Election Frustrations

So it's the day after the biggest election of my entire life, and I have no closure. For the second time in history, America, despite all of its advanced technology can't seem to get an election done. Of course, I can't say that this was unexpected. For weeks now, the news has been reporting flaws in the voting systems. A month ago, the Canadian election chancellor visited Missouri to inspect the voting and balloting systems and he said what he saw "terrified him." The ballots in every city are done differently, ranging from hand counted "marker" ballots to the high tech touch screens in Florida (which of course need no paper backup, because we can trust the computer designers- note that the company presidents of all the suppliers are Republicans). I am not even trying to say that there is an inherent cheating streak in the Republican party, but when you look at the effects of 2000, you can't help but wonder what dramatic impact small things like this will have.

Last night, I was up till 2am, fretting over the future of my nation. From 7:00, I was at the Democratic Headquarters, having somehow become the unofficial numbers guy for the entire packed crowd. The Internet was about 30 minutes ahead of the TV, and certain elections had certain sites that you could watch to find true numbers, not media projections, so before long, the TV didn't matter, people just came to me and asked their race. For a while it was kind of invigorating, but then I started to see the dramatic effects of the election on people- most of it negative.

So many of us put our time, effort, money, sweat, and blood into this election, and so many of us are left in tears. I know that there always has to be a loser in these things, but I can't help but be defeated as I watch some of these races unfold. We turned out record numbers of voters, raised amazing amounts of money, talked to our friends, family, co-workers, and so much of it seems to be for nothing. A main thing that I can't get over is the fact that I was used to make my own candidates lose. How? This year, the Republican party made Gay Marriage the new Abortion. The used it as a wedge issue in every close race possible. This agitates me on so many fronts. For one, EVERY poll showed that as a priority to the average citizen, gay marriage was at the bottom of their list, and yet to listen to and watch the advertisements of the Republicans, you would think it was more important than the economy.

What's worse, is that it worked. The American people got so up in arms over this issue, that it colored over nearly everything else, as countless exit polls showed. Of course this shouldn't come as a surprise considering I believe 15 states now have written their own citizens out of their state constitutions. What I want to know is why is the thought of two individuals of the same sex so threatening to people? I can understand the religious argumentation, although I think it's rediculous, I can at least understand it. But we live in AMERICA. Land of the Free. Seperation of Church and State. We are talking about the civil rights of individuals here, and the only argument that people can throw around is the Bible. (I won't even go into how even that argument is flawed beyond belief). What kind of sense does that make?

I think what bothers me most about this election is that it was too emotional. Issues were hardly ever really discussed. There were lots of vague references, but when it came down to what really showed up, it was smear campaigns, and fear tactics. "Don't vote for so and so, because they will let those gays get married, and that just isn't what America wants." "If you elect so and so, you will put our country at risk." This use of the media cheap at best. People got so caught up in the thought of an attack, either on the moral fabric of the country or by an outside force, that they failed to look at anything past that. I can handle an election that is lost on the facts, or one that is lost on the debate floor, but losing an election over tactics, I can't get around, and last night showed that is exactly what happened.

And what is the deal with the White House declaring victory when Ohio holds 20 electoral votes? Well, if any of you were watching the specials they had yesterday, you might find out that it is because THOUSANDS of voters in urban areas in Ohio (Democratic leaning of course) were standing outside for upwards of 11 hours to vote! There was one interview with a college student who had been at the polls since 4pm, and the estimates they were giving him as to when he could vote were going to be close to 3am! Now I am politically motivated, but that would stretch even my limits. How many good, honest people simply couldn't wait that long and had to go home to their jobs or their families? In addition, the eleciton officials started handing out paper ballots, which may or may not actually count. They are part of the "Provincial Ballots" that are going yo be up in the air for 10 DAYS!!! How many voices weren't or won't be heard? What about the soldiers that were complaining about their filling status being revoked because they were in Afganastan or Iraq and the mail took too long to get back and forth? I would think that the people dying for our country should have a pretty good say in what goes on in our country.

I do not want you to come away from this thinking that I am embittered over the outcome of the election (especially since we have no outcome). I am frustrated with the election in general. I am agrivated at how the campaigns were run, and the ploys that were used. I am enraged at the lengths that people will go to silence voices that they don't want to hear. Above all, I am amazed that we so blindly let it happen. I had hoped that we had learned from the dabolical in 2000, but apparently, we are willing to let the same things happen over and over, and in my opinion they will until people are willing to use their voice and make it stop.