Election...
Election...
Just a note...more than 35% of the registered voters in McMinn County voted early (10660 out of 29754 registered..._. There's speculation that before it's said and done, we could see an 80% turnout here in my neck of the woods. I don't know if the numbers will be that high (though the trends for my county's primaries have shown that in the neighborhood of 20% more people in this neck of the woods vote on election day than early...so, if those numbers bear out....)
As worn out and irritated as election cycles seem to get me (and not just this one, mind you), I'm feeling oddly optimistic here. I dunno...in a world where the public seems to care more about who's singing on American Idol, it's a little refreshing to see people giving a damn...even if it's just once every four years, and even if I find the temerity to question the reasoning of just about everydamnbody....
As for me?
Well, I've gotten accused of throwing my vote away this fall. I voted my conscience. Instead of voting for the lesser of two evils, I voted for the man I agreed most with, philosophically. So, when the totals are published a week from now for Athens City and McMinn County, one of the (and possibly the only) votes in my precinct for Bob Barr came from yours, truly....
I couldn't get behind one of the big horses this year. I'm not going to list reasons why, mostly because I can't seem to discuss anything without it degenerating into a clusterfuck of an argument. Suffice it to say, I didn't find inspiration from either candidate, at least, not enough to spend my time denouncing the evils of the other side. When it came to the big dogs, we're once again talking about a turd sandwich and a giant douchebag....
There's a flip side to the coin...
Four years ago, I received my only ceremonial de-linking.
I try not to take this blogging shit too seriously, but, as with most things with a borderline obsessive-compulsive, there was digging involved with this one.
I am not a fan of our current administration. It disagrees with both my fiscally conservative and socially liberal view of the world.
However, in 2004, I did not see John Kerry (whom I referred to at Eric's blogmeet as the giant foreheaded monstrosity--not out of a particular animosity, but because I had a few beers in me and I'm shit for names even stone cold sober....) as an improvement.
My point...and I do have one....is that I did not and do not see rooting for the other side to lose as being completely synonymous with rooting for my side to win, and vice versa.
As crazy as it sounds to my own ear, and as much as my friends will probably argue with me, all things being equal, I consider myself an optimist. I'd rather not utilize my time and energy toward pushing a negative. As such, I did not write post after post denouncing George Bush in the last election. Let alone the fact that it doesn't generally agree with the tone of whatever the hell I do here, I just didn't feel like wasting breath or keystrokes on the whole deal.
Well....I got delinked by a fairly large former blog in this neck of the woods...when I researched the reasons, it came back that I'd not done my part to help in the Anti-Bush cause....and now we had the man back in office for another four years. Instead of pushing for John Kerry, I was content to write about Cubs baseball and tell fart jokes.
My response? I'd done as much with my fart jokes for the the cause as he had preaching to the choir....I'd persuaded just as many voters as he had.
I went further to say that I don't link to any particular blog because it agrees with any particular ideal of mine (unless it's Chicago Cubs fandom). I generally link to a blog because I like the person, the writing, and generally both....
That's a stance I take still, and have in the very nearly six years I've been keeping this sumbitch alive.
Dammit, I'm a rambling asshole.
Anyway. I voted my conscience.
And, at the end of the day, that's all I can really ever advocate for any of you. I am one of those soppy sunsabitches who gets a little irritated if you're not registered to vote (my aborted attempt to run for City Council being current reason numero uno...), or you just don't feel like getting out and fighting the crowd. Even if you don't like the choices, make that sentiment heard. Or hell, write yourself in...it's what I did in the State race where Mike Bell is running unopposed....
Point is, there are a few billion people out there on this little blue ball that would trade for the opportunity....but I get kinda paranoid when I hear people talking in other languages and laughing, so I'd rather keep you folks around for a while.
Go vote, you assholes!
Just a note...more than 35% of the registered voters in McMinn County voted early (10660 out of 29754 registered..._. There's speculation that before it's said and done, we could see an 80% turnout here in my neck of the woods. I don't know if the numbers will be that high (though the trends for my county's primaries have shown that in the neighborhood of 20% more people in this neck of the woods vote on election day than early...so, if those numbers bear out....)
As worn out and irritated as election cycles seem to get me (and not just this one, mind you), I'm feeling oddly optimistic here. I dunno...in a world where the public seems to care more about who's singing on American Idol, it's a little refreshing to see people giving a damn...even if it's just once every four years, and even if I find the temerity to question the reasoning of just about everydamnbody....
As for me?
Well, I've gotten accused of throwing my vote away this fall. I voted my conscience. Instead of voting for the lesser of two evils, I voted for the man I agreed most with, philosophically. So, when the totals are published a week from now for Athens City and McMinn County, one of the (and possibly the only) votes in my precinct for Bob Barr came from yours, truly....
I couldn't get behind one of the big horses this year. I'm not going to list reasons why, mostly because I can't seem to discuss anything without it degenerating into a clusterfuck of an argument. Suffice it to say, I didn't find inspiration from either candidate, at least, not enough to spend my time denouncing the evils of the other side. When it came to the big dogs, we're once again talking about a turd sandwich and a giant douchebag....
There's a flip side to the coin...
Four years ago, I received my only ceremonial de-linking.
I try not to take this blogging shit too seriously, but, as with most things with a borderline obsessive-compulsive, there was digging involved with this one.
I am not a fan of our current administration. It disagrees with both my fiscally conservative and socially liberal view of the world.
However, in 2004, I did not see John Kerry (whom I referred to at Eric's blogmeet as the giant foreheaded monstrosity--not out of a particular animosity, but because I had a few beers in me and I'm shit for names even stone cold sober....) as an improvement.
My point...and I do have one....is that I did not and do not see rooting for the other side to lose as being completely synonymous with rooting for my side to win, and vice versa.
As crazy as it sounds to my own ear, and as much as my friends will probably argue with me, all things being equal, I consider myself an optimist. I'd rather not utilize my time and energy toward pushing a negative. As such, I did not write post after post denouncing George Bush in the last election. Let alone the fact that it doesn't generally agree with the tone of whatever the hell I do here, I just didn't feel like wasting breath or keystrokes on the whole deal.
Well....I got delinked by a fairly large former blog in this neck of the woods...when I researched the reasons, it came back that I'd not done my part to help in the Anti-Bush cause....and now we had the man back in office for another four years. Instead of pushing for John Kerry, I was content to write about Cubs baseball and tell fart jokes.
My response? I'd done as much with my fart jokes for the the cause as he had preaching to the choir....I'd persuaded just as many voters as he had.
I went further to say that I don't link to any particular blog because it agrees with any particular ideal of mine (unless it's Chicago Cubs fandom). I generally link to a blog because I like the person, the writing, and generally both....
That's a stance I take still, and have in the very nearly six years I've been keeping this sumbitch alive.
Dammit, I'm a rambling asshole.
Anyway. I voted my conscience.
And, at the end of the day, that's all I can really ever advocate for any of you. I am one of those soppy sunsabitches who gets a little irritated if you're not registered to vote (my aborted attempt to run for City Council being current reason numero uno...), or you just don't feel like getting out and fighting the crowd. Even if you don't like the choices, make that sentiment heard. Or hell, write yourself in...it's what I did in the State race where Mike Bell is running unopposed....
Point is, there are a few billion people out there on this little blue ball that would trade for the opportunity....but I get kinda paranoid when I hear people talking in other languages and laughing, so I'd rather keep you folks around for a while.
Go vote, you assholes!
posted by Tommy at
11:43
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