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Clueless Pride!
Posted at 6:00 AM on November 3, 2009
by Dale Connelly
(21 Comments)
Radio Heartland has tickets for you to see Tim Ericksen at the Cedar Cultural Center this coming Thursday night! We'll close off entries at 1pm on Wednesday.
Enter the drawing.
Obey the rules.
Good luck!
Here's a special election day message for all of us, from the Hon. Congressman Loomis Beechly:
Dear Free Americans,Today is Election Day, which makes it a great day for democracy.
Today our voices will be heard in contests for mayor, school board, city council and many other closely fought races waged between people we've never heard of - strangers vying for obscure public offices that often don't get the attention they deserve.
So speak up!
Even if what you have to say is "I don't know what this is about and I haven't a clue what I'm doing!"As your Congressman representing Minnesota's 9th district (all the water surface area in the state), I consider myself a staunch ally and a passionate advocate for all of our nation's clueless voters. And I don't say that just because so many of them are my most loyal supporters.
Clueless voters are everywhere. They're the voters who don't know who the candidates are or what they stand for, haven't considered the issues, are unaware of the government bodies these candidates want to join, and sometimes they don't even know which city, township, county or state they reside in.
In short, these are my people - the people who will vote for a candidate based on nothing more than his interesting name. And I have one of those. Loomis Beechly is the kind of name that seems to draw your vote with the right combination of seriousness and approachability. It stands out among other, more common names, and that's a great asset when voters don't know anything at all about anyone on the list.
Some say the clueless shouldn't vote, but I say "why the double standard"?
As a member of Congress, I often vote on things I know nothing about. A lot of the time it works out OK anyway. And for those times when it doesn't, there's always another vote coming up that could change things just enough to undo the damage and make it right.
Let's face it, when the only choices are "Yea" and "Nay", you can let a wiemaraner decide and he'll be right about half the time.
So if you're thinking you shouldn't vote today because you don't know anything, I say "vote today BECAUSE you don't know anything." Otherwise, who will represent the uninformed? Their cluelessness elected me the first time, and it keeps electing me again and again.
From where I stand, that's a pretty good outcome.
How do you prepare for election day?
Do you ever guess when filling out a ballot?
Comments (21)
i vote for Dale because he can spell wiemaraner!
good morning All!
I voted for myself once when I put my name in as a canidate for a position on the board of the Soil and Water conservation District, but I lost. Another person who was better know won and I didn't know he was going to be on the ballot. That was the end of my political career.
I guess I am sort of an anarchist and usually think that there isn't much to be gained by voting in the current political climate. However, I always vote any way, sort of like a person who isn't sure about God and wants to keep his options open in case there is a heaven.
I probably would vote for Mike if I lived in Albert Lea and if he decided to run for mayor again.
Thank you Barb.
I accept your support but I must confess - I had to look it up.
Wiemaraner might be the funniest dog breed name.
My problem is that it is easier for me to find candidates to vote against than to find ones to support. That is my dilemma in the school board election I am heading out to.
Perhaps if candidates disclosed their radio listening habits, it would be easier to choose.
Happy Election Day!
Grr... I wore my headphones running last night and didn't put them back in my bag, leaving me without Radio Heartland today!
Good morning, Heartlanders!
YES, I GUESS. Hey, that rhymes! No, seriously, I try to educate myself re candidates and issues. You know - pay attention to water cooler talk, actually listen to the windy custodian, put signs in my yard when people come a-knockin'... The last time I put a sign in my yard, I discovered on Election Day, that I couldn't even vote for whoever that was because I hadn't notified whoever you're supposed to notify when you move, and I had to vote in my old voting place and that candidate wasn't even on the ballot there. Isn't that ironic?? Other than that, you could call me a pundit.
Dale - I am so relieved you're not waiting until 7 to put up the entry. I'm used to reading it as soon as I get up, and then thinking on it as I make coffee and ready myself for work. If I had to wait till 7 to read it, that would only give me 15 minutes to respond, and my posts wouldn't be nearly as polished and refined as you've all become accustomed to.
I vote for Donna as the most polished and refined writer of comments.
Ah political spin, fine way to start a morning eh? Dale thanks for the insight on Genway, i hope the good doctor is still getting business without having a station to promote his wares on. Sorry I have been quiet as of late, but every morning I still read every entry. Can you play something to inspire people to vote for candidates without knowing much about them?
Aaron
Thanks Donna.
I was still working on the blog at 6 this morning, so the chances are good that in the future it may show up a little bit late. And while I'm all in favor of thoughtful posting, I often find it more entertaining when you just blurt out what you're thinking.
Don't lose that effervescence!
Good morning...because of the mayoral contest in the TC, yesterday on "Greater MN" radio's Midday show there was a speech by Dan Buettner from Albert Lea about Albert Lea and the Blue Zones...Mike, can I vote for you next election?
Donna, I'm voting with Dale on keeping the effervescence of the unpolished entries...all of them from everyone.
No one to vote for in my neighborhood -- that I know of...
Ok, Dale, I'll stay bubbly, as well as habitually late for work!
I grew up in a house where I was taught that voting is a right, a privilege and a duty. Not necessarily in that order. I do my best to learn at least a little about who I'm voting for - even at the level of Soil and Water candidates (thank heavens for the STrib voters guides - they help for some of the more obscure stuff).
Besides, I was highly influenced as a child by the Schoolhouse Rock series, and the episode about women's suffrage was darn cool. How could I, as a woman, not vote after that?...
I could suggest Did You Ever Have To Make Up Your Mind? by the Lovin' Spponful for Election Day.
Kind of a stretch...I dunno...what do you think, Aaron?
I have for many elections voted not to vote because the system that is giving us these candidates is so flawed. I vote only on local elections because that is the only venue in which American democracy comes close to its intent.
well, i'm not voting here in Kanab---all the candidates are kind of scary, actually.....maybe after i've been here awhile i will run for office myself. As far as i can tell, the candidates are of two parties, republican and redneck-conservative. yep, some sort of coup is needed!
wow, donna, way to get credit for being fizzy!
i've guessed on ballots before...wish all those judges etc. had to send out something saying who they are and what their philosophy is etc...
another gorgeous "sunny and 80" on the way here....i'm off to the animal sanctuary for the morning--off to Ohio for the rest of the week....
Thanks to Jim and Cynthia for the offers of votes, but I'd want you to do it as informed voters, no disrespect to the congressman. Having said that, it seems he represents the 9th quite well.
No elections in Albert Lea today, not even school board or a referendum.
Anna, have you picked up the DVD of Schoolhouse Rock?
My adult children (40 and 37) believe Schoolhouse Rock and Electric Company were the best TV of their childhood and have both on DVD fro their kids.
Congressman Beechly reminded me of Senator Roman Hruska who represented Nebraska in the 60s and 70s. Like the honorable member from the 9th district, Hruska was clueless, but blessed with a memorable name. Once, while defending a particularly undistinguished Supreme Court nominee, Hruska said, "There are plenty of mediocre people in this country, and they're entitled to representation too."
The closest I come to guessing is on some of the judicial races, where I give incumbents the benefit of the doubt. I figure that if they're not notorious enough for me to have heard of them, they're probably doing an ok job.
I was once elected graduate school representative to the University of Minnesota Senate on the basis of three write-in votes. Fortunately for all, imminent graduation made me ineligible to serve.
My father got a call on behalf of a candidate from a blowhard of his acquaintance last night. Dad let him run on for a bit before explaining that they had just moved to the next town over so they wouldn’t be able to vote for the guy. I think he enjoyed that a little too much!
MIke (and Clyde) - I do have the DVD of Schoolhouse Rock. It's fabulous. All of the 3 minute snippets of educational stuff a girl could ask for! Including Interplanet Janet, I'm Just a Bill, Conjunction Junction, Lolly Lolly Lolly Get Your Adverbs, and every other earworm they created. Love 'em. And Daughter is finally getting old enough to appreciate them, too!
Gosh yes! I've often guessed my votes. Last time I was so ill-prepared that I just went through and picked every woman's name I could find. Then every interest-sounding name, if there wasn't a female candidate.
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