Today is election day! And I am very excited because this is my first time voting. Yes America, I will be participating in our democratic processes today!
I'm really interested to find out what exactly happens in the voting booth. I have this silly childhood notion in my mind that the booth consists of a complicated system of levers, pulleys, and flashing blue buttons. With such a notion in my head, I know I will be sorely disappointed to see what actually resides behind the curtain.
Anyway, the elections have provided hours of entertainment for Justin and me in the past few weeks. It seems like every minute CNN or MSNBC puts out a new poll that shows the Democrats or Republicans leading. You can't escape the elections! They're splashed across our newspapers and broadcasted on our television sets. You can't watch a TV show these days without coming across a campaign ad.
The Senate campaign ads in Maryland have been run-of-the-mill. Commercials from Ben Cardin's camp (D) portray Michael Steele (R) as Bush's lapdog. And ads from Steele's camp depict Cardin as a Democrat dummy. Eh. I've seen the same mud-slinging before.
If only I lived in Virginia! Ah, Virginia. The Senate race there between incumbent George Allen (R) and challenger Jim Webb (D) is as exciting---and controversial---as a Tarantino movie. On one side is Senator Allen, a Southern drawlin' country boy who wears cowboy boots on the campaign trail. A few months ago Allen was touted as a potential presidential candidate for 2008. But this was all before he called a Webb campaigner of Indian descent a "macaca." And before a couple of his old football buddies recalled the Senator throwing around the n-word back in college.
The Virginian Senator who once enjoyed a healthy margin over his opponent now is battling to cross the finish line. Polls show the two in a dead heat. Elections at its finest! I wish I could vote in Virginia just to participate. I feel like my vote would be worth more. I also really like Jim Webb---he doesn't have a lot of political experience, but he has a lot of military know-how. I think Washington needs more people like Webb, people who haven't been calloused and weakened by our political machine.
Oh well. Maryland is a good state, too.
