we have a winner

Today I voted. A wrong turn put me in the parking lot. The in gate was open, but the out gate was closed. I ended up going out via the in gate.

Then the left turn I needed to make was closed. So I had to go back to our development and start over. Really all I needed to do was go straight at the light, but the sign that said "polling place" was turned, so I only saw it after I turned. In my defense there are three churches in that space.

Once I arrived at the polling place, finding the room was easy. Finding my name on the roster was another story. It was not there. Really I was not surprised. I registered before the deadline. I knew my registration was valid because I went to LAVote.net.

I had to vote provisionally. Not a big deal. Took a couple of extra minutes. There was no line. There wasn't anyone voting when I left. It was kind of sad really.

I also learned that I am the first person ever registered at this address in 25 years. Now that is sad.



on the night stand :: The Opposite House

waxing political

I don't really think of myself as a political person, but I was thinking about this whole democratic primary. Last I heard, Hillary Clinton put up $11 million of her own money. Granted, it was her decision, and she knew the risks. Still, think about how most of us feel when we do something that costs us to lose $11. What about $1100 or $11,000.

Sure maybe it would have been great if she had called Barrack and said congrats and then made a speech telling her supporters to back him. But after fighting so long for your cause and coming so close and thinking about your bank account to boot, how realistic is it? I heard that when Barrack called the Clinton camp, he got voice mail. I can only imagine what the outgoing message said.

Add to this that there are about six ways to look at the votes in terms of totals and percentages. One expert I heard suggested that overall the difference is less than one percent. That difference could come from things like weather, people getting up late, an accident on the roads, etc. It is all about who makes it to the polls. And it is hard to accept that these little things matter so much.

I am also a little bit distressed and saddened seeing that many people look at national elections like they are back in high school - they vote for the person they like. And by like, I mean are friends with, or wish they were friends with. It is about the person who dresses the best, has good hair, can make a good speech. It isn't about the issues.

Of course in high school you could certainly argue that there aren't really any important issues. Being president of the student council doesn't give you much power to change things at your school beyond maybe picking the theme of your prom. Maybe every once in a while something in the student handbook gets changed, or the menu at the cafeteria gets better, but honestly in the grand scheme of things it just looks good on your college application and perhaps gets you a couple of other perks.

Picking who will be the next leader of the free world does have real consequences. People's lives are on the line - literally. Issues ranging from war to health care to the economy will make a difference in the lives of mbillions of people in the US and beyond. Just think about that next time you are standing there behind the makeshift curtain in the poll booth.

on the night stand :: Madam President