Voter Blues

Already this morning, I am out of my usual election day routine.  Normally, I try to get up early and then head out to vote closer to the opening of the polls so I don't have to deal with a line.

This morning?  The Peanut and I are still catching up on sleep and readjusting to the eastern time zone, so we slept in until after 9 am.  It's unusual for me, but really off kilter for her -- so I'm glad we did.

Frankly, I'm not in any real rush to vote this year anyway.

Other than a couple of races where we have people I would consider friends or good acquaintances running, most of the candidates for elected office in our area inspire a feeling of "meh, that guy is no better than the other guy, and neither of them really care about doing the work -- just getting elected."

I'm really tired of feeling that way about candidates for public office.  Aren't you?

The exception this time is a friend of ours, Mike Oliverio, who is running for Congress from WV's 1st district.  Mike's wife attended law school with us, and he's been our insurance agent since we first got married.  I've had many a political conversation with Mike -- he's more conservative than I am, but he's willing to listen to arguments, facts and policy disagreements, and really think about what you are saying -- which is more than I can say for a number of folks I know inside the Beltway these days.

The only conflict for me is that fear that by sending him to elected office in Washington, we may not be doing him any favors as a human being given the nastiness there these days.  But the alternative is a candidate I definitely do not want in DC -- lobbyists would have my district for lunch even more than they already did with Alan Mollohan, and that is saying something.

So, what's a girl to do?

Drink some more coffee, grab a quick shower, and stroll over to commit democracy with The Peanut in a little while after I've woken up.


I'd sure love it if I could do it with a spring in my step and a feeling of joy and accomplishment.  But I'll have to settle for being happy about a few votes and doing the best I can with the rest.

Perhaps it is time to stop casting votes for people I only marginally like against people I loathe more strongly.  Which is pretty much the way I've been casting my ballot for way, way too long.  Are we witnessing the "decline of Rome" these days in our politics?  Or just a period of malaise and mediocrity in the face of moneyed onslaught in too many races to count from people who want to purchase their seat rather than earn it?

I just don't know.  But it's certainly something to ponder.  Especially since these people are going to make decisions that will affect not just me, but my daughter's future as well.  And I take that very seriously.


(Photo via laverrue.  Hilarious.)