The Election Blues

On November 3, voters here in The Old Dominion (that's Virginia, to those of you unfamiliar with the nickname) will go to the polls to elect a new governor, among other officials. It seems like the campaign has been going on forever, and at this point, I don't really care who wins. Well, I do, but I'm just anxious for the campaign to be over, because it's making me sick. Officially, I am sick of the following:

1. Robo-Calls. Those annoying, automated calls that we receive at least two or three times a day, usually at inconvenient times and more frequently as the election approaches. Here's a message to the morons who program those calls: leave my number off your list. I don't care about your call. If you don't think enough of me to have a live person call to represent your candidate and answer my questions, don't waste my time.

2. Attack Ads. Yes, I know that "research" shows they work. Unfortunately, your "researchers" never asked my opinion. Here's a message to the morons who develop these ads: cut it out. I don't care how bad you think the other guy is...I want to know why you think I should vote for your guy (okay, or lady). Tell me why your guy is the best person to be governor. Telling me that the opponent is a cross-dressing closet sadist who makes economic decisions by examining goat entrails by moonlight doesn't help me know how you make decisions, what decisions you would make, and how you propose to pay for it all.

3. Campaign Signs. There isn't a square foot of grassy median or other public space that isn't full of "Vote for ____" signs. I don't vote for signs. I vote for people. Don't spend your money on printing enough signs to paper every wall and line every street in the commonwealth six times over...spend it on the gas to drive your lazy backside to local neighborhoods where we can ask you questions and look you in the eye to decide if you're worth taking seriously.

4. Clueless Campaign Workers. A month or two ago, a nice young lady came to my front door to flack for one of the candidates for local delegate. Her message was "Vote for _____." That was her entire message. She was able to recite the script about what her candidate was promising, but her knowledge about him was script-deep...she couldn't answer a single substantive question about any of his positions, or how he would fund the many things he was promising. Thanks for stopping by. You're cute and earnest. Now get off my porch and come back when you have a clue.

There are other things that are pissing me off about the election, but these are the Big Four. At this point, I honestly don't know who I prefer for governor. Both candidates are acting like buffoons, hammering at each other without clarifying their own positions. And I don't vote party lines, so that doesn't help...I think both the hard-core Republicans and the deep-dipped Democrats have their heads equally far up their backsides and are unworthy (in general) of being taken seriously. Read The Death of Conservatism by Sam Tanenhaus for a devastating indictment of how the Republican Party has lost its appeal to principled conservatives, and listen to almost anything said by Nancy Pelosi to understand why principled liberals are abandoning the Democratic Party. The sad fact is that no one speaks for concerned, fiscally conservative, socially liberal people like me.

I'll vote on November 3rd. I can't not do it. But, as all too often over the last decade, I'll do it while holding my nose.

Have a good day. More thoughts tomorrow.

Bilbo