joel's thoughts

Waited an hour and ten minutes in line to vote this morning, and no sir, I would rather not use the optional touch-screen voting machine, thank you very much. Chatted with a few nice people in line while I waited, and had a great commute to work afterward. Listened to the radio on the way in and heard them interviewing some political talking head or other. They commented on how this year we seem to have a very strong political Left and a very strong political Right, but no strong Center. They asked him why he thought that was, and he replied that many of the current issues, particularly the social ones, are rather clean dividers for which there is no middle ground — abortion, gay marriage, etc. Thus, as he said, “You can’t half-abort a baby,” a comment I found somewhat amusing in its astuteness.

In any case, if you live in the US (which I know isn’t all of you) and haven’t voted yet, go vote. If you like the guy who’s in there already, he won’t be around for long unless you help him out. If you don’t like him and prefer another guy, he’s not going anywhere unless you speak up. And if you can’t decide or couldn’t care less, for cryin’ out loud get out here and help the rest of us make up our collective mind and get it over with!

[update 12:48 pm] I just read an interesting interview-ish article over at the Guardian [UK] about novelist Tom Wolfe, author of Bonfire of the Vanities (among other things), and his take on the election and the overall political climate here. Rather insightful, that man. Yes, I suppose if I were a good little blogger I’d give you a tantalizing snippet or two, but I’m afraid I haven’t the time after having read it myself ;).