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Welcome to Backyard Blog, our group online journal for this election season. We've asked a broad array of people with deep ties to the region to share their views on politics during the 2004 campaign.
Send your comments to bbcomments@seattletimes.com. |
November 02, 2004
| It all comes down to this |
| Posted by Matthew Ranger at November 2, 2004 07:01 PM |
Today, as I finished filling out my absentee ballot, I was amazed by the excitement that I felt. The excitement I'd experienced didn't stem from voting for my presidential, senatorial or gubernatorial candidate of choice, but rather from the judges at the end of the ballot. I suppose this thrill stems from a few different factors, but primarily from the fact that a voter gets to do a good bit of deduction and extrapolation in that type of a race.
When you look at it, all a person has to go on is a few paragraphs. Sometimes they tell you a lot. Sometimes they tell you very little. When you see the words "won't legislate from the bench," your choice is easy. When the paragraph turns to more neutral terms like "compassion", "fairness", and "justice", the job gets a lot harder. This is where things get fun. You have to dig through the endorsements and think who their decisions could favor. You must look at what jobs they have held to see if they will be tough or wishy-washy. You examine their accomplishments and awards to see what kind of person they are, or at least portray themselves as.
When all is taken into account, you take your pen and fill in the circle. You do this knowing that you've had a larger than normal impact due to all those who choose to skip that part of the ballot. As you slip it into the envelope, you know that you've made a statement on what could very well be the most important branch of government.
This is America pure and simple. God bless her.
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