Got any other questions?
Friday afternoon I was in Hoboken, and I passed one of those sidewalk voter registration booths manned by college dweebs in blue t-shirts. I noticed a surprising amount of activity around one of the tables, and I soon found out why. Senator Bob Menendez was working the crowd, surrounded by a gaggle of shit-faced doofuses in suits.
I stood around and jawboned for a while, and eventually the senator turned towards me and shook my hand. "I hope I can count on your vote this November," he said, carefully phrasing it as a statement rather than a question.
"You may not," I answered. Menendez, pretending not to hear, turned away and focused his attention elsewhere.
One of his henchmen, however, plainly annoyed, couldn't resist. "May I ask why not?" he asked.
"Because I don't like him," I replied pleasantly. Duh.
I could have added that I didn't plan to vote for Kean either, but I figured there was no reason the senator needed to know that. In any case, I found the whole exchange unexpectedly satisfying and a bit therapeutic. I should make it a point to chat with my elected (or un-elected, in this case) representatives more often.
Comments
Did you count your fingers afterward?
Posted by: mal | October 16, 2006 11:10 AM
I understand the feeling. It's always cathartic when you can tell them what you think, regardless of whether your thoughts are positive or negative. I would probably have given him an earful about the Torture Bill.
Posted by: DBK | October 16, 2006 01:35 PM
Barry, one other thought: it certainly is your right to not vote for Kean.
However, you will forever forfeit, IMO, any complaints about both Menendez as well as the corrupt stench of Democrat politics in NJ.
I will make a point to remind you of it if you ever lament your fate in future blogs.
How many Democrats are saying what you are about Menendez? My guess, not many.
You and the most corrupt state in the US will again get what you deserve.
And neither I nor anyone else will feel the least bit sorry for you.
Posted by: mal | October 16, 2006 07:49 PM
Bush and the Repugs inserted language in the "Patriot" Act that allows them to jail people like you for "infiltrating" political events.
If Chimp had his way, people like you would be jailed.
Posted by: Bailey Hankins | October 16, 2006 08:05 PM
Mal said: it certainly is your right to not vote for Kean.
However, you will forever forfeit, IMO, any complaints about both Menendez as well as the corrupt stench of Democrat politics in NJ.
As long as you vote, I think you can complain. It's the complaints of non-voters that set my teeth on edge.
Posted by: K | October 17, 2006 07:34 AM
Gosh, I kind of think you have a right to complain no matter what you do or don't do in the voting booth.
Mal, you certainly do have a point about Jersey politics, but almost every time in my life I've cast a "clothespin" vote I've lived to regret it. I'm sick of unelected political parties choosing our candidates for us from a stacked deck.
Posted by: BNJ | October 17, 2006 09:12 AM
"Bush and the Repugs inserted language in the "Patriot" Act that allows them to jail people like you for "infiltrating" political events." (BH)
http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=107_cong_bills&docid=f:h3162enr.txt.pdf
Good luck.
Posted by: JMK | October 17, 2006 10:09 AM
"...I'm sick of unelected political parties choosing our candidates for us from a stacked deck." (BNJ)
(BNJ)
Yes, but that's how politics has "gotten done" for over a hundred years!
Party bosses decide who'll run for what office, from the tiniest local office to the largest statewide office.
On the national stage, each Party also gets to influence the outcome of the Primaries to their favored candidates by giving or withholding Party monies from the candidates.
In my view, one of the worst and most fundamental abuses in government is that of the "Lawyer/legislator."
Lawyers control politics today and that is to the detriment of government.
No lawyer should be allowed to run for any legislative office on any level.
Even under that system, they'd control the judiciary, they should never be allowed to control the other branches of government as well.
I'm pulling for Keane, though that's an easier call coming from NY.
Posted by: JMK | October 17, 2006 10:16 AM
Gosh, I kind of think you have a right to complain no matter what you do or don't do in the voting booth. (BNJ)
Could not disagree with you more, Barry.
If you and other Republicans choose to cite equivalency between Kean and Menendez as candidates and hence not vote for Kean, you will be electing Menendez whether or not you mean to do so.
In 1968, I was a McCarthy supporter and was disgusted at how, first RFK and then HHH screwed the pooch to minimize Gene.
I told myself 'Screw it. Humphrey is just as bad as Nixon as far as I'm concerned so I just won't vote.'
I have carrying that one for 38 years and counting.
Posted by: mal | October 17, 2006 05:01 PM
Mal you're right to the extent that we're stuck without any real alternatives...and there are no real alternatives at this point.
We are each faced with voting for the candidate who comes closest to our basic ideological position.
I've lodged the occasional protest vote - voting for a Libertarian or two, and its only reward is, given that the more ideologically similar candidate wins, whenever their flaws come up, you can safely say, "I didn't vote for him/her."
At this point, there are no viable Third Parties.
The choice sadly comes down to more Liberal Democrats versus more Conservative Republicans, with few exceptions.
Posted by: JMK | October 17, 2006 05:45 PM
> If you and other Republicans choose to cite equivalency between Kean and Menendez...
I'm not going so far as to say they're equivalent. I'm reasonably certain that Kean would make a somewhat more agreeable senator. And perhaps if I thought Kean had a real chance, I could be persuaded. I never did, though, no matter what the polls said.
Posted by: BNJ | October 17, 2006 06:52 PM