Whatever Happened To Issues?

We're winding down to election day here in the USA and it's been vicious. For months! Actually, for well more than a year. I'm not just talking about the national election for President, but also the local elections for any national or state-wide ... even city-wide offices. All I have to say at this point is "What's up with this?".

The ads may be all attack ads, but I still feel obliged to vote. It was a
hard-fought battle to get the right for women to vote. I'm not about
to minimize that struggle and pass on my civic obligation. 

Once upon a time, elections and their associated advertisement were focused on the issues. The candidates wanted the voters to mark their ballot for the candidate who would provide them with representation to vote in the laws they thought would be beneficial, and represent them on the national or international stage without embarrassment. Well, I have to say, at this point it's looking like anyone voted into office next month will be an embarrassment - local, regional or national candidate.

My correctly sealed and witnessed absentee ballot went into
the mail yesterday morning. Huzzah! Now I won't have to
stand in a long line to vote, and DH, if he decides to vote after
all, can head over to the polling place any time during the day
and miss the "going to work" rush. 

Nonetheless, because it is my civic duty and I can't shirk that, I did cast my absentee ballot over the weekend and dropped it into the mail yesterday morning. I was pleased with one aspect. It's been a long time since I last voted absentee, and I know the last time I wasn't able to vote in anything except the Presidential election. This time my ballot came to me, exactly the same as I would have had if I had been standing in a long line in the cold to put my marks on the paper. I had all of the candidates, even the judges and those without anyone listed as running against them - all of which were specifically for my little piece of the greater metro area. That pleased me a great deal.

He laid out capstones on the steps to see what needs
adjustment. A couple of steps are slightly off true, so he'll
be seeing what he can do to adjust them a bit today, then
he might start gluing some of the capstones on. 

Today DH will be working on capstones, and maybe re-doing one or two of the steps. The castle is looking pretty fantastic at this point. We'll need to get a palette of capstones ordered in the spring to put on the tiered walls, but that's next year. We're almost finished with this year's work (and weather in which working is sensible). He's been getting his exercise working on the castle, I've been getting mine in the pool. Time to go sweat in a large, chlorinated area of water once again, so I wish all of you a wonderful Tuesday.