Our older son James recently registered to vote and the Republicans are hot on the trail of fresh blood.  On Tuesday alone, I received two calls for James.  The first was a real person and went something like this:

            “May I speak to James, please?”

            “I’m sorry James is away at college.”

            “Oh.  I’m calling for the Republican Party encouraging James to vote.”

            “James will be voting, but he intends to vote for Obama.”

            Click.

            The second was a robocall that I devoutly wish I’d let go to the answering machine so I could transcribe it for you.  It was from a Mr. DeWine, presumably former Ohio Republican senator Mike DeWine, not current Ohio GOP Deputy Chairman Kevin DeWine, both of whom are vocal opponents of Ohio’s early voting.  (My husband quips, “Quit De Wine-ing and let people vote!”)  The automated call contained a rant about how Democrats are purportedly sending glitterati to college campuses attempting to sway students to vote for Democrats.  I don’t know about other college students, but I am absolutely certain that James will not vote based on recommendations of the glitterati.  After eight years of Republican rule, the state of our nation makes a compelling case for change--real change--not just more of the same with a different face.  You don’t have to be famous to figure that out.

            (Did anyone else notice that techy liberals are corresponding via e-mail while old-school conservatives are calling on the landline?  Coincidence?  I think not.  Why are they calling college students in late September at their parents’ phone number?  Do many college students live at home?  Like most students, James doesn’t even know the number of the college landline in his room; he communicates via cell phone and computer.)

            Election Day lines are not an option for my husband Steve, who has severe rheumatoid arthritis.  He’s been voting by absentee ballot for years and already had his application filled out.  Luckily, just before we mailed it, his mom called encouraging us to vote early.  Ruth Anne is a 78-year-old Quaker activist, serves as a poll observer for the Democratic party in Greensboro NC, and works for the Obama campaign with acting Guilford County Democratic Party Headquarters Coordinator Mandy, another senior live wire with a mission.  Progressive North Carolina has One Stop Early Voting from October 16^th to November 1^st at numerous locations open 7 days/week (for more info, see NC.BarackObama.com, click “Register to Vote” and “Early Voting” tab).  Following up on her advice, I phoned Ohio’s Delaware County Board of Elections and confirmed that registered voters can vote early through Monday, October 6^th during a “golden week” in Ohio.  Responding to a challenge by the state GOP, Ohio’s Republican-dominated Supreme Court voted 4-3 on Monday to uphold Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner’s (D) legal interpretation allowing people to register and vote at the same time during this one week.

            Arriving at our polling site around 3:45 p.m. Wednesday, we found all three machines occupied, one by an older gentleman on a motorized scooter, one by his wife, and one by a middle-aged woman.  As we waited, five students from neighboring Ohio Wesleyan University registered to vote.  While there, we estimate about 15 people voted.  Steve and I voted yes on levies to support our local township infrastructure, to maintain parks and nature education, and to fund Dublin City Schools.  We voted no on gambling and yes on limiting payday loan interest rates.  We voted against our district congressman, a conservative whose voting history we find appalling.  Most importantly, we voted for hope.

            Now there are at least two votes in the can for Barack Obama.  Steve and I voted for:

• A government of hope, not a government of fear
• A timetable for ending the war in Iraq, not endless war as foreign policy
• An economic outlook prioritizing average Americans, not big business
• A president who understands climate crisis and has a 10-year plan to deal with it (new green jobs, reduction of dependency on foreign oil by developing renewable energy, higher fuel efficiency standards, and protection of endangered species)
• Affordable health care and health insurance for each citizen, not just the wealthy
• Restoring respect for the US around the world, not unilateral policy and jingoism
• Peace through negotiations, not pre-emptive strikes
• Transparency in government, not ongoing lies and secrecy
• Appointments filled with leading experts, not Bush-era cronies and ideologues
• Separation of church and state, not a VP who professes to have a direct line to God
• Protection of the constitution and civil rights, not continued suspension of habeas corpus and unwarranted wiretapping
• An advocate of equal rights regardless of race, gender, age, sexual orientation, or religion
• “The guy with one house,” not the guy who can’t remember how many homes he owns (Chris Rock interview with Larry King)
• A well educated, thoughtful, open-minded man, not the bravado of the gung-ho military old guard

I invite you to see whether you can vote early and to consider voting for hope.

In other Election News, Sasha The Weasel is looking for more Open Salon pets who would like to serve in her Cabinet.  If your pet is interested, please see The Weasel & her OS Cabinet for President.

P.S. If you enjoyed this piece, you might also like the following post entitled "Ohio ~ Still the Heart of It All" about the 2008 primary.