Chupacabra Report

Joe Holley of The Chronicle reports that after an initial surge of Republican early voters, the numbers are a wash so far, and Democratic candidate’s hopes are pinned to a good turnout on Election Day tomorrow. These hopes are dimmed by the weather forecast, which calls for thunderstorms tomorrow in Houston and Dallas, two population centers that have been trending Democratic in recent years.

I’ve seen today that some of the folks I’ve been jawboning haven’t voted yet and probably won’t make the effort to show up at the polls tomorrow either.

Driving through the 3rd Ward today I saw a sign urging folks to vote ‘out of self-respect and in self defense.’ Good point. Wish I had a sign like that to beat people with. Beatings don’t cure ignorance, but they may have some effect on apathy. After all our bloody history, to sit out the vote because raindrops might mess up your hair-do is deplorable. People around the world stand in line to vote in places where they may be bombed or shot. What’s our problem?

Heard somebody suggest today that only property owners should be allowed to vote. How eighteenth-century. This person no doubt feels that poor people on the dole are voting themselves favors. There is just so much wrong with this idea. I believe this, like the venom directed at President Obama, stems from racism, and plays into the hands of those who would divide us for nefarious purposes. The biggest welfare queens in our society stroll the halls of power in expensive suits, spending pennies-on-the-dollar in campaign contributions to belly up to the public trough. We have socialism for millionaires here.

I spoke to two young people last week-end who weren’t planning to vote, and I’m not sure I made an impression on them. These kids are draft age! They receive state and federal student aid! I hope that they remember our conversation when they’re squealing next year because the new kleptocrats are raising their tuition and fees as their benefits are cut; as they find themselves on their own in the healthcare market, as the next wars begin. It’s your self-interest; it’s self-defense.

Besides not voting, there’s the matter of voting stupid. I favor requiring new voters to pass a short civics test, showing that they have the sort of knowledge of our system of government that we ask of eighth-graders. I think of this every time I see one of those polls where people are given the Bill of Rights or something and they don’t agree with or approve of half of it. Or when I read that a candidate for office turns out to have never voted before. Gets my goat.