In Texas, it's time for the madhouse, choosing which Republican will cause the least amount of damage. Perry is incoherent, but the Texas Monthly article that said this term would launch him on a run to the Presidency, which brought back some really bad memories (GWB). Kay Bailey (KBH to her fans - always use 3 initials) is not that bright, and is oblivious to life her in Texas. And Debra Medina is Texas' answer to Sarah Palin. For generations, my family has made it a tradition to vote for the idiot on the opposition to run against the favored Democrat. How times have changed....
In the spirit of the Olympics, it was time to pass the torch to the next generation. My son has turned 18 and was eligible to vote for the first time. We have long talks about politics, watched Fox and Olbermann together, and he has traveled with school to DC to see how sausage is made.
So, after reviewing the candidates for both sides, we went to vote Republican. Having met KBH's staff in DC, he was not impressed by their responses to Texas issues. I voted for KBH, because lately it seems that not only do the Republicans consistently choose the village idiot (years of crossover voting from Democrats has helped) but now the state goes on to elect the idiot. The results are shown in our education system where The Flintstones is viewed as a documentary (30% of the folks in this state believe dinosaurs and man co-existed). So I broke with my usual rule and chose KBH because she was the lesser of the idiots on the slate. My son had fun, as the ladies fussed over a first time voter. Soon, we'll see the fruits of our labor, and hope they aren't rotten. If you want to see how much fun it is to vote in Texas, check out the following:
For those worried about all the Obama voters:
Ballot Proposition #1 - Photo ID [bring back the poll tax]
The Texas legislature should make it a priority to protect the integrity of our election process by enacting legislation that requires voters to provide valid photo identification in order to cast a ballot in any and all elections conducted in the State of Texas.
For those who just hate the idea of the state spending money for social services:
Ballot Proposition #2 - Controlling Government Growth
Every government body in Texas should be required to limit any annual increase in its budget and spending to the combined increase of population and inflation unless it first gets voter approval to exceed the allowed annual growth or in the case of an official emergency.
A special shout-out to the teabaggers who carried Perry so far:
Ballot Proposition #3 - Cutting Federal Income Taxes
In addition to aggressively eliminating irresponsible federal spending, Congress should empower American citizens to stimulate the economy by Congress cutting federal income taxes for all federal taxpayers, rather than spending hundreds of billions on so-called "federal economic stimulus".
For those who don't get enough religion and think others should join in:
Ballot Proposition #4 - Public Acknowledgement of God
The use of the word "God", prayers and the Ten Commandments should be allowed at public gatherings and public educational institutions, as well as be permitted on government buildings and property.
And finally, let's make abortion even more difficult (I favored the idea of a colonoscopy without anesthesia for the responsible male):
Ballot Proposition #5 - Sonograms
The Texas Legislature should enact legislation requiring a sonogram to be performed and shown to each mother about to undergo a medically unnecessary, elective abortion.
To be serious, the ability to keep this country a true democracy hangs by a thread. Be involved in all aspects of your local elections (school boards are really critical) and realize that there are people out there who want the US to be a third-world country and will do anything to get us there. Spend time talking to those in college and high school, they will always be an important component of any election, and they will be choosing your retirement home.