Voting

So I went and voted. I usually go and vote in the morning, and today was no exception to that rule, but there was a real difference today. Most of the time I can just walk right in, sign my name, and vote. Today there was a line. I stood in line about 40 minutes before going through the signing and voting ritual. It actually felt good to stand in line for once. I really hope it's because there are a lot of really pissed off people who want a change. When asked how I voted (elsewhere - at the poll itself people were carefully avoiding asking that), I responded with "Against Bush." Technically I voted Democrat, but it's much more against Bush. I'd really like to have a candidate I wanted to vote for, as opposed to one I am voting against.

Many people insist that we should vote for third party candidates, and overall they are right. I don't think that any of them have a chance of winning this time around, and I think it's much more important to try to get Bush out of office. As soon as Bush is not up for office, I'm going straight Libertarian ticket, which I saw for the first time as an option the last time I voted. I mean, literally, I had never before seen it as a physical option until then, but then, and today, you could vote straight Libertarian, which I thought was very cool.

Understand that I think politics sucks. I generally don't care for it, I think most politicians are corrupt simply because the job itself is inherently far too tempting for most mere mortals to avoid corruption, and that it attracts the worst sorts of people. (There are people worse than politicians, but they are high on the list.) Politics is about compromise, but this time of year it's about mudslinging. I actually respect those who can do the job honorably and keep their hands clean, but they are few and far between. I'm tired of people bringing religion into politics. Worship whatever entity you like, live they way you want, and accept the fact that the freedom you have to do so is a freedom you share with other people, and that they will also worship and live as they like. So long as they are not interfering in your life, you should not interfere in theirs. Maybe that last bit needs to be in a separate paragraph, but it's one of the more anoying things I've seen recently in political campaigning - bringing religion into it. It's pretty much one of the best ways to guarantee that I'll vote against you.