Sarah and myself will be rising early tomorrow (11/5/02) and heading to our polling place here in Oakland so that we may exercise our right to vote. According to all of the pundits and papers I have read voter turnout is expected to be low due to apathy, disgust with gubernatorial candidates, and the traditional low turnout of off year elections.

My own history with the vote can best be be described as "on again" and "off again" - which is to say that I have chosen to vote and I have chosen not to vote (the reasons for the latter decision will be found here). Two years ago, when we resided in Orlando, I believe I was prevented from voting due to my attempted registration as a Democrat being three times delayed by the registrar, but that is another story. . .

At the moment, with George W. and the GOP raping the U.S. Constitution and the planet for fun and profit, I feel that I have no choice - as a socially conscious person - but to vote. I had determined some time ago to vote Green whenever a Green candidate was an option, especially my gubernatorial vote, but a recent post by Tom Shugart (unable to link to the specific post for some confounding reason so here is Tom's follow up post) and subsequent comments from Frank Paynter have caused me to reconsider. I want with all of my progressive liberal heart to endorse Peter Camejo for governor of California but I know that he has little or no chance of winning. I shudder at the thought of Republican Bill Simon gaining the governor's seat and, fearful that a vote for a third party candidate will only aid Simon at this point in time, I find myself leaning toward Gray Davis - the Democrat incumbent whom I would rather not endorse but must if I would prevent a Republican stranglehold on this country.

This sorry situation almost makes me want to stay home tomorrow but that's just what they want us to do. . .

From: The Executive Committee Against Uppity Citizens
Sent: Monday November 03 7:37 AM
To: MoveOn.org
Subject: Please don't vote.

Dear friend,

On behalf of Shell, Mobil, and Exxon; Boeing, Lockheed-Martin, and GE; all the Enrons, Halliburtons, and Harkens; President Bush, Vice President Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, and the other CEOs of the Cabinet; and thousands of us who are working for a better life for the wealthiest Americans, we have one simple request: Could you please just stay home tomorrow?

See, we have things to do. Nations to invade. Wetlands to destroy. Oil to drill. Courts to pack. Corporate taxes to cut.

What's frustrating for us is that we're coming up against some pretty stiff resistance. We've spent hundreds of millions of dollars to secure the Senate, but it looks like we just may lose it. Heck, we may even lose the House. We don't quite get what it is about our agenda that you people don't like, but it's clear that this time, you may be upset enough to actually do something about it.

That's why we're writing this message to you today. Please don't vote. Ask your friends not to vote. What could the harm be in sitting this round out? If you could just stay home on Election Day, we can get back to the important business of running the nation for you, and we won't have to bother you again.

Thank you,

The Executive Committee Against Uppity Citizens

(thanks to the folks at MoveOn for forwarding the above missive from the ECAUC)