It’s election time. It appears that Trump has made the candidate portion of the ballot quite easy for us. He said to treat the election as if he were on the ballot. So, whether you are a Republican or a Democrat, the choices should be simple.
Of course, if you are a Republican and your allegiance to the “orange one” is waning, you could always break ranks. In lieu of all the insanity that we have been forced to bear over the last ten years, no one is going to blame you.
Does it bother me that I am voting virtually a straight Democratic ticket? Hell yes it does! It’s sickening to always be voting for “ANYTHING OTHER THAN TRUMP OR REPUBLICAN”. Voting a straight ticket invites graft, and the Democratic Party is far from guiltless, but with a lack of viable choices, I’m left with choosing the path of least harm…again.
One thing has concerned me for some time. I noticed this on ballots in Colorado as well as here in Missouri. As it is with most General Elections, much is devoted to “County” politics. Curiously, a number of elected positions have only one candidate running.
Now, you might think, “Who cares. That’s just local politics.” But “local” is where we live and that deserves a closer look.
My ballot was for Jefferson County, Missouri. On it, there was one Circuit Judge and six Associate Circuit Judge positions with only one candidate running. As well, the positions of Circuit Clerk, County Council Member, Recorder of Deeds, Collector, Auditor, and Prosecuting Attorney all had only one candidate running unopposed.
You can guess what party represented ALL of the positions that I have listed. That’s right. Republican.
I chose the “Write In” option on these. I really couldn’t in good conscience vote for a Republican, even if my act of protest carried no wait. Without a registered opposing contender, the sole candidates will be shoe-ins.
In addition, the ballot asks if a Supreme Court Judge and three Eastern District Court of Appeals Judges should be retained. These positions are nonpartisan, so no party is listed but, a little digging reveals who appointed them. The Supreme Court Judge, Paul C. Wilson was appointed by a Democrat. Of the Eastern District Court of Appeals, Judges Virginia Lay and Rebeca Navarro were appointed by Republicans and Judge Angela Turner was appointed by a Democrat.
Best wishes to all who are voting. The fate of our nation rests in our hands. Here’s hoping our choices are sound.
