I got your endorsement right here
Went Saturday to do the civic duty thing. I left blank the School Board because two people were running and the choice was to vote for two. The Mrs. was disappointed she couldn’t vote in the City of Alcoa election because they had an initiative on the ballot to allow the sale of liquor by the drink in restaurants. We eat in Alcoa often and feel we have a right to mixed drinks but weren’t allowed to vote on it.
I also voted for Duncan. Duncan is a principled man and I support him even if I disagree with him about a few issues.
Oh and for president, I voted for Michael Badnarik. I proudly wasted my vote on a man who has no chance of winning. I voted for someone who XRLQ referred to as a criminal for not paying taxes, not having a driver’s license and a few other things. Of course, doing cocaine, driving drunk, engaging in unauthorized meetings with the enemy, and lying under oath make you a criminal too. As do importing lobster tails that are less than five and a half inches, lassoing a catfish in Tennessee, and speeding.
I do wish the Libertarians would nominate someone who, you know, isn’t crazy. They need to distance themselves from the lunatic fringe. But that won’t happen for a while.
I could have voted against Kerry but the fact is Tennessee is safely in the red column. I voted my conscience.
October 24th, 2004 at 6:27 pm
[…] Today Uncle waived his Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination and openly admitted to throwing his vote away on the Looneytarian can […]
October 24th, 2004 at 12:37 pm
C’mon, this is like your old “OK, maybe Kerry wants to take away all of your guns, but Bush wouldn’t oppose taking away a small portion of your arsenal, either.” Or like the LP’s “maybe the Dems want to raise your taxes, but the Repubs don’t want to abolish taxation completely, so fudge em.”
AFAIK, Bush has only committed one crime, and that only barely. He was right at the legal limit, and was pulled over for driving too slowly. He paid his debt to society, which was a whopping $150 and a brief suspension of his driving privileges (which suspension, unlike Badnarik, he honored). It’s anybody’s guess whether or not he did coke at some point in his youth, but it’s also highly irrelevant. He clearly doesn’t use now, and if he ever did the statute of limitations ran out a long time ago. That’s probably true of Kerry’s crimes, as well. Not so for Badnarik, who continues to commit his every day.
October 24th, 2004 at 12:48 pm
Also know that a vote for Badnarik is NOT a vote for the LP to distance itself from the lunatic fringe. The only way to accomplish that would be for Badnarik to do even worse in 2004 than other Libertarians have done in prior elections. If Badnarik gets roughly as many votes as Harry Browne did in 1996 or 2000, or more than Marrou did in 1992, what incentive will the LP have to go non-loony in the future?
October 24th, 2004 at 2:13 pm
I’m voting my conscience too, and voting for Badnarik. Tennessee, as you note, is safely Bush so there’s no call for me to vote defensively anti-Kerry.
I doubt the Libs will ever be non-loon. I’d love to see a faction of pragmatic Libertarians and disaffected Republicans take over the remains of Reform and run with it. That would become a third party to deal with.
I’m sticking with my prediction of early this year: Bush 53%, Kerry 44%, Nader 2%, and others 1%. Can’t wait to see the immolation of the Democratic Party beginning on November 3rd.
October 24th, 2004 at 2:35 pm
Good for you. Democrats in Tennessee thank you!
October 24th, 2004 at 5:43 pm
Uncle –
We in California have a prefetermined US Senate race. So, since Boxer is going to win in a walk and the LP senate guy aint bad, Im voting for Jim Gray — although hes not perfect hes the most serious LP candidate I think Ive seen for anything.
October 24th, 2004 at 11:46 pm
I thought about Badnarik, but I stopped throwing my vote away after 2 votes for Perot.
I’d love to vote for a sane Libertarian candidate, but I don’t see how voting for an insane one makes that any more likely.
October 25th, 2004 at 12:36 am
Mike:
I’d be shocked if it’s that far apart, unless you’re talking about just Tennessee’s results. That I could see.
And whichever party loses the presidency this year is going to be intolerable. You think Hannity’s a prick now?
October 25th, 2004 at 2:05 am
Tenn. is “safely in the Red column” eh? I just hope you’re right about that.
3rd party candidates will probably never serve any purpose other than to detract votes/percentage points from the Big Two. But hey, voting your conscience is cool, I respect that…but doing so in 2000 (meaning libs who voted for Nader) were accused of throwing the election to Bush instead of Gore (I’m not complaining) Still. It’s the principle of the thing, I guess.
October 25th, 2004 at 6:30 am
How Dare You Act On Your Principles!!!
Say Uncle is a blogger I’ve known for a while. I’ll make no secret that as much as a person can become one over the internet, I regard him as such. He posted about his decision to vote for Badnarik…
October 25th, 2004 at 6:52 am
Uncle,
What matters most is that you did what you believed ot be right. As far as those who are dogging you out for it – to hell with ’em. 🙂
October 25th, 2004 at 4:30 pm
I don’t think anyone who admits to voting for perot (twice) can be accused of dogging anyone out.*grin*
Oh, the shame…
But I’m feeling much better now…
October 25th, 2004 at 9:07 pm
P.S. You may not have been able to vote on the liquor by the drink referendum in Aloca, but rest assured there were at least two votes FOR from the Bubba houshold.
Not to mention at least two more from the gay couple over on the next street who helped with the petition drive to get it on the ballot in the first place.
October 25th, 2004 at 9:10 pm
I saw big signs in alcoa today on the road telling people to vote yes. I bet this gets record turnout for the city 🙂
October 25th, 2004 at 9:20 pm
I’m hopeful. The Aloca Triangle needs it to get and keep good restaurants. But it has been defeated at least twice before.
On the other hand, there are a lot of people moving here from elsewhere (i.e. not Bible Belt fundamentalist country) so cross your fingers…