Small Turnout

Yesterday, I inquired where the Republicans were on the ballots for today's primary elections in the State of Missouri. I also observed that because there were few choices it might hardly be necessary to hold a primary. Nevertheless, I went to the polls today and cast my ballot for my choices in the races where I had options and also for a tax proposal that was on my ballot.

I wasn't alone but I was not in the company of very many. During the time I was at the polls there were about four other voters there, one of whom was my wife! I have not heard the final numbers for the day but I do know that they were projecting about a 1/3 voter turnout. If you ask me - and since you are reading my blog, you kind of did - that is ridiculous!

Limited choices or not - voting is a still a wonderful right that we have in this nation and it should not be taken for granted. If there are decisions to be made the voters should be making them. From what I have gathered from news reports so far the 1/3 voter turn out prediction will not have been exceeded by any means!

Personally, I am happy that I live in a free country where I have the right to vote and I gladly exercised that right today. God Bless America!

Where are the Republicans??

I live in the State of Missouri. I am a resident of the 1st Congressional District, the 14th State Senate District, and the 77th State House District. Tomorrow, as a Missourian, I will go to the polls to cast my vote in the primary elections.

In preparation for the voting in the primaries, I have been working to determine which candidate best represents my ideology. I am a political junkie so I actually enjoy this preparatory work for my poll going experience. What annoys me is that in many cases I don't have anything to vote for!

In the statewide elections, of which I believe there are about six, only two of them have more than one Republican running for the office. I very much would like to have a choice in the primary elections and am surprised that in many cases there is only one candidate. In some cases this is true of the Democratic Party as well - they also have fielded only one candidate. Some of these folks are incumbents and in those cases I don't expect any opposition from within their own parties.

What is most troubling is that in the case of the US Congressional Race there is no Republican candidate at all! The incumbent Democrat, William Lacy Clay only has one opponent - a Libertarian Party Candidate. Are there really no Republicans in the entire 1st Congressional District of Missouri who could at least run for this office?

While my State Senate District does not have a race this fall the State House District does. In this case, not only is there no Republican running but there is only one candidate period. The candidate is a Democrat. I would again ask - are there no Republicans? I would think there must be someone in the 77th House District of Missouri that could run! In this case - I would think there would at least be someone of any party trying to run - at least we would have a choice!

I am beginning to wonder why we are bothering with a primary in many of these races! While I enjoy politics I don't think that I am one to consider running for office. As a member of the clergy - I don't believe it is my vocational calling to run for or hold political office in the realm of the State. However, I believe there are solid people who do have this vocational calling and I would gladly support them in their run for office.