A Quick Election Word

Thanks to two friends, I have some wonderful video to upload - later. After I get some other stuff under control. I just wanted to take a moment to tell you I got an email from a friend that says this:

PLEASE ADVISE EVERYONE YOU KNOW THAT THEY ABSOLUTELY CAN NOT GO TO THE POLLS WEARING ANY OBAMA SHIRTS, PINS OR HATS . IT IS AGAINST THE LAW AND WILL BE GROUNDS TO HAVE THE POLLING OFFICIALS TURN YOU AWAY. THAT IS CONSIDERED CAMPAIGNING AND NO ONE CAN CAMPAIGN WITH IN CERTAIN AMOUNT OF DISTANCE TO THE POLLS.


THEY ARE BANKING ON US BEING EXCITED AND NOT BEING AWARE OF THIS LONG STANDING LAW !

IF TURNED AWAY THEY THINK YOU WILL NOT GO HOME AND CHANGE YOUR CLOTHES.

PLEASE JUST DON'T WEAR OBAMA GEAR OF ANY SORTS TO THE POLLS!!

PLEASE SHARE THIS INFORMATION ... JUST TRYING TO COVER ALL GROUNDS

Now, this IS partially true so don't ignore it. I always go looking to verify so what I found was this from WKBN Fox News in Ohio:

Planning on wearing your Barack Obama shirt or John McCain pin to the polls November fourth? You might want to pack a change of clothes.

"If someone's wearing a pin or a shirt with a candidate or an issue on it, we ask that person to either remove the pin or cover up their shirt with any campaign material on it", says Tom McCabe, Director of the Mahoning County Board of Elections.

The Pennsylvania Elections Commissioner was recently quoted as saying it's okay to wear shirts, hats, pins and other items promoting candidates and issues in polling places, as long as a voter doesn't try to campaign there. But the final decision is up to the counties, and Mercer County Commissioners say even though a state official says it's all good, they won't allow it. It won't fly in Ohio either.

"It is a gray area in some cases, and with over one hundred polling locations it's so hard to enforce that throughout the day, we do our best", says McCabe.

The gray area falls between campaigning and something called electioneering. Ohio law says no one can campaign within one hundred feet of a polling place, but is wearing a shirt for a specific candidate really campaigning? McCabe says,

"It's important that voters feel no pressure from any campaign, or poll worker, or other voters, and they're free to make their own choices within the polling location."

So the best way to support your candidate on election day is to vote for them, and the sticker you can proudly display at any polling location is the one that says, "I voted today."

"Fortunately with November, the weather will be a little colder so if they do have a t-shirt on, we'll ask them to cover it with their jacket.", says McCabe.

McCabe adds no one will be turned away or denied their right to vote because of their Election Day outfit. The worst case scenario would be a poll worker asking you to cover up, or turn your shirt inside out.

In short, it looks like this really depends on your state, but just in case, be sure you take a jacket. Some people are counting on others' ignorance and looking to exploit that. Obama is ahead. Keep him there. Don't fall for this crap.

1,000 Words

A friend at work sent this around. I loved it.

Eyes Half Closed, I Am Still in The Race

My kids are in school. So why am I the one exhausted already?

I have been trying to make sure to be home by 8 each night so I can have both my ears pulled by their stories and their questions and their list of things they need BY TOMORROW. Checking homework that isn't really in depth just yet. Figuring out who will eat the next day's school lunch and who won't. Covering text books (think I'm done now). Baths, laundry, cleaning in an effort to not be too overwhelmed the next morning. My refrigerator REALLY needs cleaning but there's too much stuff in there right now and I'm too lazy to pull it all out. But maybe I will this weekend. Daughter got a hold of a toy catalog and is regaling me with her Christmas wish list, marking up about 75% of the catalog with things she "needs" and Son "needs" and the back yard is "empty. So we need to get stuff back there so we can play." Yes, your highness.

I have a to-do list at work that is miles long and my own to-do list isn't as long but it's VERY involved. Last night I was hoping to fold laundry and read a little bit while Mr. T watched football. But the business emails I had to go through first took longer than I expected and the laundry was actually 3 loads sitting around waiting for me, because clearly I'm the only one in the whole house who knows how to put seams together and fold.

And then McCain made his speech. I'm curious about him so I listened. It was all I could do not to fall asleep. The speech was uninspired and uninspiring. The man clearly has nothing on his Veep, that's for sure, but he solidified one thing for me - I do NOT want him running the show.

I've got a mortgage to refinance. I've got kids who want the moon. I've got a car that I think wants to retire but it has to keep working for me. I've got a business I can't give the proper time to. I've got a husband who works two jobs and yes, he loves to work, but I hate the thought of him working overtime some days, which means the kids need to get off the school bus at Nana's house and that increases the likelihood of them getting off at the wrong bus stop again and then I'll have TWO misplaced children. I've got a job that I love but that needs a ton of my time - just like everything and everyone else. I don't see McCain being able to empathize with me. Frankly, I don't see Palin in my boat either.

I need debates now. That where the differences will show up. I was just telling a friend earlier that I am glad things have gone the way they have because there's a black man on one side and a woman on the other. If you hate one, you'll go for the other out of spite. But guess what? Racists and sexists all have to bite the bullet on this one because you will get one or the other like it or not, baby. So what's your choice? To forget the unimportant stuff like race and gender, and actually LISTEN to these people and pick the best person for YOU and YOUR family. Maybe hate will spur people to vote! What a concept!

I'll be watching it all through sleepy eyes, I'm sure, but I know I'll be wide awake when it's time to vote. If you haven't registered yet, get your butt in gear. It takes SECONDS and you'd wait longer than that to get into a club or to buy the latest cell phone. Look at your family or just consider your life and make a choice.

McCain and Veep "Palin" Comparison

So I had to say something. I can't let my extreme activity stop me from stating what I think is becoming more and more obvious now: I do believe we are about to get our first African-American president.

It's more real to me now than ever before. I watched the bulk of the Dem convention, although a few days late since I had to tape it when it originally ran. Michelle was compelling. Hillary was convincing. Barack was simply captivating. But will the good old boys stop the show? It looks like even they are being outnumbered. Still, we had to wait to see. And Hillary, by the way, is probably not 100% thrilled that Barack got the nod. She's not supposed to be! The woman has a right to be upset, so let her and let's stop trying to make her pretend it's OK. She lost. Don't be a sore loser, but it's OK to be sad by the loss. Maybe if she admitted it, her posse would stop being so vindictive giving votes to the Republicans just to spite the black man.

Then McCain made his VP pick. At first glance, I thought it a cunning move to grab Hillary's people. I know I didn't see it coming. But as we learned more about this woman, I began to think it was the dumbest thing he could have done. Now, I give him a thumbs up for giving the finger to convention and going with a woman. For people like me, history will be made either way. It's a victory for this country, whether we want to believe it or not. But an unknown from step-state Alaska? Come on! When I think of her, I keep seeing re-runs of Northern Exposure in my head!

She seems smart, capable, personable and all that. But I do NOT want this woman running the country when old McCain has a health issue. And you just KNOW he's going to have health issues. Come on folks. He's OLD! Yes, I'm being ageist right now. Sue me. The man is past retirement. Now is not the time to take on the most stressful job in country! So Palin will run the show when he can't? You think she can? I don't.

And Bush. Making history by being the first President to not show up at his own party's convention in what? 40 some years or something like that? Niiiice.

I tell you it's like McCain is handing the reigns to Obama. And thank you much if you are, dear sir. The choice of Palin does at least make that stupid concern about Barack's experience no longer a matter of such consequence, I say. Now maybe people can focus on his message and not be blinded by his youth. And the fact that her teen-age daughter is pregnant? Who cares! With Laura Bush I must agree. This wouldn't have been an issue if she were a man. Nevertheless, as nice as this woman may be, Palin is no Hillary Clinton and is not an adequate stand in for her. It's amazing that Hillary's own people are being duped into thinking she is.

I just hope the non-voters out there are finally stimulted enough to go out and cast a vote in the most fascinating race in a VERY long time. And with enough of those - on Baracks' side, of course - maybe we can outnumber the vindictive voters, the uninspired uninformed, and racist right-wing and give this country a real chance to find out what it's like to work together for a real change.