vote counted, but almost all of Los Angeles County still to be heard from, it's going to be a very bad morning for Ahnolt Ziffel. He came into office two years ago as a "reformer" who claimed to stand above politics, but now the people have rejected his proposals, in an off-year special election that he called, and which was timed to reduce the turnout of those most likely to oppose him. Even if he wins reelection, he goes into 2006 knowing that is certain that an overwhelmingly liberal, Democratic legislature will also be elected means he would spend the next four years as a figurehead.

The magic is gone. Don't be surprised if Variety publishes a production listing for the shooting of Terminator 4 in 2007.

UPDATE: As of 1 a.m., Prop. 75 is pretty much done, trailing by 5%, with about half of L.A. County and a quarter of Alameda County (two of the biggest liberal counties in the state) to be counted. Prop. 73 is hanging in there; it is perhaps the only initiative that hasn't lost significant ground since the absentee ballots were counted, but it's still going to lose after all the ballots are counted. Good night.