When I went to vote this a.m., I handed my ID to the guy, since my last name can be tricky. He looked for several minutes in the box with the cards. Then he asked if I was in the right place (there is another area in this room, for people in a different neighborhood, I presume). And I told him that this is where I have always voted. He then reviewed the bound paper list, found my name, but could not figure out why it was there, yet not in the box with the cards. Then he realized what was going on and rather exclaimed, "Oh, you are a Republican!" One of the ladies sitting next to him said, "Oh, one of those." I said I assumed they had not seen too many of "my kind" that morning, and she said I was the third. Then, being the open person I am, I eagerly said I was coming to rock the vote and vote for Ron Paul. One of the women commented that she liked some of the things he had stood for, perhaps to try to make me feel as if I was not voting for a terrible person, being the non-Democrat Ron Paul is.
I ended up calling the Marty Griffin show on KDKA since he was asking people what kind of experiences they had had at the polls. When I recounted my story, he asked if they took my picture or made me wear a giant X, to which I replied, "Just the scarlet letter X" (which really should have been an R). Then when I hung up, he said something like, "Yes, ladies and gentlemen, there are Republicans in Allegheny County!" I have to say, the thought never occurred to me that not many Republicans would be voting, but of course I can see why.
Some people think my vote is wasted, but how can that be when I am voting for someone who stands for most of the things I support? I feel good about what I did, and I (and Marty Griffin) got a laugh out of it. Besides, Jordan did the actual voting (even though she was probably not allowed to do the touch-screen), although she said as we were walking out, "That was boring." I think I had built it up a little too much before we left when I said we were going to rock the vote. Clearly she was expecting something a little more lively, perhaps with music. I explained to her voting was not fun, but it is important to vote for the people who are running the country. I left it at that, knowing that even that comment is over her head.
Regardless of all that, after today, Pennsylvania will lose its significance, its place in the spotlight. But everyone who voted today, assuming they voted with their heart, should feel good about doing the right thing. And hopefully come November, when we do it all over again, the best man or woman will win.
I ended up calling the Marty Griffin show on KDKA since he was asking people what kind of experiences they had had at the polls. When I recounted my story, he asked if they took my picture or made me wear a giant X, to which I replied, "Just the scarlet letter X" (which really should have been an R). Then when I hung up, he said something like, "Yes, ladies and gentlemen, there are Republicans in Allegheny County!" I have to say, the thought never occurred to me that not many Republicans would be voting, but of course I can see why.
Some people think my vote is wasted, but how can that be when I am voting for someone who stands for most of the things I support? I feel good about what I did, and I (and Marty Griffin) got a laugh out of it. Besides, Jordan did the actual voting (even though she was probably not allowed to do the touch-screen), although she said as we were walking out, "That was boring." I think I had built it up a little too much before we left when I said we were going to rock the vote. Clearly she was expecting something a little more lively, perhaps with music. I explained to her voting was not fun, but it is important to vote for the people who are running the country. I left it at that, knowing that even that comment is over her head.
Regardless of all that, after today, Pennsylvania will lose its significance, its place in the spotlight. But everyone who voted today, assuming they voted with their heart, should feel good about doing the right thing. And hopefully come November, when we do it all over again, the best man or woman will win.
Comments
I will say, in Pine Township, it is the exactly opposite - they're almost all Republicans up here. The polling place was nearly empty today - why bother rubber-stamping some moron like McCain?
I just wonder who on the other side will make it. I wish I could like one of them/support more than one or two things about them; their speeches last night, particularly Hil's (I saw only 5 minutes of Obama's), seemed moving enough, and I thought it was great to see so many of their supporters be so into them. I really want to like Hil, but we have had a Bush or Clinton in the White House for 20 years. Please not another 4.
I did not even see how Hart did, though I assume she was running unopposed. I have talked to her a few times; she is a nice enough person, and a good friend of one of my friends, but not in my district.
Good for you for voting, and good for you for taking little J and teaching her about our civic duties.
One of the most important things I am trying to teach Jordan is tolerance (basically that we are all different and that is okay). I have told her over and over that a person is a certain way b/c God made him that way. Jordan says this freely now, like when she was running faster than I, "Mommy, God made you slow, but me fast." But already she has asked questions like, "Why did God make Patrick (kid at school who has pushed her) mean," and I have to explain free will.
CC,
I agree it is important to know the issues, but sadly, most of these campaign promises are just a bunch of hype. I would like to see how Hil has all cars getting 55 mpg by 2030. Either the cars will be the size of the Geo Metro, or it will cost you 45k or 50k to pay for a decent-sized car to be engineered that way. I am pretty sure you cannot make a large car get that kind of mileage, and I just don't see how someone with a large family can drive anything small or afford a $ car like that.
Do I think gays marrying is wrong? Yes - but I'm not interested in preventing them from doing so. Do I think its a constitutional issue? No. The government shouldn't be concerned about what peopel do or believe, as long as it doesn't harm or infringe upon the rights of others.
The government should be lowering taxes and getting out of the way. That's always been what the Republicans have stood for, but thanks to weak-willed people like Bush and Santorum, that's no longer true. Instead they want to legislate morality (and don't get me wrong, this country could use a trip back behind the woodshed on that one), which isn't really the purpose of government in the first place. Some where Hamilton, Franklin, and Jefferson are spinning in their graves...