VOTING IN THE PRIMARIES....

This morning I left the house at 6:15. Polls opened at 6:30 and I had to be at work by 7:30. There was no line, I was there 15 minutes tops. No complaints right? No I have complaints.

This was the first primary that I have ever voted in. I could have voted in two others but I just didn't care at the time. I did have a few issues with the process and in general.

*They didn't require my ID.
When grandma finally found my name (5 minutes) she
pointed right at it and asked what my address was. I
personally can't think of a more sure fire way to verify
my claim to be myself then asking me my address while
pointing at it. Any Tom, Dick, or even Harriet could vote
with my name by simply being able to read English. If my
address were in Spanish that would open up another can
of worms.(I know my address would be the same in Spanish)

*You have to vote straight ticket.
Now this in no way pertained to me but....Lets say there was a viable third party candidate running for President. If I wanted to vote for him or her(probably not a her) then I would be unable to vote for any other offices. It would be President and Bond Referendums.
*What does my religion have to do with it?
I am registered Unaffiliated or UNA. This was highlighted so that they would know to ask me which party I am voting for. "None of your frigging business" I said, no not really. When grandma read the UNA she said "I'm sorry I need to ask someone about this" what I said. You are a Unitarian, no I'm Baptist but I am registered Unaffiliated.

*All the volunteers could have voted for Truman.
I have no real point here.

TO MY DEMOCRAT FRIENDS.....

To all my Democrat friends:

Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit, my best wishes
for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low-stress,
non-addictive, gender-neutral celebration of the winter solstice
holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious
persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for
the religious/secular persuasion and/or traditions of others, or their
choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all. I also wish you
a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated
recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2008,
but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures
whose contributions to society have helped make America great . Not to imply
that America is necessarily greater than any other country nor the only
America in the Western Hemisphere. Also, this wish is made without regard to the
race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith or sexual
preference of the wisher.


To all my Republican friends:
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

United States presidential line of succession...

#	Office	Current Officer
1	Vice President of the United States and President of the Senate	Richard Cheney
2	Speaker of the House of Representatives	Nancy Pelosi
3	President of the Senate pro tempore	Robert Byrd
4	Secretary of State	Condoleezza Rice
5	Secretary of the Treasury	Henry Paulson
6	Secretary of Defense	Robert Gates
7	Attorney General	Alberto Gonzales
8	Secretary of the Interior	Dirk Kempthorne
9	Secretary of Agriculture	Mike Johanns
--	Secretary of Commerce	Carlos Gutierrez (ineligible; not a natural-born citizen)
--	Secretary of Labor	Elaine Chao (ineligible; not a natural-born citizen)
10	Secretary of Health and Human Services	Michael Leavitt
11	Secretary of Housing and Urban Development	Alphonso Jackson
12	Secretary of Transportation	Mary Peters
13	Secretary of Energy	Samuel Bodman
14	Secretary of Education	Margaret Spellings
15	Secretary of Veterans Affairs	Jim Nicholson
16	Secretary of Homeland Security	Michael Chertoff

Also Known As....

As a relative newcomer to the world of politics I am often confused be the terminology used by the media. Why for instance do they say "right wing" and then say Republican when they are referring to the same thing. To clear this up I have come up with a list of terms and what they are referring to, in layman's terms of course.

Republicans and the Republican Party:

• G.O.P. or Grand Old Party
• Right Wing
• Red States
• Conservatives
• Religious Right
• Social Conservatives
• Neocons
• Fundamentalists
• Reds
  

Democrats and the Democratic Party:

• Left Wing
• Blue States
• Liberals
• Progressives
• Blues

This list is in no way complete.