I saw in
my local paper this morning that there's an
election tomorrow. I did an hour or two of
research on the web, and have decided who deserves my vote in most of the elections. Read on to see who and why...
US Senator: Two of the candidates are centrists who seem to like the War on Drugs, but fortunately one candidate is against it: David B. Higginbottom, who gets my vote.
Commissioner of Education: George Sheldon has endorsements from most of the teachers' unions, so I'll vote for him.
State Attorney: This is the race I haven't figured out at all yet. Jonathan Alpert had a lawsuit filed against him for throwing a 20 oz cup of coffee at another lawyer during mediation. Robert Shimberg hung around with Harry Lee Coe and has been accused of playing fast and loose with the Government in the Sunshine Law about public meetings. The aggressive asshole or the corrupt crony? It's tough to decide. Either way I'll have to hold my nose.
Circuit Court: David Dee has worked for polluters for years and even filed suit against a local county for refusing to allow a new landfill. He can burn in hell and is a disgrace to the Democratic Party. I couldn't find much about Ellen Ware and Leland Anne Baldwin. Robert A. Foster, Jr. has some really scary friends at hotpolitics.com, but as loopy as their website is, they seem to have the same concerns as I do. Foster's campaign site even lists what looks like a personal e-mail address. I'll probably vote for him.
County Court Judge: Nick Nazaretian's omnipresent campaign signs make me suspicious of his war chest, and his personal statement mentions his three dogs. Why would I vote for a dog person? He also says: I have obtained Board Certification in Criminal Trial Law by the Florida Bar. This means the Florida Bar has recognized me as an "expert" in the area of Criminal Trial Law. Not only does it not mean that, but the "extra" quotes don't make him "look" like an "expert" in English, "either". Both Ann Ober and Carol C. Rodriguez have been active in domestic violence prevention, and I'm tempted to give my vote to a third-generation Floridian and fellow Hispanic, but what really impresses me about Ann Ober, despite her involvement in the Just Say No parade, is that she doesn't mention her family at all. I don't know why someone's spouse has anything to do with it anyway. Still, Rodriguez is a local... I'm not sure how I'll vote.
School Board: Jack Lamb and Sharon Danaher both appear to be thoughtful, sincere, and qualified. Danaher has experience on the school board and is endorsed by the the county teachers' association, so I'll vote for her.
Oh, and later today I think I'll put away some laundry and take out the trash. Maybe watch Being There with Segnbora-t and tregoweth, if they're up for it.