It is 7:30 AM on Election Day. I am sitting here at the computer in doodling mode waiting for the polls down the road from me to open. We will have no election mania here in Acton, Maine. Matter of fact, it might be my imagination but there seem to be less signs out in yards and on corners than there usually is. There will be no long lines. Well, I may have to wait five minutes or so if I show up when the doors open. I have already imparted how much I love to vote at my local Town Hall. Homemade voting booths with homemade curtains and stubby pencils on strings that have seen and scratched Xs on who knows how many ballots over the years. This old school method makes me smile every time as I stand there alone in the booth with paper ballot in hand.
Maine is not a battleground state. Maine's electoral votes amount to chump change in the scheme of what is out there for grabs. Both Candidates did their obligatory swing through. Kissed some babies, shook some hands, and had many kodak moments they have already forgotten about I am sure. It might make them feel better that many Mainers have forgotten they were even here. We are used to and maybe even like being a state not considered much in political circles. Out of sight, out of mind. Obama's continued use of "From the Rocky Coasts of Maine to the sunny shores of California" as he finished the 40 thousand speeches during his campaign made some of us nervous. One fella told me he hoped this did not mean Obama was going to have a summer place here also. "It is bad enough we have to deal with that Bush family. If another President takes root here, I'm moving inland."
I pointed out to him that he already lived inland and no where near the coast where it seems rich folks from away love to take up housekeeping. I also made note that he had assumed the winner would be Obama and what about his infatuation with Palin? He said, "She's a looker alright. But we vote for the president not the vice president. McCain just looks and acts too squirrely for me. I am voting for Barack Obama even though he is black."
I let the conversation die right there. This guy is just someone I know through my business. His not so veiled racism bothered me, but why would I even think to bring it up until after the election. No sense taking a chance on driving someone over to the dark side. I took his money and gave him his change and told him to have a super day.
I just returned from the Town Hall. I walked the 1/4 mile in shorts and a Tee. Beautiful day, even if it is a tad warm. Warm Novembers seem to always be followed by payback in December and January. Anyway, I snapped some pics of the Town Hall so I could post a picture with this post. No amount of googling had been successful in finding an image online.
There was indeed a line. One fellow hit the door just in front of me and I had to wait while they checked him off the rolls. Loser. Making me wait like that. Instead of the five minute visit, it took me six. Damn inconvenient wasting my valuable time like that. But no sacrifice is too much to ensure some sanity returns to DC I guess.
So now my civic duty has been met. It is all over but the shouting. The real world awaits with it's insistent patience that no matter how much I ignore it, it is always still there when I decide to re-focus. I guess I'll go pick up the sno-blower from Shaw's Ridge Equipment. Hope that $200 they are charging me will make it run like new again. Another winter like last year and it will need to.
Later........
6 comments:
MrMaCrum:
I like the photograph of your voting site. It does seem like it would be a pleasant place to vote.
In my neck of the woods, the voter turnout has been high. The process of my voting took an unexpectedly long 1 hour 15 minutes (typical is perhaps 10 minutes) due to very long lines.
Other than the elected officials, of course, our ballot was quite slim this year. The only minor issue of any interest was the proposal to legalize marijuana for medical purposes. That logical bit of legislation will hopefully be approved.
PipeTobacco
http://frumpyprofessor.blogspot.com
I voted just past 10am my time, there were some 20 odd people ahead of me, first time in 23 years voting at this precinct that I have had to stand in line. but the line moved quickly enough, so no complaints. the general consensous is one of reluctance acceptance that the tax and spenders are going to have control of both houses of congress and of the whitehouse---it will be interesting to see how the country reacts to the tax increases beginning in 2009---time will tell.
I'm glad that we vote by mail here.
Still, voting for the lessor of two evils is still voting for evil.
And now most of the country is going to waste a lot of time watching the results, not me, I have better things to do than watch a lot of political monkeys fucking around and all the analyzing.
I'll know soon enough who the next preznut is going to be. For 65 years I've known when it was all over, never saw much point in spending (wasting) hours following it all.
Dang, you had to wait in line?
The only person in front front of me was my wife because I'm a gentleman.
8 people waiting on us two, we felt thoroughly serviced and checked.
And the two police officers outside kept both of us safe from each other.
How'd the Sec. of State know that the two of us couldn't be trusted to vote without supervision of the gendarmerie? Oh well, they kept the whole thing in order we attacked no one and there was no one to me attacked.
I also posted my polling place, but with video. When I did fill in that little circle I smiled. I smilied because I knew that the country and the would would become just a little bit better.
A Midnight Rider it's against the law to video it here in Georgia
although the police have video rolling
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