So I know that it’s been a while, but if you have nothing good to say, it’s better to say nothing at all, right?  This entire election year is driving me nuts. I hate politics on a normal year, but this year, even more so.

I live in Washington, the state not the city (another issue all together, really DC?). We have major elections going on here besides the presidential one. We have a governor’s race, Senate, Congress, justices and Superintendent of Public Schools to vote on. I hate it all. Debates are just people arguing and calling each other names. The signs just blow around during our fall storms. Families argue and people lose friends over this crap. I hate it.

Washington state has another issue that people don’t realize. Our electoral votes do not have to follow the popular vote. We live in a state that has “faithless electors”. Basically this means that our elected officials can vote any way they like. They do not have to follow the popular vote. They are encouraged to vote the way the popular vote goes and always have, but they do not have to.  Of course, Washington is a blue state, has been since Regan.

Interestingly enough, that is when the Seattle area started to grow. Before 1984 the state of Washington did not have many urban areas. The area I lived in, 30 minutes outside of the city, was considered the boonies. We had farms and our town did not even have a stop light. In the past 30 years the area has grown and continues to grow. Microsoft, Nintendo, Boeing, and many more large companies have developed very quickly bringing in more people to the area. Thus the political body has shifted from rural areas, historically conservative, to urban, historically liberal.

I don’t care which side you are on. I really just wish we could all do the right thing and agree to disagree respectfully. Our current politicians mud slinging is shameful. I do not believe that our Founding Father’s would be proud of the current state of politics. When people talk politics, they are either extremely passionate, which is great; or they are completely disgusted, not so great.

My sister said it best, “I want to vote FOR someone, not just against someone else. I may not agree with everything that they stand for, but I need to find just one thing that I do agree on to vote FOR someone.” I agree. We need to vote FOR someone because we believe in their ability to lead or just that ONE issue, not just because it is against the other person. If you do not want to vote FOR someone, then don’t vote at all. Voting is a right that I believe every person should use, however, you need to believe in and be educated in what you are voting for even if it just that one issue.

Okay, rant over, on with your daily lives!