Antici........pation (again)

Does the election have you howling at the moon?

The Gentle Reader may have noticed that there is an election going on today. Although this blog is about public affairs and policies (and whatever random topics are on my mind), El Cabrero has made no mention of it.

Here's the main reason: Goat Rope is the unofficial blog of the American Friends Service Committee WV Economic Justice Project. AFSC is a non-profit organization related to the Society of Friends (Quakers), although staff and volunteers come from all kinds of religious backgrounds.

While my day job is all about trying to improve conditions for low income and working families, I focus on issues rather than elections or candidates and these issues don't seem to go away no matter who or what party is in power.

In the spirit of 501(c)3 compliance, allow me to say a few things:

*if you haven't voted already, please get out and do so if you are registered.

*if you're not happy with the way it turns out, remember the theme here lately: the goddess Fortuna is fickle and her wheel turns. Sometimes she brings people up and sometimes down but the wheel keeps moving.

*sometimes you win by losing and lose by winning. It's hard to tell at the time.

*the country is in such a mess that whoever wins is going to have a rough time. If El Cabrero--God forbid--was ever elected to the office of the president, my first act would be to demand a recount. And people who care about good policies are going to have a lot of work to do however it turns out.

Here's hoping that by the time this day is over we have clear--and clean--winners.

DIGRESSION ON APPALACHIAN VOTING CUSTOMS. There's an old saying in West Virginia, "Vote early, vote often and it's not the way they're cast--it's the way they're counted."

There are all kinds of great stories about...shall we say colorful...Appalachian voting practices. One of these involves stories about dead people's ballots being counted.

As a true hillbilly unto the generations, part of me wants to say that it's OK to cast ballots for dead family members, as long as you know how they would have voted if they were still here.

But don't quote me on that.

A LITTLE (ABOUT) POLITICAL HUMOR here.

A LITERAL ECONOMIC MELTDOWN can be seen here.

ANGER MANAGEMENT here.

GOAT ROPE ADVISORY LEVEL: UNDETERMINED