Election Time

If you live here in Phoenix, you are more than likely aware of the competition for several political spots coming available.  Good grief, if you have a mailbox, you know ALL about it.  I’ve never seen this much “junk” mail for the elections.  Rick has saved most of the flyers and they have ended up in the “reading” basket in the downstairs bathroom.  Since their arrival, my potty stops are longer than usual.  But my knowledge of the candidates is not growing in proportion to my time spent reading. 

There are flyers joining one guy and another gal as “running mates” who will do the right thing for our district.  Then three flyers later, there is another flyer for the same guy saying not to vote for the same gal…… confusing, for sure.  Who approves this stuff?

My personal favorite, however, is a candidate whose platform begins with the story of his upbringing by his grandmother in the slums.  That just makes me want to vote for his grandmother.  I can’t find her flyers. 

We also had a Democrat-turned-Republican-on-the-last-day-to-file candidate who lost miserably two years ago.  The flyers that arrived in our box at that time showed a picture of an elephant taking off the donkey mask and yelling, “SHAZAM!”  It made me laugh!  Interestingly enough, that gentleman has moved to a different district since last election time.  Coincidence?  I think not.

My brother told me that if you sign up to have your mail held for a week at a time, you don’t get any flyers!  You only get your mail once a week, but hey, it might be worth it!

Kids Even Got It Figured Out!

My nine year old son already has enough common sense to vote in a presidential election.  Here is his journal entry from school yesterday:

“What makes a great president is a president that cares for us unlike Obama would ’cause if he dosen’t care about (unborn) babies he wouldn’t care about us.  McCain is a good president.”

Yep, that about sums it up.

We’re studying the electoral process right now, as is only appropriate for this day and season.  We are having elections soon between two candidates from our homeschool group.  They are filming their campaign ads tomorrow.  Should be highly entertaining.  One of the slogans is “Vote Blond Not Brown.”  I suggested that this might not be a wise idea…. but what do I know?  The kids also still have to make ballots, the ballot box and the voting booth.  When all voting is completed next week, in turn they will be drawing the electoral votes out of a hat.  So we really won’t know who has won until the end…. just like the REAL election. 

Do your duty.  VOTE!

Voting Privileges Utilized

Despite the grueling 102+ temperatures in Phoenix, new American citizen, Rick__ Crosby, braved the severe heat this afternoon to do what many Americans don’t bother doing:  Vote!  Crosby, a native Canadian, apparent by his voting apparel choice, jumped through the rigmarole of the USCIS hoops so that he would have a say in how America is being governed. 

Crosby probably did more research for this Republican Primary than most Americans have done in their entire life of voting.  He phoned the candidates… several times.  He asked tough questions about issues and government policies.  He told his wife who to vote for.  He actually read the voter guide online after his wife threw away the printed guide that came in the mail.  He personally completed the surveys on the voter guide to see which candidates lined up with his beliefs. (SOOSOSSOOOOSSS)  Look familiar?  He even figured out what the S’s and O’s stand for!

When Crosby arrived his neighboring polling station, his personal photographer was prohibited from taking pictures inside the voting area.  That didn’t stop Crosby.  He marched in, flashed his driver’s license, walked over the the flimsy, portable voting “booths” and pulled his pre-prepared sample ballot from his pocket.  It was a proud American moment.  His photographer did inform the seven members of the polling station volunteer staff that it was Crosby’s first time voting as an American.  The staff was impressed, to say the least.  When Crosby completed his official ballot and turned toward the vote counting machine, all seven volunteers, along with his personal photographer, stood and applauded his valiant display of patriotism and responsibility.

If you are an American and you didn’t exercise your personal responsibility to vote, shame on you.  Yes, that’s right…. shame.  Newly sworn-in American citizens like Crosby paid the price for this right that came free by birth to so many.  It is upstanding patriots like Rick__ Crosby who will determine who runs our country and how it is run.  If you did vote, THANK YOU!  Be proud!  Wear the red, white and blue sticker with pride.  The United States of America is the best country in the world!

(Is anyone else sensing a subliminal message here???)