In case you weren’t previously aware, there is an election occurring in the Southern Province today. I’ve heard a lot about it, and expect to hear a lot more before it’s all over, but what strikes me particularly is how interested the rest of the world is in this election. This is the first time that I remember hearing about groups of people getting together to watch the election results come in from the US. I didn’t even get together with people to see our last election results, and yet I’m heading out tonight to watch the numbers roll in with some friends. Supposedly it’s the most important US election that I’m ever likely to see. I doubt that. I really think there will be more important ones to come - I plan to live a long time.

What’s sad, is that a lot of people don’t have any choice on that ballot. There are traditional Democrat supporters who disagree with Kerry over various policies, strongly even, but he’s “better than the alternative” and there are traditional Republican supporters who disagree with Bush (strongly even) over various policies. There tend to be more of them that would rather vote for Kerry for some reason, than members of the first group who will vote for Bush. For what it’s worth, I think both candidates are further “Right” than those people would like (ie, Bush is further “Right” than some Republicans would like, and Kerry is further “Right” than some Democrats would like) which is probably why - Kerry’s policies move closer to the traditional Republican ideals than the Dems would like, which leaves them with what, Nader? :) That’s all obviously informal, with no substantive proof offered, but that’s my take on things. Personally, I’d probably vote for one of the “other” candidates that doesn’t have a shot, but I’m not saying which…People say that that’s “throwing a vote away” but I disagree. I think that voting for a candidate that you disagree with “less” than the other candidate is the absolute wrong way to go, and a mockery of the democratic ideals that the US is founded upon. It’s entirely possible that 75% of the population actually would prefer some third party, but each and every one of those people has been brainwashed into believing that if they exercise their right to choose they are “throwing their vote away” and so they wind up voting for the same old same old. Lets be honest, elections aren’t won on issues anymore, they’re won via fundraising, and poking holes in your opponent. It’s not “may the best man win,” it’s “may the least bad man win.”

It’s like that joke where two guys out hiking, and they see a bear, and the one guy stops to tie his shoe, because he doesn’t have to outrun the bear, he just has to outrun the other guy.

Simpson’s quote of the day: “Don’t blame me, I voted for Kodos.” - Homer