...... tomorrow I cast my first vote..... ever......
.... after 36 years of life on this planet, I've never felt The Need to cast a vote..... my goodness, five years in the Marine Corps, and I never felt the need to cast a vote.... not for sheriff, mayor, representative, governor, senator, president, or dogcatcher......
... but tomorrow, I vote....
.... I grew up in a household that consisted of a Democrat mother and a Republican father..... and I listened my whole life to them bicker about driving to the polls and 'canceling out each other's vote'...... I suspect that their playfulness regarding electing officials somehow stuck in my mind...... and while I have been registered to vote many, many times (it was compulsory while in the military), I've never actually submitted a ballot........ after all, what is one vote among so many hundreds of thousands..... millions, even........ besides, someone out there is 'canceling out' MY vote by voting for the opposite candidate...... so what really was the point?......
.... I suppose that I always felt too small when it came to election day..... too insignificant.... too tiny....... humbled by the fact that I am just One Man in a sea of humanity........ figuring that The Powers That Be will never need Or miss my one little vote....... imagining that the government of the people, by the people, and for the people would always, always, ALWAYS have my best interests at heart........ that's what we're taught in school, right?........ but this year, I finally realized that for all of these years, I had been seeing My Right in the most wrong of lights.......
..... my one vote may not matter in the great scheme of things....... but it is The Principle of Voting that has caught me this year...... and that is something completely different......... and I truly see that now....... and casting MY ballot, ticking the box, or un-hanging a chad.... THAT is what matters most.......
.... so tomorrow, my candidate of choice may win....... or he may lose....... but all that truly matters is that I voted...... because The Forefathers intended that a government of the people, for the people, and BY the people...... actually be participated in by you and I.......
..... and I now no longer live with the idea that my government has my best interests at heart...... and if I do not vote now, what right have I to complain later?.......
.... so tomorrow, for the first time in my life, I vote.......
Good for you. I have never missed voting in a presidential election or any election where state or federal officials are running in 40+ years(I may have missed a local Board of Education election or two). You're right, in that, if it doesn't turn out the way you had hoped, you will have righteously maintained your bitching rights.
Lots of people died so we can vote. Honor them.
Bullshitted by Jim - PRS on November 3, 2008 09:05 PMGood for you..........what took you so long?
Oh yeah, you told us. I waited till the first national election after getting out of the Army. (3 years)
Win or lose I'll still pray for the country and the president.
Win or lose I'll still watch the so called government servants try to screw things up for the rest of us. Bitching all the time. My right........I by God earned it. I stood in line and cast my ballot.
Good for you, as you say it's a right...
I voted early, as it was my 13th time to vote for the office of president...
History show that when the Washington Redskins win their game thats played just before the election the party currently in office wins again. The their record is 17-1, lost one when Bush 43 was elected...
They are playing the Steelers tonight and I am gonna check the score before I go to bed so I won't have to watch tomorrow night...
God Save the Queen...
Bullshitted by jerry on November 3, 2008 10:01 PMGood for you. I remember my Mother taking me to register to vote on my 18th birthday or very soon after it. I've missed very few elections since then and never a presidential one.
Bullshitted by Tina on November 3, 2008 11:11 PMHappy voting! May the best man win!
Bullshitted by DogsDontPurr on November 3, 2008 11:40 PMThere's no best man in this race. Sarah Palin ROCKS!
God SHAVE the Queen!!!
Bullshitted by JihadGene on November 3, 2008 11:45 PMThere is no best man in this race. Sarah Palin rocks!
God SHAVE the Queen!!!
Bullshitted by JihadGene on November 3, 2008 11:46 PMExcellent, sir. I may not go all in with a lot of the stuff we're presented with, but I believe in voting with my entire being.
If you get bored in the booth, write me in against Mike Bell in his uncontested race....
Bullshitted by Tommy on November 4, 2008 02:30 AMYep, when it all goes tits up midway through the first term, if you voted the other way, you can at least say: "I'm not one of the idiots who put that guy in office."
Hmmm, guess you could say that if you didn't vote at all....my theory may need some work....
Bullshitted by Mark on November 4, 2008 05:19 AMVoting gives you the precious Right to Gripe.
Welcome to the Club. I'm proud of ye.
Bullshitted by Elisson on November 4, 2008 06:20 AMThis is the best thing I ever read and it rocks my face off.
Bullshitted by Erin O'Brien on November 4, 2008 06:43 AMThis is the best thing I ever read and it rocks my face off!
About fucking time! Just Damn!
Bullshitted by Dax Montana on November 4, 2008 07:54 AMGood for you hon! Good for you. I was a late bloomer, too...
Bullshitted by kelly on November 4, 2008 10:25 AMI am happy that you decided to vote...and I am happy that at least for now we have a country in which you have a right to vote...or not to vote if that is your decision.
I just hope that four years from now we still have that right to vote or not to vote as well as still have at least a two party political system. It would highly perturb me to be forced to vote in an Iraqi style election where only one candidate is running...and one of our candidates is bent that direction. I will not call his name but his initials are Hussein Obama
Bullshitted by GUYK on November 4, 2008 02:17 PMGood for you!! :) Go get your sticker!
Bullshitted by Richmond on November 4, 2008 02:52 PMYou go Chief. Glad you joined into all the fun, Cat
Bullshitted by Catfish on November 4, 2008 07:36 PMGood to hear Eric...glad you voted. :)
Bullshitted by Lisa W. on November 4, 2008 08:05 PMCool! Enjoy your vote.
Bullshitted by Cappy on November 4, 2008 08:46 PME,
Don't feel bad. My first presidential election I voted for Perot. We all know how that turned out. The main thing is you voted. And I'm damn proud of you!
Here is my scoop full of bullshit to add to the heap:
I voted. McCain conceded the election before my ballot ever got counted, I am certain of it. Same thing that happened in the primaries. I feel disenfranchised by virtue of geography.
I would like to see the primary system changed for the next go round. All voting should be done on the same day and results not released until they have all been tabulated. In my opinion, this is the only way every vote will receive equal standing, and will ensure that the press is not able to manipulate the outcome. No matter which party you align yourself with, if you are a person of integrity you should be in favor of all votes receiving equal consideration.
I am interested in gathering support to change the Republican party primary system. If you are a conservative who would like to join me, please contact me and let's start this ball rolling for 2012.
Same here, except Mom's a Republican and was as Democrat. After Mom voted for Nixon the second time, they decided to just call it off.
Dad's been gone for 4 years, but the Dems keep calling the house... I'll bet he's voting too.
Bullshitted by Cowboy Blob on November 5, 2008 11:33 PMHell, if you're like me, you voted just to shut 'em all the hell up... 2 years of campaigning is about 1 too many.
My "He" didn't win, but it isn't the first time that's happened to me. I'm left wondering how soon a basketball court will be put into the White House as well as how soon a NCAA Div 1A playoff vote be put to Congress.
And since I'm pissin' people off, having said that, will they change the Rose Garden to a Watermelon patch?
Somebody had to say it, and now, it's off my chest.
Keep on Votin' man... sooner or later, one group will outnumber Tuesday's group of favor.
Bullshitted by RedNeck on November 6, 2008 10:58 AM