(My standard Election Day post, edited as usual to bring it up to date)
I do love Election Day.
And even though it's an off year, it's still a good one, lots of great stories. In New York, someone gets a promotion to one of politic's greatest dead-end jobs; Boston gets a new mayor, too. We have a 2016 candidate getting something to brag about in New Jersey, and Democrats getting their own bragging rights in Virginia. The GOP run-off in AL-1 will determine whether John Boehner gets another vote for his conference -- or the Gohmert/Bachmann caucus gets one instead. There are even 15 recall elections today.
You know, it tend to mostly be interested in how small a portion of democracy is occupied by today. I think democracy is found in the complex workings of elites and activists within party networks, and in Congressional committee rooms, and in interactions within issue networks, and in White House showdowns between the president and a reluctant Senator...all those things, to me, at an intellectual level, are democracy just as much as today's events. But nothing beats the rituals of Election Day. Hey, I even like the annoying and useless "What Does It All Mean" stories, as long as I can restrict my intake enough. I love watching the spin. I love the weather stories, and the cheesy shots of the candidates voting, and the oh-so-careful anchors not revealing what they all know from the exit polls (As much as I think we should ignore them, I miss the leaked early exit polls from the pre-internet era, which made you feel like an insider if you heard them and a goof when they turned out to be phony. Now we mostly get the goof part). I'm one of those people who could easily do without the National Anthem, and the Pledge doesn't do much for me -- and I really dislike the Selig-imposed 7th inning GBA. But then today comes around, and I know that I'm a very patriotic citizen of the USA.
So, Happy Election Day, everyone! Vote early, vote often!
Thanks to Chris Christie, I've voted twice this year already (in the Senate Primary and the Senate General Election) and forgot to vote this morning against him.
ReplyDeleteIt's almost as if it were...planned.
Just so my Plain Blog card isn't revoked, I should add that I did rush home during lunch and voted and rushed back to work, which was possible since my polling place is always exceptionally fast.
DeleteOn a personal level, I'm glad that Virginia is going to get a Democratic governor, and also glad that I don't have to vote for him. Here in Texas, it's all constitutional amendments. (For non-Texans, you may be gladdened or saddened to know that secession is not up for a vote this time.)
ReplyDeleteFormer Speaker of the House Jim Wright found out he didn't have a valid photo ID - his driver's license is expired because he's 90, and his TCU faculty ID doesn't count. ("But the 'C' stands for 'Christian'!") He's getting a certified copy of his birth certificate, so he'll be okay.
And current Attorney General, 2014 gubernatorial candidate, Greg Abbott doesn't have a valid ID; his driver's license and voter registration don't match. Fortunately for him, an amendment to Texas's voter ID law sponsored by his 2014 opponent, Wendy Davis, allows him to vote provisionally and sign an affidavit that "Gregory Wayne Abbott" and "Greg Abbott" are the same person. Sounds to me like he was going to vote twice. :)
You have to wonder if the Texas voting restrictions will backfire. By necessity, they will block a huge number of Republicans from casting votes as well.
ReplyDeleteI think Pete Townsend's dictum applies to election day:
ReplyDelete"Meet the new boss. Same as the old boss."