I watch election results to gauge whether America has become freer or more tyrannical. It’s hard to know whether Tuesday’s results will make much difference. Often, individual liberty erodes in ways that neither major political party much cares about.

Last weekend, I suffered through the New York Marathon. I suffered not because I ran 26.2 miles but because I live near Central Park, and at Marathon time, officials turn my neighborhood into a little police state. Four thousand police officers, 20 boats and four blimps “guarded” the Marathon. Barricades, bomb-sniffing dogs and surveillance cameras were everywhere.