The Politics of Plate Lunch

My voting screen before The Powers That Be hacked the machine and changed my vote.

I have just returned home from voting in the 56th Presidential Election. Exciting. Intense. Electioneering. People being turned away at the polls. Dead people casting their ballots. Riots. Tear gas. Garden hoses.

Okay, maybe not.

While reports have been filtering in all day about massive lines and long waits at polling places, my little polling place in our psuedo-suburban-rural hamlet was about average. Just walked up to the people checking me in, got my electronic reader card and then stood in line for about eight minutes until a booth opened.

From there, it was a quick insert of the card and a few punches later, it was all good.

In Maryland, there are a few hotly contested issues being fought. The first is the question on whether or not Early Voting should be allowed. Personally, I'm against it. There's absentee ballots available if you're not in town on Election Day but the ability to vote is a privilege and civic duty - it's not about "convenience" because you're too damn lazy to go out on the designated day to vote.

The second, more hotly contested fight is Question 2 and a constitutional amendment to allow slot machines in five locations throughout the state. Again, I'm against slots. Four years ago, slots weren't good enough for this state because the governor was republican (and the rest of the state democrat). Now that there's a democrat in the governor's mansion, slots suddenly make sense?

Don't get me wrong, I like gambling. Give me a craps table and I'm more than willing to throw down, but we need to limit government spending, not increase it. And I just love how they framed the slots revenue as a vehicle to pay for education. Once again, our "trustworthy" politicians frame their politics in a veil of supporting/protecting our children.

I'll let you guess which way I voted on that question.

But the real question on people's minds is: who did you vote for President?

There was the Write-In candidate and I certainly thought about voting myself as The Supreme Emperor and General Pontiff of North America.

Otherwise, I'm not telling.

I gotta say though, that I do like John McCain. He went to war and paid dearly. He fought for policies during his political career and has been around the block. Most people vehemently against him blindly believe that McCain will be another Bush. I don't share that opinion. I think McCain would be far better a president that George W. Bush with better policies - and his promises of No Taxes certainly deserves closer investigation. And his vice-presidential running mate is eye candy that Hillary Clinton could never match.

Then there's Barack Obama. I like him too. He's managed to invigorate America and capture its' imagination. That's important. He doesn't have that much experience in the Senate and perhaps that's a good thing. Though, his democratic majority Congress has done nothing to "reverse" what they say the republicans did to this country. Truth is, they screwed us all. And we let them. Then there's the issue of taxation. Obama says only 5% of the population will see a tax increase and that makes me nervous.

Throughout history, politicians have promised No New Taxes. Then, once in office, they persecute us with the taxation they promised they wouldn't levy. Now we have a politician who says he's gonna tax a percentage of the populace - which inevitably will somehow morph into a larger tax on everyone.

While I won't tell you who I voted for, I will tell you this: I voted for the candidate whom I thought would have a better understanding of the intricacies and fine points of a true Plate Lunch and 'Ahi Poke.



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