Archive for February, 2008

SuperDuper Tuesday

Posted on February 5, 2008. Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: politics, super tuesday |

So I know something’s up, because even in this house, with two voters (one party-affiliated and one an independent) we’ve gotten mail for weeks from various candidates, organizations and parties and the last few days half the phone calls have been from people we don’t know. Obama’s folks called the independent first and encouraged her to vote in the open primary. “Thank you very much for the information and please don’t call here again.” Two nights later, Obama’s folks called the democrat and reminded him to vote too. “Thank you very much for the reminder and please don’t call here again.” And tonight, somebody called again but we let it go to the machine because we were eating dinner.

And it got us talking. We live in California, which often has a lot of state measures on every ballot. And we’re pretty educated people, pretty political people, pretty intelligent active people, and neither of us feel like we have the time to really investigate or understand these initiatives, and are instead left with the unappetizing choice of either (a) leave those blank or (2) follow the recommendations of any of the voter guides put out by organizations we otherwise support. My understanding is that the state ballot measures were inspired by a desire to bring more of the workings of the state government to the people– to let people decide more of the issues. And this was so exciting to me when I first moved to California; this was exactly the push I needed to get smarter on the workings of the state. But now, nine years on, I think, well, really, isn’t this what the legislature is for? I vote for a representative with whom I agree, and who I entrust to investigate and weigh the issues and then let him/her vote on the specific issues. Asking me to decide these things, well, it feels a tad micro-manage-y now. And really, I stink at micromanaging legislature. I’m busy pricing organic broccoli and gluten-free cereals (I have lived in California for nine years) and so I’m going to the polls tomorrow uneducated, and is that really better than just letting the elected officials decide?

Oh, and I’m putting my independent vote down for Hillary, because I think she’ll get down and dirty with the how-to of change. And I’ll support either one in November, because I’m ready to be proud of my country again.