Vote

November 5, 2018

Greetings from the polls,              

Tomorrow is a big day for politics, when we will ultimately be able to judge the effectiveness of yard signs.  Most people I have spoken to about the mid-term voting have given me inspiring responses, falling neatly into two camps; the rabid political and the wildly indifferent. 

I will admit I follow politics with the same eye as sports.  I know it is going on because I see the commercials, but I have no real understanding of either effort.  I am not backing anyone, betting on any outcome, and I do not own anything with a mascot on it.

That said, I want to be a responsible citizen and so I looked at the ballot for tomorrow.  Of course the language, in the interest of being absolutely clear, is like reading a knot of rubber bands.

In the interest of a better informed electorate, I’ll share some of what I know.  Let’s begin with the subject of gerrymandering.  This term, concocted to remember a person named Gerry and a salamander, describes how political parties arrange voting districts.  It also demonstrates a severe lack of imagination when it comes to political terms.

In our state, we are asked if we want to change how redistricting is done, not that any of us knew how it was done or why.  The proposal wording describes randomly choosing registered voters to establish new redistricting criteria including geographically compact and contiguous districts which do not provide disproportionate advantage to political parties and reflect Michigan’s diverse population. 

Honestly I started laughing at ‘randomly choosing registered voters’ and then my concentration faded. I couldn’t help picturing some poor slob waiting in line at Wendy’s and the Secretary of State comes up and taps him on the shoulder and gives him a salamander.  So then the question is, am I in favor or things geographically compact and contiguous?  And if I am do I vote yes or no? 

The most fun thing on the ballot is legalization of marijuana, which inspires great conversation 100% of the time.  Especially if any of the people involved have been sampling the ballot, so to speak, making them prime candidates for being randomly chosen to draw redistricting criteria.

We have another proposal that will allow more absentee voting, which I think we have down pat, considering only 40% of us vote in midterm elections.  Anyway we won’t have to invent reasons to vote from our kitchen table, and avoid that crush of people at the local fire hall.  I think someone said that absentee voting makes the heart grow fonder.  I saw it on Facebook so it must be true.

And of course we can’t just vote on ideas, we have to elect people.  This is almost as confusing because all of the candidates are, if we are to believe what the internet ads on Facebook say, angels and/or demons.  Pause here and know that all my political research is done on Facebook.

I know this is all important, and I should be taking it seriously.  But honestly there are some days I don’t think I could write a funnier concoction of events and reactions than what takes place in politics and our relationship to it. 

I defer to a far better qualified observer on the subject: ''Everything is changing. People are taking their comedians seriously and the politicians as a joke.''  —Will Rogers

Hope this finds you throwing a lever,

David

Copyright © 2018 David Smith