I’m going out to vote now.
November 7th, 2006 | Uncategorized
God help me. I’m very grateful to live in such a small town that we routinely use paper ballots.
God help me. I’m very grateful to live in such a small town that we routinely use paper ballots.
37 Responses to “I’m going out to vote now.”
Good, Citizen Alison.
Cast your ballot.
Mine is wholly automated.
One perk to being disabled is that I get to vote by mail, via paper ballot. At least I know it’s being counted.
I’m keeping a close eye on things right over here in the UK … crossing my fingers for you (and the rest of the world).
Hurrah for Oregon, where we all vote by mail with paper ballots.
Voted by absentee ballot on Friday, felt good!
I’m feeling pre-depressed. Here in WI we’re voting on one of those awful constitutional amendments re: marriage, but the marriage thing is a complete red herring (since marriage is already one man-one woman here) to obscure the fact that the amendment would obliterate DP benefits, future possibility of civil unions, etc. Polling has said the issue is closer here than anywhere else in the country that’s considered / considering such an amendment, but no poll has shown the damn thing as being defeated.
Anyway, just voted, off to do last minute phoning now to try to get folks in liberal Madison out to the polls.
I share Sydney’s profession, so here is a little historical inspiration for Election Day – from Jane Apostle’s “Why Women Should Not Have the Vote: Anti-Suffrage Views in the Southland in 1911”:
“Colorado was a favorite target of the anti-suffragists, who observed that women had voted in the state since 1894 but had not cleaned up the political corruption. ‘The experiment of woman suffrage there has been like pouring cologne water into a sewer,’ a Los Angeles Times editorial charged. ‘It has not purified the sewer and it has utterly ruined the cologne water. Colorado women were accused of voting irresponsibly, of working for the party that paid the most, of losing their womanly graces, and even of drinking more whiskey than the men.”
So grab some whiskey, lose those womanly graces, and hit the polls, people!
As a Canadian in the US for this election, I am getting sore from holding my breath…
It wasn’t until last week that I saw some examples of the “attack” ads on television. I’m amazed at the consistant ability of some to sink to new personal lows.
How do you feel about ballot initiatives in general? Is this a good way to change laws?
I like ballot initiatives. I also do my own brain surgery.
I’m jealous of jmc. WI is where my mother’s family came from, and I grew up in IL, but I have to vote in MA because that was my last legal residence. I keep wondering if IL knows that, actually…
I have heard there is a growing trend of yuppies to absentee ballot just so they can save time. My voting didn’t take long! But I don’t know how you can be sure it gets counted from here. At least in Chicago they gave you a little receipt so in theory you could go check your (butterfly!) ballot got counted right. I never tried it though (funny enough.) A lot of places gave you discounts on election day if you showed your receipt!
oy vey….the california voter handbook is longer than most DTWOF collections…..
I’m wearing my pirate shirt today for strength!!!
I voted on Halloween (seemed appropriate considering the hate-and-fearmongering campaigning). Picked the most obscure polling place I could find, which also happened to be near my workplace, went just before the doors closed for the day, and did not have to wait in line! Just walked in, checked in, voted, and left. That’ll probably never happen again. . .
jmc – Greetings from a fellow liberal Madisonian. The rumor is that poll results so far regarding the amendment are very close so try not to give into despair just yet. I’m sure trying to keep my hope alive.
leighisflying – I know for certain that one of the best things I’ve done this year was to get rid of my television and therefore haven’t been subjected to a single obnoxious political ad this campaign season.
I had the choice this morning of paper versus electronic. I chose paper. The folks in line at electronic were completely mystified, becase they lost the directions so people with questions were out of luck. Goddess help us.
Everybody say a little prayer for us folks here in the sixth district in Minnesota that Michelle Bachmann won’t be elected to Congress, where she can waste still more time and money on ballots to ban gay marriage for the eight time in the state and to categorize stillborn babies as legal deaths (that is, more than she has already wasted as a state representative.) Cross your fingers for Claire McCaskil and stem cell research in my old home of Missouri as well- that fucked-up state really needs a politian like her.
Allakimbo, congrats on dumping the tv! I did it a few years ago, and have found that it really makes it easier to simplify, to avoid spending money on stuff I don’t need. It’s funny how much less I want when not subjected to the constant barrage of ads.
Yippeeee for Oregon! Like Amanda stated, Oregon is entirely ‘vote-by-mail’ with paper ballots! I am watching like crazy tonight. There is alot at stake. At least in Lane County, there are quite a few women running for office to augment our female mayor. Yea Alison for being involved!
I voted here in OR a week ago, which has given me time to follow what’s happening to our neighbors in Latin America. The good news is president Daniel Ortega,elected in 1979 as a Sandinista,will be the next president. He is alllied with Hugo Chavez of Colombia. As you may now, Chile has a socialist feminist female president.
The situation in Oaxaca changes daily,but there have been huge support rallies in support of the people throughout the Americas.
Poder para el pueblo!
Ortega is president of Nicaragua.
When I voted today, I had to vote for who I hated the least because everyone was so bad.
What drives me crazy is how many women I know that don’t even bother to vote. We didn’t always have the right to vote and worked so hard to get it. Take advantage of that opportunity!
I live in Mississippi. Enough said. Lovely people, but it’s such a foregone conclusion that Trent Lott will be reelected that he didn’t even campaign–the state is that red. Oh well–a shot of liquid courage and off I go.
I voted about 2 weeks ago with an absentee ballot from Australia.
Weird thing is I’m now travelling in the U.S., visiting California, Wisconsin (my previous place of residence was Madison) and Tennessee. But I had to vote absentee because I wouldn’t be in Wisconsin by 7 November and my current residence is officially overseas.
The strangest part about the whole process (different to two years ago) is that I had to track down a U.S. citizen to witness my ballot. I had to call a colleague of an acquaintance of a friend to find a U.S. citizen, since I live in rural Queensland and don’t actually know any other Americans there. Honestly. Last election I just had to have a human witness my ballot, but now I guess the only legitimate humans are U.S. citizens.
Now I’m just waiting to see the results…
I voted today. It’s really depressing having to play the politics game. You know, voting Democrat simply to get Republicans out of control of congress. Too bad I can’t actually vote for any 3rd party candidate. You know, like a Democracy or something.
Sorry to the person from WI. I’m really worried about the nation becoming split over legal gay marriage and illegal marriage. I wonder if some states will secede…it’ll be another civil war. I know it must seem like I’m being sarcastic, but I really think it could happen. Think about it, the only reason Bush got reelected is because the majority of people are more afraid of gay marriage than they are of war or death.
Well, we casted our votes, all we can do is hope. Anyone have any left to spare? I’m running low…
I moved back to Portland a year ago after 20 years away. I’m surprised at how much I like voting by mail. I do think it’s a shame that kids these days don’t get to walk to the fire station with their parents and watch them go into the booth–but I find that I’m a much more thoughtful voter in this system. I call it “open book voting.”
ps Hugo Chavez is president of Venezuela
pps Love this blog. Anyone–esp. AB–want to weigh in on Haggard…?
Santorum is out! Time to celebrate!!
As I write this the BBC has predicted a Democratic majority in the House, with the Senate still unclear. So happy to see Santorum out, but Allen seems to have the edge in a close race. Chaffee was a RINO: sorry to see him go – he seemed to think before he spoke, more often than not.
Ortega ( in Nicaragua ) is, I suspect, more opportunist than revolutionary these days, but the Chavez connection is worrying. What we might call “rational” socialists are sometimes a good thing – Bachelet in Chile is a good example, though I feel she must increase spending on primary education urgently – but demagogues and crooks wearing red shirts are as bad as those in black ones ( though not, of course, brown ones ). Into this category I would certainly put Chavez: he reminds me of early Mugabe, but with a more obvious determination to grab power than Mugabe had at the equivalent point in his rule. Chavez is dangerously economically illiterate too: his restructuring of the corporate tax system is already leading to reduced revenues, and the way his government’s loan to Argentina has been structured in effect steals at least $600 million from his own people ( back of the envelope calculation, but certainly in the right ballpark ).
You can tell I’m not a knee-jerk lefty… But I am delighted by the results coming in tonight. I hope it’s a good foundation for Hillary in ’08.
I’m trying very hard not to break out in the happy dance prematurely at this point. But it does look better than it has for some time.
Overjoyed…do you know Dan Savage’s definition of santorum?
They just announced it: Claire McCaskill is the new Senator from Missouri!!!! I’m so excited , I swear I could just lay down and have an orgasm right here!!! Who’da ever thunk it, that I’d be proud to say that at last Missouri is Talent-less!!!
I’d go to bed, but still waiting on the stem cell initiative-its 49% to 49%–dare I to dream ???
Yes, I love Dan Savage’s definition of “santorum” -that “frothy mix of lube and fecal matter”. But we’ll never have to think about him again, cuz he’s gone where the goblins go, below, below, let’s go, lets go and go and sing, and ring the bells out…You know the rest!!!
Here in the UK the BBC is indeed calling the House for the Democrats by a huge margin and the Senate too close to call. I’d read so many stories about dodgy electronic voting machines and dodgy electoral practices, I really was worried that the Republicans would hold by fair means or foul. I was disappointed to hear Liebermann won and not Ned Lamont. Ditto Schwarzenegger. Does anyone know the result for Proposition 87 in California – the one on taxing oil companies to invest in sustainable energy technologies?
I’m an outsider but I’m so grateful the Democrats at least have the house. It’s like Americans have switched on the landing light so the rest of the world can climb the stairs.
I hear that Bush is to give a statement at 1800 hours GMT on the election. My guess is he’ll be conciliatory but will really fight. I watched some of those awful political adverts and was shocked at the depths they trawl. Political parties here have made attempts in that direction but it’s been shown to be a huge turn-off for voters. Don’t you have a broadcasting standards body you can complain to? 😉
Ian, Prop. 87 failed. Very sad. But thanks so much for caring about us over here — we hope to return to decent citizenship in the world, once we clean up our mess.
Thanks for that Maggie. Yes, very sad. As for the rest I hope you’re not being sarcastic! Heheheee. Oh dear, I do hope I don’t come over as being anti-American. I do admit that over here it’s as much self-interest, wanting any kind of impediment to the neo-con agenda.
But there is “many a true word spake in jest”. There are many people in Europe with very high anti-American feelings thanks to US foreign policy over the last 50 or so years. And I know people who boycott American products (I don’t buy Coca-Cola for example, thanks to their record in Colombia. And I feel very uncomfortable about shopping in one of our national supermarkets which is owned by Wal-Mart). But it’s not just foreign policy (though it is tied into it), it’s the global warming/environmental issue as well which does cause a lot of anti-American feeling. It’s not confined to the US, of course: there’s a lot of concern about China and India, though for different reasons.
It is very difficult to say these things, especially as you know you’re saying them to people with long activist and left-wing histories on a blog like this. Yours definitely seems to be the hardest fight of all, trying to make headway in the “heart of the beast” so to speak. And I always feel scared of being condescending or patronising, especially when I know there are wonderful people who post on this blog who’ve long worked tirelessly to improve things. So I do apologise if some sentiments I may make do offend people.
On my dining room wall I have the quote you’re referring to, Ian — “I envy you. You North Americans are very lucky. You are fighting the most important fight of all – you live in the heart of the beast.” – Che Guevara. I’m not offended in the least. I do feel lucky. Separating out blame from responsibility is empowering. I’ve lived outside the U.S., in poverty there as well as here, and I know firsthand that our “standard of living” so prized by W. and his ilk is really stolen wealth. I’m ready to see the balance redressed. As Alison so brilliantly headed her newest thread, into the frying pan. There is enough to go around, and that’s the hope. Especially on a good news day like today.
Maggie,
I wholeheartedly agree with you about the “stolen wealth” that not only affects the rest of the world, but so many people in our own country.Being a white, anglo-saxon, recovering catholic, I know so many of my peers that have their heads in the sand, that won’t even accept the possibility that maybe part of the reason they are so well off is because there is a family living out of their car in my inner-city neighborhood, working at a minimum wage job (BTW, we just raised that in Mo.too!) and even that is still not enough to feed them, AND put a roof over their heads, afford decent health care, etc. That’s why, even though I may be sick, exhausted, or stresssed out, I always try to find time to campaign for progressive people and causes at each election. In 2004, my heart was truly broken, and I almost didn’t do anything for the campaigns this year, for fear it would be all for nought. But I changed my mind, and I’m so glad I did.
leighisflying asks: “How do you feel about ballot initiatives in general? Is this a good way to change laws?”
I used to think so, back before I became disillusioned, but now I do not. Since any group can propose a law and write it themselves, often several groups propose conflicting initiatives in the same election. The courts have to clean up the mess when conflicting Propositions pass. The court finds many others to be unconstitutional or otherwise unworkable.
Direct democracy sounds like a tool the masses can use against their elitist leaders, but in reality it is a tool that one group of elitists wields against another.
Legislators like ballot initiatives. It saves them having to do any real work, and they can always hide behind “the people’s will”. California is supposed to be a Republic, not a mobocracy.
Ian,
I don’t think you come across as being anti-American. You’re just making your own observations about the US role in the rest of the world. It’s great that you are a part of the conversation. We US’ers crave real connection with people in other parts of the world.
I’m a US’er currently living in Europe. It’s an interesting time to be abroad. I hear a lot of anti-US sentiment, but on the other hand people are adept at distinguishing between me as a human being and the policies of my government. It’s a privilege to be immersed in a completely different way of looking at things.
So many of us US’ers care tremendously about our country, and we work hard to set things right. We come up against our own despair as we do so–the mess just seems so huge and hopeless. It means a lot to have people from other parts of the world cheering us on.
So thank you for your comments, Ian, and everyone else from other countries. Keep writing!
Santorum is the mixture of lube and fecal matter resulting from vigorous anal sex. Appropriately.
COol 🙂
cool blog!