Now for the Famous Thursday Three:
1. First election voted in: 1972 and I think I voted for McGovern but maybe Wallace although I certainly hope not. The Alabama absentee ballot was a bit confusing but I didn't vote for Nixon.
2. Worse loser: Perot 1996. I couldn't bring myself to vote for him in 1992, but he seemed the best of the three in '96.
2.a Worse loser ever: See answers 1 and 2.
3. Never worked in a campaign or run for office. I may have to get involved in politics if it looks like Hillary has a chance four years from now. I would be forced to work for her opponent.
posted by Larry at 1:27 PM
I got to my polling place at 6:45 this morning. There were few parking places and the line wrapped around the church where we vote. I guess there were three hundred people in front of me. I have to applaud the poll workers because they moved the first 300 people throught the line in about 15 minutes. This is only the third time I have voted at this polling place and have little to judge turnout on, but the last time was the tax proposal which had a lot of attention and before that was the governor's race which was hotly contested. There were a lot more people out today than either of those times.
One of my co-workers who votes at the same place pointed out that there was a high percentage of the people in line who had a Bible with them. I don't know what that means, but my guess is they may be some of the evangelicals who stayed home in 2000.
I am always amazed by the way my fellow citizens act at the polling place. I know they have serious disagreements about the candidates, but everyone is really nice and helpful.
On my way to work after voting, I heard that an "election monitor" from Norway was upset that he had to stay 50 feet from voters. He said he had watched elections in several countries and had always been allowed to talk to voters. Two things on that: Welcome to the good old USA you worthless busybody and I think it is time people recognize that the National Democrats who invited the "monitors" think that foreigners are better than Americans.
posted by Larry at 9:25 AM
Election Predictions:
I think Bush will win handily, but that may be wishful thinking. I admit that the idea of a President Kerry really worries me.
Senator Shelby (R) is sure to win a new term. He has a billboard down the street from my office which can be seen from I-565. It just says SHELBY Senate. That about says it.
Congressman Cramer (D) is sure to win. His opponent may even vote for him. Cramer founded the "Blue Dog Democrat" branch of Congress and is mighty hard to tell from a slightly to the right Republican which makes him a bit liberal for Alabama.
We have an amendment on the ballot to get rid of school segregation language and I predict that it will fail because the anti-tax people have decided that it is really a disquised tax measure and anti-tax sentiment over-rides commonsense every time in my fair state.
posted by Larry at 2:26 PM
Well, I guess I am officially old. I attended an American Automobile Association "mature" drivers class on Saturday. I have attended similar courses in the past because the Army thought they were helpful in cutting down on "accidents" and I have to agree. My wife had never been in one of the classes before and I think she learned a lot. I was surprised to find that the old two second rule is now three seconds. You know, allow three seconds between you and the car ahead. A pretty good rule, but not always possible.
I am trying to decide when to try to vote tomorrow. I think I'll plan on being at my voting place when it opens. We don't have a lot of signs up for Presidential races and we haven't had any advertising that I have seen, but I expect a lot of people to vote just from comments I have heard.
One thing my wife and I seldom talk about is politics. She would rather the whole thing just go away, but this year she is going to vote and for Bush. She says Kerry is too obviously a liar.
We have several amendmetns to the state constitution and three supreme court justices to select. My preparation on the judges was to find out who the Roy Moore supporters are. There is only one and that is Tom Parker. Interestingly, the "Huntsville Times", our local paper, endorsed both candidates in the other two races saying that both candidates are well qualified.
I have no idea on the amendments. There is one to remove the separate schools language that has a lot of contradictory information going around about it. My lawyer friend says he thinks the "anti" stuff is wrong. He read the amendment and said it is straight forward and fixes two things: It remove the separate schools language and language added after the 1954 Supreme Court case that says there is no right to a public education. You sort of have to admire those old boys back in the fifties. If they could segregate the schools, they would just do away with the schools. Not smart, but they hung in there. My Granny used to say that was cutting off your nose to spite yur face.
posted by Larry at 10:06 AM
