Early Voting

I've voted.
Early voting is great. Go when it's convenient. Get it
over with. The local Democratic Party still hasn't
made much effort on behalf of their national
candidate. Still no yard signs, no buttons available.
The lone staff person told me that Georgia isn't a
battleground state. The attitude is that it's solid
red and pretty apt to stay that way. Yet there are
indications that the red color is bleeding. I think
the red will be on their faces if Obama takes the
state, or even if there's a tie, and it is possible.

Yet another reason why I am not a member of
the Democratic Party. If I were, I would feel
obligated to help elect everyone who ran on
their ticket. But I vote for candidates, not
parties. This time I voted for two Republicans
for local offices.

A relative who voted for Bush in the last two
national elections says he's voting for the
Libertarian candidate. He's thoroughly disgusted
with Bush., but says "I can't see that Obama
would do anything for me."

I don't think he'll do much for me, either. I don't
own stock, and have no children or grandchildren
of military age. I voted to end the war in Iraq and
with the hope of medical care for all those who have
been suffering and dying early without it.

One woman I talked to said she's voting for McCain
because Obama will raise taxes. She lost her job and
has only two more weeks of unemployment insurance
to collect, says she's going to file for an extension of
benefits. The factory where she worked has laid off
more workers recently, and another local factory is
going to close entirely, throwing 400 more workers
onto a shrinking job market. But when I said Obama
would not raise taxes, but would lower them for the
factory workers like her, she brought up the Muslim
angle.

Suddenly I understood McCain's steady barrage of
lies about Obama's person and character. No one
is expected to believe them, but they provide excuses
for what some people plan to do anyway. They are
especially useful for those who cannot bring them-
selves to vote for a Black man.