Sometimes when I see someone running unopposed — even someone I like, such as my state Rep., Ted Pitts — I feel prompted to make silly gestures. I did so today. Yes, I wrote in my own name for House District 69, partly just to try out that function on the electronic machine.
That makes Ted Pitts the first incumbent of either of the dominant parties to feel the wrath of the mighty UnParty machine. Such as it is. Sorry, Ted; I couldn’t resist the temptation when it popped into my head. I could have made my empty gesture on one of the other unopposed offices — but I don’t want to be sheriff, for instance. I just didn’t vote at all on any of the unopposed slots — except the House seat.
No, I won’t win this impromptu campaign — I started it just a tad late, even I will admit. But we’re looking at this strategically. (Who’s "we?" Just me. You may or may not have noticed that candidates often refer to themselves as "we" when they mean "I," and I believe in observing the conventions when they don’t violate my principles.)
I’m building name recognition. Sure, we’re not liable to win this one. But the experience losing to Ted will help me get ready to lose a last-minute run for governor in 2010. Then, who knows — I could decide to become an extremely minor obstacle to President Obama’s re-election plans.
A lot of quixotic candidates start off losing at the top — Ralph Nader, for instance. But I think that’s just presumptuous. As I keep telling Doug, experience is important. I need to lose races for lower offices before fumbling the brass ring.
Anyway, I gotta run now, and make the last-minute arrangements for my unvictory party….
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I considered making a write-in vote for each of the seven or so races with only one candidate… then I remembered how long I’d been in line, and how many people were behind me. Maybe next time I’ll write your name in for something.
Ralph Nader is another schizophrenic liberal.
On one hand, he owned a portfolio of $2,500,000 of blue chip stocks, but ran his 2004 campaign out of the offices of the Communist Party USA in Manhattan.
He talks about reform and honesty, then refused to file an FEC financial disclosure form on his stocks and income.
re: “we” when they mean “I”
Some people really MEAN we. And our good Governor has allowed a little known loophole in the election “rules” to be utilized this year in the case of a tie. People who have MPD (Multiple Personality Disorder) think – Sybil –
…will get to cast a vote for each of the majors. These will then be added to the official count — and election officials will go from there.
We have a few particularly patriotic of said persons on stand-by over on Bull Street. Right Now!
I wrote my name in too, but it’s not because I wanted to run for the Unparty. I just couldn’t bring myself to vote for Jakie Knotts, so I wrote my name in instead. Maybe I’ll make a concerted effort next go round.
Jakie wasn’t on my ballot. What’s up with that? It’s a shame I can’t like the fella. But he cohorts with my arch enemy…
And he is mean to Governor Sanford.
Well, America elected a un-American president.
That’s good enough for the “unParty”.