The Midterms: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

[Workingmom]

I'm sending you all my love and keep my fingers crossed.  I believe there are enough loving, caring and intelligent Americans to make a blue wave possible.

[clueliss]

I voted.  Lines in Mid-Missouri.  And the parking at my polling place is horrible.  I parked in the grass alongside a narrow church drive facing a fire hydrant (at a small probably IFB Baptist church and had to stand next to a table of literature while in line that included 'stop abortion' bookmarks.   

[RosyDaisy]

My husband and I just did our part to bring about that blue wave here in Alabama and preventing what could become abortion bans in the state of Alabama.

[Alisamer]

My mom just texted me that she voted and had no line. Neither of those things reassure me, TBH. 

[Ticklish]

My husband and I early voted in Iowa to do our part to create a blue wave. I've been encouraging friends to vote as well. Tonight I will he drinking- whether in celebration or to drown my sorrows remains to be seen!

[Destiny]

Just want to remind everyone when results start coming in or whatever, FJ has a chat room.

[outtheblue]

Voted in GA today around 10 am, took about 1.5 hours. When I got out the line was probably 2+ hours long. 

[Destiny]

5 minutes ago, outtheblue said:

Voted in GA today around 10 am, took about 1.5 hours. When I got out the line was probably 2+ hours long. 

Sweet Rufus, that would try my patience quickly. Thank you! ❤️

If anyone else is waiting in a similarly bullshit line and wants someone to keep 'em company, I'm chilling in chat. 

[Maggie Mae]

4 hours ago, fraurosena said:

I'm curious what kind of shit they're spouting about it though. What kind of arguments did they have against feeding people in line to vote?

Okay, so I just listened to the podcast, as my previous statement was based on second-hand information from a trusted source. I also listen to that show sometimes because it's good to hear opposing voices sometimes, especially when they are people in your community. And also because they have the most interesting crackpot callers. 

They were doing the usual show of talking about local news and politics in a fairly even fashion, then someone called into say that they drove past the early voting location and the line was long and full of reprobates. The host laughed and asked why, and the guy was like "they just looked like degenerates, all eating pizza!" It was fairly amusing, and the host tends to take his more colorful callers in stride. They obviously hadn't read the other news source that explained how someone had ordered pizza for the poll workers, who were extraordinarily busy.  Then the caller asked if they were bussing in homeless degenerates to vote, giving them free pizza, and the host was like "i don't know" and I could practically see the eye rolls from the hosts. Then they switched topics to a very annoying local issue and everyone lost their minds about that (YOUR KIDS WONT BE ABLE TO SWIM! YOU CANT FILL A KIDDY POOL!!! IT's about the PROCESS!) I don't love this show so I'm going to stop listening, although it's likely that someone else will call in later and confirm the degenerates eating pizza. 

It's a small town. What can I say? 

Oh, they are back on the pizza. 

[keen23]

I voted by mail a few weeks ago in Arizona.

But, seriously? I'm totally suffering from Election Exhaustion. There were so many ads in these past few weeks that I've developed a dislike for ALL politicians at this point. I just want it to be over.

[Destiny]

Seriously. I want an "I voted two weeks ago, can I opt out of being courted anymore" button. 

[Cartmann99]

I made a big pan of mac and cheese, and I'm willing to share with the FJ closet dwellers.  

[WiseGirl]

Throwing it back to the previous page. Make room in that closet for one. I can bring beverages. 

[Alisamer]

20 minutes ago, WiseGirl said:

Throwing it back to the previous page. Make room in that closet for one. I can bring beverages. 

I can pick up some on sale Halloween candy on the way to the closet, maybe. I'll bring my laptop and work on my NaNoWriMo story. That's probably what I'll be doing at home, trying not to worry about the election stuff.

[clueliss]

County Clerk here is predicting 80% turnout.

 

And I may want a breakdown on who is turning out for the Senate Race etc and who is turning out for 3 medical marijuana issues on the ballot.  (long ballot, both sides of the paper ballot - a heck of a lot of reading)

[Jinder Roles]

The video below is a very unpopular opinion. It’s not my opinion but I’ve been thinking about narratives like “you have the power to change everything with your vote” and the general bashing I’ve seen of people who don’t vote. As if everything bad happening in the country is the result of people who don’t vote. Or that voting is a guarantee to change society in the significant ways people want and need. 

This is not to say voting never matters, but I think the idea that there is always power behind voting, or that there will be transformation  is flawed. Sometimes it does nothing at all. Or is limited it what it can do because a lot of the “real” decision-making and power plays come from the elected officials. I’m not even talking just about American elections. I myself am not American (if I was, I’d probably vote Democrat today) 

I think some of the points in the video are valid and should be considered, even though Carey is snarky about it. And yes, I know she’s a bit of an anarchist 

 

 

That being said, happy safe and fair voting. I hope it actually changes some shit for the better. 

[onekidanddone]

1 hour ago, Cartmann99 said:

I made a big pan of mac and cheese, and I'm willing to share with the FJ closet dwellers.  

I'll be right over

[catlady]

I voted in western NY at 12:30.  If two people count as a line, then I waited in one. Overall, I was there about 15 minutes instead of the usual 8 to 10.  But my county has tiny voting districts and scores of polling places. When I moved a decade ago, my new house was 1.2 miles from the old one, and my polling place changed m from the neighborhood church to the local fire hall .8 miles away from the church. Wait times are a rarity here, and i’ve come to realize how fortunate we are here. 

[WiseGirl]

Polling places by me are still so busy the police are directing traffic. Governor's race is too close to call.

[Audrey2]

@catlady, I saw an interesting story today on Yahoo about a tradition of putting your I voted sticker on Susan B Anthony's headstone. Part of me thinks it's really cool, and part of me does understand that it could get quite messy.

[47of74]

Regardless of how things go today...

FUCK YOU REPUBLICANS.

From Fuckhead all the way down the goddamn line.

[catlady]

4 minutes ago, Audrey2 said:

@catlady, I saw an interesting story today on Yahoo about a tradition of putting your I voted sticker on Susan B Anthony's headstone. Part of me thinks it's really cool, and part of me does understand that it could get quite messy.

Yes!  We’re about an hour west of Rochester (where Ms. Anthony is buried), but the local news here regularly talks about that tradition. 

[SassyPants]

I hope Putin and his cronies forget to vote

 

 

[formergothardite]

1 hour ago, Jinder Roles said:

Sometimes it does nothing at all. Or is limited it what it can do because a lot of the “real” decision-making and power plays come from the elected officials. 

I see the point that there is a lot of people in positions of power that we don't get to vote on. Think of the SC or a lot of those top judicial positions. It is ridiculous people of that much power are not elected. But sitting around not voting and bitching about how FB banned your website that apparently peddled less than accurate news will do less than nothing, because then we get people like Trump in who isn't even trying to hide how corrupt he is and is essentially going to destroy America. People sat out last election because they didn't think voting was worth it. 

Voting and getting involved in politics is about the only way to change the system. Start at the local level and work your way up, which is how the GOP managed to end up rigging the system to rule as a minority.

I have little patience for people like that anymore. 

[PsyD2013]

Pizza and a big bottle of wine for watching election returns.   I'll either be stress eating and drinking or celebrating.