A few minutes-to-midnight comments before the polls end and the fate of our next four years is announced:
-First off, go vote. Really. Even if you disagree with my politics (actually, from your point of view, *especially* if you disagree with my politics). Voting is the lifeblood of a democracy (or a representative republic such as ours), and I can put ideology aside long enough to look at the bigger picture of an election where the will of the people is honestly represented.
-One of the drawbacks to voting early (I voted 10 days ago) is the conspicuous absence of an "I Voted Today" sticker. :P Maybe I should make my own.
-The World-Herald endorsed *both* John McCain and Lee Terry. I'm pocketing that one for the next time my father insists the World-Herald is an "elitist liberal propaganda newspaper." It's like line of sight in geometry; what you see depends on where you are.
-As two sides to one coin: (a) I read an article about
a 95-year-old Alzheimer's patient who apparently registered and then voted during a voting outreach program at her nursing home, despite the fact that she often can't remember her own name (prompting an investigation into coercion of a captive audience by the program); and (b) a local morning radio program dipped well into tastelessness when two of the hosts began ridiculing a judge who ruled that the homeless have a right to vote, suggesting (in colorful language) that the homeless are mentally incapable of thinking of anything beyond what kind of soup is staining their clothing and suggesting they just put "park bench" down as the place their voter registration card should be mailed (only the third host correctly pointed out that the requirements to vote are few and well-protected and they don't include "owning or renting property").
-I'm glad we've had no celebrity "If Candidate X wins I'm moving to Canada" declarations as we've had in previous elections (declarations which by and large revealed themselves as empty threats).
-My mother has been politely but persistently inquiring into potential present ideas. My suggestion that the entire family make one big donation to the Obama campaign in my name was met without laughter.
-Early voting in Douglas County set an all-time record. Part of that is the change in wording from "absentee" to "early voting" during the last cycle, but it's also a
bellwether of greater voter interest. I've served in elections with turnout as low as 15% (we had less than a dozen voters before lunch), but I think the Secretary of State is predicting turnout as high as 65-75%, which is just fantastic.
-Everyone have a safe and happy Election Day.
Labels: politics
Posted at 12:17:00 PM. |
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