Posted on 09/05/2006 2:06:36 PM PDT by PJ-Comix
I voted less than an hour ago. When I entered my polling station, I was the ONLY voter in there. On my way out I remarked that the turnout seemed light and guessed only a hundred folks had voted there up until then. The poll worker then told me I was number 14 voting today. I thought she was kidding but she assured me she was not. Since I figure my precinct must have at least a couple of thousand registered voters, I figure there will be only a about a 2 percent turnout.
One reason for the low turnout is that today follows Labor Day, not exactly a great day to schedule an election. Also it has been raining a lot all day. On top of that the Palmetto Freeway has been closed down Northbound in northern Dade County due to a gasoline spill from a truck.
So how does that bode for the prospects of Katherine Harris? Not good. The main reason that I voted today was to cast a ballot for Leroy Collins. Why? Well, just as the tail end of the Collins radio commercials have been saying: "SHE CAN'T WIN!!!"
If Collins wins the primary, whoever produced that radio commercial should win an award for creativity. I first heard the Collins radio commercial last week. The first part of it is like any other forgettable political commercial which lists the attributes of the candidate. I can't even tell you what was said. However, it was the woman yelling loudly at the end that got my attention: "SHE CAN'T WIN!!!" Not only did it make me laugh but I actually looked forward to hearing it again.
So why did I cast my ballot for Collins instead of McBride? The biggest reason is that McBride was MIA. I have heard zip from him. Hey, if he was serious about running then he should have made some sort of EFFORT. Therefore I went with Collins because he made an effort with that BRILLIANT radio commercial. Hopefully, if he wins, that creativity will be used in the campaign against Bill Nelson.
Motivation will count for a lot today in who votes and IMHO, ensuring that a WINNABLE Senatorial candidate is nominated will be a motive for those battling the lousy weather and heavy traffic today.
I vote on issues AND winnability. Thus I went with Collins.
It has rained all day here in Palm Beach county.
Turnout will be at record lows. Motivated Republicans are the ones who want to vote against Harris. Motivated voters are more likely to fight the weather. This lousy weather is going to skew things so much that I think the pre-election polls will be way off.
One of the most motivated politicians that I remember from childhood here in Florida was a guy named Chuck Hall. He held a bunch of local offices (although he lost his congressional race). Anyway, Hall was EVERYWHERE. For example, I remember when my dad took me to see a local boxing match and there was Chuck Hall mingling with the audience, including my father with whom he chatted up for several minutes. Then following each boxing match, Hall made sure to hand out a few bucks to both the boxers. I still remember Chuck Hall at a whole bunch of events with his thick crop of slicked back hair. He looked like a well groomed gentleman but he wasn't shy about mingling with the herd. So guess who my father voted for in all elections but one that Hall ran in? Oh, and the one time my father didn't vote for Hall, he felt like crap afterwards. Years later, when Chuck Hall died, my father mourned him and said he still felt terrible that he failed to vote for Hall that one time.
When I saw the date of the primary, I thought it was a really dumb idea to have it right after Labor Day and the FSU/Miami game. Why is the primary so late in Florida?
Yeah. Day after Labor Day is a DOPEY day to schedule a primary.
A bit off subject here, but the other day I was looking at some granola item in the Supercenter and this drop-dead gorgeous woman walked up to me and said "I LOVE those! Try them!" If this chick had told me "Hey, these Kibbles and Bits are delicious in a bowl of milk", I'd have thrown a sack of them in my cart and headed for the dairy aisle!
Nearly everyone does. After all, few vote for any other than the Republican or the Democratic candidate . . .
Now THAT is a politician who made an effort. Great story.
Well I voted last Thursday....there is a thing called early voting here in Columbia county,it works out quite well.
Lots of people vote by absentee ballots .
Harris won by 60% !
That Quinnepec Poll predicted she would win by only 38% .
And thus ends the short political career of Leroy Collins Jr.. Well, at least he did come up with a FUnnie radio ad. Thanx for the laughs, Leroy.
>>And thus ends the short political career of Leroy Collins Jr.. Well, at least he did come up with a FUnnie radio ad. Thanx for the laughs, Leroy.<<
I live in California, clear across the continent, so I cannot appreciate that radio ad , too bad :-(
Very low turnout - I voted in Palm Beach County at 5:30, there was only one other voter there. I expected a small (primary) crowd of people stopping on the way home from work.
>>Very low turnout - I voted in Palm Beach County at 5:30, there was only one other voter there. I expected a small (primary) crowd of people stopping on the way home from work.<<
Well, okay, this is a primary, not the election itself !
Most of the other candidates were not viable contenders,
at least as I see it ~ but then again I cannot vote there anyway .
>>September 5, 2006 Primary Election
Republican Primary
UNOFFICIAL ELECTION NIGHT RETURNS
(may not include absentee or provisional ballots)
United States Senator
LeRoy Collins Jr. Katherine Harris William "Will" McBride Peter Monroe
Total 146,029 471,682 286,882 50,962
% Votes 15.3% 49.4% 30.0% 5.3%
<<
These results are unofficial and do not include absentee ballots !
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