In a revealing typo, this post was nearly titled "Undecoded Voters."
Today's Doonesbury comic asks the question on many a mind at this late date in the election cycle: how can there still be undecided voters? In the Presidential race, I'm in total agreement. People may not be enamored of either man, but, given that we've been listening to this campaign for nigh on six months, they should have had the time to settle on who they think would do the least damage for four years until we can try this again. Strangely, I think that's what I said four years ago about this time.
The local elections are another matter entirely. As Zonker put it in the punchline, "Who's running again?" I just spent a half hour online trying to track down what else would be on the ballot. I finally managed to click my way into the Ohio Board of Elections website, where I could print out a list of the issues and candidates on the statewide ballots next month. So I still have no real information to use to make a decision, but at least I have a vague idea of what I'm deciding about. I miss my first couple elections in Oregon. There, the office that puts on the election mailed out a booklet to every voter that had the sample ballot printed, the text of every ballot measure, biographies of all the candidates, and arguments pro and con from anyone who forked over $500 to buy half a page. That was the last place I lived where the people putting on the elections thought that they should not only hand out and collect the ballots, but make sure voters were educated about the issues. Here in Ohio, I called the Board of Elections for the last mid-term elections to ask how I could get a voter's guide. Their answer (I kid you not): "The newspaper publishes something the Sunday before the election." We plopped down a clam and a half for that Sunday paper. The comics page was more educational. Their supposed voter's guide is a joke.
One final word. I'm voting for the county coroner? Those are the guys who pick up dead people, aren't they? When did that become an elected office? Shouldn't that be a job that is filled on the basis of medical knowledge rather than party affiliation?
2 comments:
No kidding, the coroner?1? Wow, must be interesting to get to choose who picks up your body until the next election. Now I am convinced the west is normal. We just have to vote on who will raise our electric bills next. Ann O.
Oh brother, I never thought I'd be defending the east..... On second thought, lets not get into it. I've lived in something like nine states east and west. They're both wacky and they're both sane. For a quick bi-costal return to reality, remember:
On the east: Son of Sam
On the west: Kip Kinkel
Taking the flip side:
On the east: the revolution and beginnings of the American Republic (yes: "republic" WE AREN'T A DEMOCRACY, PEOPLE!!)
On the west: the microchip and sort of a new, 21st century revolution.
-- The Nomad
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