Tuesday just can’t come fast enough.
For Tuesday is Presidential Election Day in the United States.
A day we’ll go behind closed doors and vote our preferences, then wait to learn who are the winners and who are the losers.
Regardless of your political affiliations, if you’re at all like me, you’ll be glad to see this whole mess end.
Far too long, we’ve been inundated with ads. With finger-pointing and name-calling.
“He said…”
“No, she said…”
“Well, he meant…”
And so it goes.
While some people have genuinely followed the whole process — listening in on candidates’ forums, watching debates, researching the issues — others made up their minds early and now turn a deaf ear to anything that might be contradictory.
In this country, that’s their right.
I hate to sound like a curmudgeon (and perhaps things have always gotten ugly in election years), but it seems to me that this one has been nastier than others from the past.
More rumors. More lies. More money frittered away when people are hurting.
And fewer places to turn for unbiased, factual reporting.
Most of you know I was trained as a journalist. “Fair” and “impartial” were our bywords long before FOX News adopted them and ran with them.
Sad to say, I wouldn’t fit in with the profession any more, so it’s a good thing I got out when I did.
Journalists used to be proud of being told, “You call ’em like you see ’em.”
Now it’s all about money. Ad revenues. Staying on the good side of those in power.
But I digress.
What’s important is that we still have the privilege of voting. Of being a small part of the electoral process. Of feeling like we matter.
For we do, you know.
Every vote counts. If you doubt that, ask the person who stayed home, only to learn his candidate lost by one vote.
So GO VOTE. Our forefathers fought and lost their lives that we might have that right. Surely they deserve not only our gratitude but also our exercising of the rights they sought to preserve.
Musings by an ND Domer's Mom 
I intend to exercise my right to vote by casting my ballot on Tuesday!
Good for you, Suzi — I voted early, when Domer was home for Fall Break.
I voted by mail a couple days ago. And re impartiality in journalism, it appears that’s not really what we want these days. It seems you have to be Fox (on the right) or MSNBC (on the left) bloviating partisan hot air in order to get ratings. CNN, for all its faults, tries to navigate the middle somewhat, but still. And even the local news talking heads don’t seem to understand when they say something like, “this damaging piece of legislation” or “the wistful governor still hopes that…” when it’s not in the editorial section. Bleah. Dorks.
By the way, this is a refreshing bipartisan friendship: http://www.oprah.com/spirit/How-to-See-Past-Political-Differences-Donna-Brazile-Mary-Matalin
What a neat interview you’ve linked, Lynne — it’s refreshing to hear how strong-minded women can agree to disagree, even about really important topics, without being nasty about it! Gives us hope for the rest of us!
I was up in Kansas last week, and voted before I left – on the first day of early voting. I figured if I got killed in a car accident or captured by drug runners or whatever, at least I would have discharged my civic obligation!
Bless you for voting, and I’m glad nothing untoward happened to you afterward!
And I especially always think of our “foremothers.” Can we even imagine not being able to vote? Those suffrogates who came before us, brave, fiesty women, paved the way for us. I voted by mail already. And was so surprised by the fact that, while we were in Italy and Germany recently, our American presidential race, our presidential debates, make headlines and prime time overseas. We forget, or don’t even realize, how much the eyes of the world are on us. A lot. Thanks for the reminder and nudge for our fellow “sisters.”
Thank you, Barb. I certainly never intended to slight our “foremothers”! If not for them, who knows where we’d be? Yes, our great land always has held the world’s attention — as a land of freedom and opportunity, to be sure, but also for our innovations and accomplishments. We should remind ourselves of that every so often, for we have surely been blessed!
Debbie, Glad you’re sending out this message. Very important. I voted a few weeks ago. I am a mail-in voter. I can’t understand those who don’t vote, like young people. Don’t they realize, this is about their future? My kids voted. I firmly ingrained it in them years ago. But so many don’t, sad to say.
Domer voted as well — I’ve tried to encourage him to do his part. If you don’t vote, I don’t believe you have the right to criticize the outcome or the incumbent, whoever he/she might be! We need a resurgence of patriotism and accountability, don’t you agree?
Yes, we do!
This has been such a tough election for me. I do not like or trust either candidate. Most of my friends are very liberal while own values and the values I was brought up with run more conservative. In my opinion we are being offered a false choice between two people with corporate sponsorship beholden to big money and also that our individual vote really doesn’t matter in the literal sense. We spin our wheels and waste our time deadlocked 50-50 in a political battle. Totally polarized while Chase buys all the parking places and whoever buys all the red light violations.
My friends that are not voting are strong, articulate, good citizens day in and day out. They are voting by making a conscious chose not to support a system they no longer believes serves us. I am proud of them.
I will vote on Tuesday to honor the women who fought so hard for my right to vote but I am voting with a very heavy heart.
Great Post. I really appreciate the genuineness behind your words.
And I appreciate your thoughts, Katybeth. I totally “get” where you’re coming from. I, too, often wonder whether we truly have a choice in candidates, and whether the process itself is what gets in the way. I don’t think we need to turn it into a popularity contest, but some modifications certainly would appear to be in order. I for one don’t like the feeling of voting “for the lesser of two evils”!!
I’ll be voting, then praying that whomever gets elected can figure out a few things to do to improve this mess we’re in.
Thanks, Terri — I totally agree! We have made a mess of many things, and it’s going to take real cooperation and leadership to un-make the mess!
Amen to everything you say, Debbie and thank you for saying it. Voting is a right and a privilege and I will be casting mine on Tuesday. Whoever wins, I hope we all pull together as a country and stay true to our forefathers’ intentions.
You’re right, Kathy, and I’m glad you pointed out that voting is a privilege. Your late dad was a WWII veteran, as was mine, and mine always took the opportunity to vote. They seemed to understand what a precious freedom that was. I can’t pinpoint where we veered off course, but we must come together in spite of our differences and make things right again.
I mailed in my ballot last Monday. I don’t have a strong leaning toward either candidate…for me, it was attempting to choose the lesser of the evils. As you could’ve guessed from my post last week, I do have a strong opinion on our sheriff. I have a sick feeling he’s going to win again, but not because of my vote 🙂
It may seem like our vote doesn’t make a difference, but it’s a guarantee we won’t have any say in our future if we don’t speak up (on our ballots).
Well said, Janna. If we don’t take advantage of our freedom to choose, somebody will come along and snatch it away from us. Pity the poor people in non-democratic states who aren’t given a choice — or a voice. Isn’t your sheriff getting a bit old for the campaigning and for running that office??
Debbie, like you, I’m just happy to see this come to an end. I just pray that the good Lord will select the best man for the job and that hopefully this country of ours will be able to recover from the recession that it’s in.
Amen, and well said, my friend!