LETTING OFF SOME STEAM, IS ALL

I’m back in Memphis while Linda is in New Orleans for the week. The Tennessee state special election was overturned last week. That’s the election where one candidate, a member of a politically powerful family, won by 13 votes, 12 of which were definitely proved to be fraudulent (dead people back from the grave to vote, convicted felons voting, etc.). It made me think about the recent NOLA elections. With all the hubbub and hoopla, this just may have been the most fraud-free election in New Orleans history!!

Speaking of the election (I know, it’s over, get over it!) I still get bugged every time I hear someone complain about the “disenfranchised voter”. Who are these people? What cave do they live in? We have a system of voting that provides for ANYONE who merely THINKS that they might not be around on voting day to exercise their right to vote using the absentee ballot. This is not new. And, with the advent of the internet (available to ANYONE at local libraries) acquiring an absentee ballot is easy. Still if you can’t get to the internet, a phone call will do the trick. The phone number and web addresses were made public in newspapers and on television nationwide. Pretty much the only people who may really have been disenfranchised would have to be both deaf and blind. I’m not sure a satellite voting location would have done them much good, anyway.

It’s a shame that some respected local political analysts are still bemoaning the lack of those satellite voting locations. “Iraq is the blueprint”, they say. BALONEY!! It took two years to set up the Iraqi elections. We should wait two years when we already have a system in place to handle absentee situations? I THINK NOT!! “But some votes weren’t counted because of errors,” they say, “like choosing more than one candidate, or not getting the ballot notarized or, alternatively, signed by two witnesses.” I’m sorry, it’s about time ignorance and stupidity were removed as reasons for special treatment. If you can’t read the instructions, get someone to read them to you. The ballot wasn’t that hard to understand, and the instructions were clear. I know. That’s how I voted.

Sorry, I had to get it off my chest. This weblog is a great venue for venting. I promise to get over it (until the next election in May, I think). Until then, you remain in our thoughts and prayers.