Midterms 2018: The Endorsements
Kids, to be honest, I was seriously considering not writing this post at all. It's so easy to be cynical and disillusioned in the times we live in, but it's even easier to be exhausted. The country and the world seem like it's going to hell in a hand basket- so why bother? Well, two things turned me around on the notion. The first was this article from The Atlantic, which contained this life-affirming quote: "the two-thirds of Americans who don't belong to either extreme constitute an "exhausted majority."
Holy shit. After nearly three decades in this country, I think I've found my political home. So that was awesome... and then, at the end of the day, I'm not going to sit out my Constitutional right to register my opinion on the four alarm dumpster fire that passes for our government in this glorious nation of ours. So, once more unto the breach dear friends, once more. (Assuming of course, I have enough forms of ID to be allowed to vote that is.)
MY BALLOT:
House of Representatives, 2nd District: Dave Loebsack (Kind of a wasted vote in a safe Democratic seat if you ask me, but I honestly have no strong objections to Dave and I've got a long list of strong objections to the current mess in Congress, so he gets the nod.)
Governor and Lieutenant Governor: Fred Hubbell/Rita R. Hart (I haven't broken down Democratic chances for the State House, but the past couple of years have only underlined the point that giving one party control of everything is a really, really bad idea. I don't do irresponsible radicalism or any kind of radicalism, really and Reynolds and the Republicans have given us nothing but that.)
Secretary of State: Deidre DeJear (The concept of Voter ID is an especially pernicious one, because it seems like common sense to a lot of people- but the reality, as we have seen, is that it's used as a tool of voter suppression. Anything or any party that wants to make it harder for you to vote doesn't get mine, so DeJear gets the nod here.)
Auditor of State: I'm honestly undecided here. I like the Mary Moisman is a CPA, I like that she stepped up and agreed to audit the State Medicare mess. But Rob Sand also helped investigate/audit the film tax credit mess. This one might be a coin flip.
Treasurer of State: Michael L. Fitzgerald (If it ain't broke, don't fix it.)
Secretary of Agriculture: Rick Stewart (There's not a chance in hell that he gets it, but I appreciate the blunt honesty Stewart has about the fiscal sustainability of farm and ethanol subsidies- both of which are probably unsustainable in the long term, though until literally every other country stops subsidizing their own farmers in one way or another, we ain't going to stop anytime soon.)
Attorney General: Tom Miller (See: Treasurer of State, above.)
State Senator, District 43: Patrick Wronkiewicz (Any candidate that knocks on my door and introduces himself in person gets my vote just on general principle.)
State Representative, District 85: It irks me to no end that a lot of area representatives run unopposed year after year and cycle after cycle. Like the local Republicans can't be bothered to find a sacrificial lamb? There's not a Libertarian or a Green that wants to throw in? So no, Vicki Lensing isn't getting my vote. I'm writing someone in here.
Board of Supervisors (Two): Phil Hemingway and Janelle Rettig (Props to Phil Hemingway for running as a Republican for this position- and I liked the perspective he brought to the school board and I think it's good to have an 'outsider' perspective in office from time to time. I have absolutely no data on this race so assume that it'll probably be Heiden and Rettig by comfortable margins, but you never know.)
County Treasurer: Thomas L. Kriz
County Recorder: Kim Painter
County Attorney: Janet M. Lyness
Non-Partisan Offices: Well, I actually attempted to educate myself on the Soil and Water Conversation Commission and the County Agricultural Extension Council actually do and I know more than I did before, but I'm still not entirely clear on what all they do. So if you're a real person on this ballot, you're lucky, because I'm gonna vote for you.
Judges: This is another one I did research on and found a handed dandy Judicial Performance Review for 2018. Based on the evaluations, I'm going to vote to retain Chappell, Miller, Turner, Scott for District 6 and Mullins, Tabor and Vaithesawaran for the Court of Appeals.
OTHER RACES: If I still lived in Minnesota, I'd be voting for Tim Walz for Governor, Amy Klobuchar for Senator and Independence Party candidates wherever possible. (So take note, Minnesota peeps!)
PREDICTIONS: I think the Democrats take the House but not the Senate and pick up a good amount of Governorships ahead of 2020. As much as I'd like to think that Texas will vote for Beto O'Rourke, I'm pretty sure the Lizard People have this one all sewn up with Ted Cruz.
Holy shit. After nearly three decades in this country, I think I've found my political home. So that was awesome... and then, at the end of the day, I'm not going to sit out my Constitutional right to register my opinion on the four alarm dumpster fire that passes for our government in this glorious nation of ours. So, once more unto the breach dear friends, once more. (Assuming of course, I have enough forms of ID to be allowed to vote that is.)
MY BALLOT:
House of Representatives, 2nd District: Dave Loebsack (Kind of a wasted vote in a safe Democratic seat if you ask me, but I honestly have no strong objections to Dave and I've got a long list of strong objections to the current mess in Congress, so he gets the nod.)
Governor and Lieutenant Governor: Fred Hubbell/Rita R. Hart (I haven't broken down Democratic chances for the State House, but the past couple of years have only underlined the point that giving one party control of everything is a really, really bad idea. I don't do irresponsible radicalism or any kind of radicalism, really and Reynolds and the Republicans have given us nothing but that.)
Secretary of State: Deidre DeJear (The concept of Voter ID is an especially pernicious one, because it seems like common sense to a lot of people- but the reality, as we have seen, is that it's used as a tool of voter suppression. Anything or any party that wants to make it harder for you to vote doesn't get mine, so DeJear gets the nod here.)
Auditor of State: I'm honestly undecided here. I like the Mary Moisman is a CPA, I like that she stepped up and agreed to audit the State Medicare mess. But Rob Sand also helped investigate/audit the film tax credit mess. This one might be a coin flip.
Treasurer of State: Michael L. Fitzgerald (If it ain't broke, don't fix it.)
Secretary of Agriculture: Rick Stewart (There's not a chance in hell that he gets it, but I appreciate the blunt honesty Stewart has about the fiscal sustainability of farm and ethanol subsidies- both of which are probably unsustainable in the long term, though until literally every other country stops subsidizing their own farmers in one way or another, we ain't going to stop anytime soon.)
Attorney General: Tom Miller (See: Treasurer of State, above.)
State Senator, District 43: Patrick Wronkiewicz (Any candidate that knocks on my door and introduces himself in person gets my vote just on general principle.)
State Representative, District 85: It irks me to no end that a lot of area representatives run unopposed year after year and cycle after cycle. Like the local Republicans can't be bothered to find a sacrificial lamb? There's not a Libertarian or a Green that wants to throw in? So no, Vicki Lensing isn't getting my vote. I'm writing someone in here.
Board of Supervisors (Two): Phil Hemingway and Janelle Rettig (Props to Phil Hemingway for running as a Republican for this position- and I liked the perspective he brought to the school board and I think it's good to have an 'outsider' perspective in office from time to time. I have absolutely no data on this race so assume that it'll probably be Heiden and Rettig by comfortable margins, but you never know.)
County Treasurer: Thomas L. Kriz
County Recorder: Kim Painter
County Attorney: Janet M. Lyness
Non-Partisan Offices: Well, I actually attempted to educate myself on the Soil and Water Conversation Commission and the County Agricultural Extension Council actually do and I know more than I did before, but I'm still not entirely clear on what all they do. So if you're a real person on this ballot, you're lucky, because I'm gonna vote for you.
Judges: This is another one I did research on and found a handed dandy Judicial Performance Review for 2018. Based on the evaluations, I'm going to vote to retain Chappell, Miller, Turner, Scott for District 6 and Mullins, Tabor and Vaithesawaran for the Court of Appeals.
OTHER RACES: If I still lived in Minnesota, I'd be voting for Tim Walz for Governor, Amy Klobuchar for Senator and Independence Party candidates wherever possible. (So take note, Minnesota peeps!)
PREDICTIONS: I think the Democrats take the House but not the Senate and pick up a good amount of Governorships ahead of 2020. As much as I'd like to think that Texas will vote for Beto O'Rourke, I'm pretty sure the Lizard People have this one all sewn up with Ted Cruz.
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