Woo-hoo, it's votin' time

I used to take politics much more seriously then I do now, back before I realized politics was basically like professional sports except with fat old guys. You root for your team, slag on the other team, and like sports, politics is much more fun when beer is somehow involved.

Anyway, it's about time to vote. Douglas County offers advance voting, which means I can skip the November rush and get my vote in early. And although it won't make a difference, I do know it will at least get counted; Douglas County uses old-fashioned pencil-scanners, not those new-fangled Diebold boxes which apparently can be hacked by anyone competent enough to operate a TiVo.

So, here's how I will be marking my ballot:

Governor:

Kathleen Sebelius (D) - She is the incumbent governor, and has done a pretty competent job over the past four years, especially with the economy given Kansas' traditional weaknesses. I also give her credit for saying what everyone intelligent has been thinking, which is that it is hard for Kansas to compete when our national reputation is that we are a bunch of anti-science bumkins and anti-gay preachers. Sebelius is the very definition of a red state Democratic moderate and although she's not as liberal as I wish she would be (she was silent when the legislature attacked gays last year), she is the best we'll get in Kansas and she will get my vote.

Attorney General:

Paul Morrison (D) - Actually, Paul Morrison used to be a Republican before that party got taken over by the Taliban, as witnessed by the current Attorney General, Phill Kline, who has pissed me off in several ways. He has trolled through private medical records on a personal jihad against abortion (which is still legal, whether he likes it or not, and the job of the attorney general is to enforce the existing laws, not make his own). Kline has also made big business out of shaking down churches for campaign money. And worst of all, he stole the double-L spelling of his name from a friend of mine, who I am certain had the idea first. Oh, yeah, Paul Morrison. A decent, well-qualified prosecuting attorney who will enforce the law and protect the state's citizens and consumers. He will get my vote.

Secretary of State:

David Haley (D) - The incumbent, Ron Thornburgh, is a good man, but Haley has promised to insure that those easily-hackable electronic voting machines are backed up with paper ballots to ensure accurate results. This stance alone (which is not shared by Ron Thornburgh) will earn him my vote, but both candidate are good people and I am not too concerned who wins this race.

Insurance Commissioner:

Sandy Praeger (R) - See, I don't just vote for Democrats! Praeger has done a great job the past four years regulating the insurance industry and protecting consumers. She is also pro-business enough to work with the insurance industry in a non-confrontational manner to move things forward. It doesn't hurt that Praeger is one of those moderate Republicans....not that social issues matter too much in the Insurance Commissioner's office.

State House, 46th District:

Paul Davis (D) - A reliable liberal from perhaps the most liberal district in the state of Kansas - central Lawrence. He is basically running unopposed.

Congress, Third District:

Dennis Moore (D) - Moore has been a fine member of Congress the past six years and deserves another term. He is the very definition of a popular Kansas Democrat, with a lot of Republican support. He is moderate on social issues (he opposes the marriage amendment), solid on national defense and terrorism but not a pro-Bush toady and takes care of the people of his district. For the first time in his Congressional career, Moore looks like he will enjoy an easy election victory. He deserves it.