Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Suffrage, in my world, typically means clicking the “thumbs up” icon on Urbandictionary.com for some ghastly new addition to our vernacular. I did that today–shituation was particularly worthy of approval–but I also voted in the primary, for matters of ostensibly greater importance.

This is the first time I’ve exercised the right. The prior two races struck me as they’ve always struck me–contests to choose whichever old dude was less offensive. But the candidates this time are unique, and even though the trappings of the race may appear the same, from campaigning to mudslinging to scandal to vindication, the agents themselves are physically different. And in my mind this assures some kind of change, if only because the world will regard them differently.

Originally I had imagined the precinct to be a Draconian hellhole, papers strewn every which where with lines out the door, and much of this was informed by the coverage back in double-aught. I mean, I still don’t really know what “Hanging Chads” means, though it sounds like something the French might do in a town square on Guy Fawkes Day. In reality, I was out the door in under ten minutes. These modern voting machines are slick. Of course, I hope by November someone invents a Firefox plug-in for online voting. That would be even slicker. I’m trying to cut down on this whole walking thing.