Monday, February 04, 2008

Super Duper Tuesday

Super Tuesday is always full of mixed feelings for me. My inner policy nerd enjoys the excitement, but it also feels frustrated that Oregon won't have its primary for another three months. The truth is that unless it's a really close race, by the time we get around to mailing our little ballots in (I do LOVE vote by mail! It is something I've really missed any time I've lived out of state!), it's very likely that the eventual nominee will be all but rubber stamped to make it official. It does make it a little challenging to feel an important part of the process.

As of this moment, the votes are still pretty split in both the Democratic and Republican primaries. There will not likely be a final count of actual delegates won tonight. It is almost as exciting as the Oregon Humane Society's Presidential Primary Rat Race fundraiser (all "campaign contributions" going to benefit the pets at the shelter), which featured candidates such as Hillary Rodent Squinten, Packrat OhMama, John McCheese, and Muskrat "Mike" Huckleberry.

Hillary is ahead in the rat poll, but we shall see what tomorrow brings in the real race. Our delegate system sometimes seems maddeningly complicated to me and does nothing for my desire to know NOW. But, as in the rest of life, my impatience will not make it go any faster! I still have high hopes for Obama and found myself feeling increasingly convinced about my support of him I listened to all the early return punditry and talk radio calls today.

Meanwhile, in a totally unrelated celebration of 5 days of meat free living, here is a link to a delicious recipe from Moosewood (actually, it's a link to a number of recipes, but you will find this one between them, if you scroll down):

West African Ground Nut Stew

10 comments:

Jen said...

ha ha! I just heard someone on the news say "Oregon's vote may count this year!" which is so sad, but kind of funny.

I am conflicted on vote by mail. The ease (and traceable paper ballot) is wonderful, but I miss the good old fashioned voting booth magic. Oregon's only been doing vote by mail since 1998! it seems like longer and less time, both. (I am in a time warp and that is NO LIE.)

unrelatedly, Peggy Noonan (who is on my TV right now) drives me CRAZY because she loves to talk SO SLOWLY and always works in some "I love Reagan" thing.

relatedly, Salon has some great articles on Obama right now.

(congratulations of 5 days of meat free living!)

Martina said...

Yeah, I keep trying to spin it to myself so it sounds better, but having a late primary basically sucks.

I hadn't really thought about voting booths, but I would be really sad if vote by mail went away. I really pissed me off when that group in Viriginia sued the state to end it. Who are they to say how we shoudl vote???

I know that opponents criticize it, because they say it opens the way to voter fraud, but all in all it seems very equitable method to me. It makes it easy for everyone who wants to vote to do so. No running out of ballots, no waiting in line. Plus, I just like being able to take as much time as I want with my ballot and not having to take time off of work/out of my schedule to go somewhere to vote.

Anonymous said...

As an interested, disinterested, uninformed observer, after the last eight years I'd be happy with Obama, McCain, Lily the puppy or Clinton, in that order. Lily could still be someone's running mate which would, I'm sure, sway a lot of votes.

Anonymous said...

What's the big deal about living five days without meat? Hillary has been doing that for YEARS!

(Hey. Don't look at me like that! YOU'RE the one who linked diet and politics! How could I resist that one??)

Anonymous said...

Await the following character assassinating campaign TV ad. The usual imagery with the menacing voice over saying

"Hllary Clinton is a vegetarian. So was Adolph Hitler"

Martina said...

Chris: I think Lily COULD sway a lot of votes until the negative campaigning came out about all the things she's destroyed while teething. She is not, however, a vegetarian, so at least there is no danger of negative comparisons on that front.

Anonymous Mike: Hey, man, I may have linked diet and politics, but I'm not the one who set up the picnic table in the middle of Pervytown's red light district. Is this the kind of behavior they endorse on public radio?

Anonymous said...

Eating furniture is wrong but we could give it a positive spin: this puppy is HARD.

Some people have pointed to her lack of experience, especially in foreign affairs, but although I have not examined her voting record I don't think she has ever supported the invasion of another country.

Lily for VP!

Anonymous said...

You'd be amazed at the number of people who work in public radio and commute from downtown Pervytown. It's infectious. And half of THEM don't eat meat either! (Did I mention that the gluten free bakery down here is kosher?)

Martina said...

I should have known that living/working such a short drive down the 405/5 from Pervytown would have an effect on you eventually. Maybe you should move somewhere more wholesome, like the Midwest. There's a whole colony of Amish near Arcola, Illinois, you know.

Anonymous said...

Maybe. Does the Amish colony have its own public radio station? I'll bet they do and it broadcasts at least 50,000 watts with several repeaters and translators.