Election Day - Voting Purple

I wore a purple tie today, a symbollic gesture to hope that after this day is over and the campaigns disappear, most of the people in our country will get over their partisan egotism. I hope that we can all be friends again. I'm sick of being bombarded with partisan rhetoric. I can't wait for the old-geezer commericals to be back on TV when I watch Jeopardy. Once again, I just want to be an American, not a democrat or republican.

Every year I vote, I enjoy the drive back up to DC from home. It's a beautiful time of the year to enjoy the changing leaves on the I-95N corridor, and I often take it for granted when I'm fighting traffic. Election Day eases the jams so I can fly up to the office on my own agenda, a bit less stressed. But I was pretty pensive today.

I've never been a fan of politics; I find the system is too divisive. The past few elections have been great proof of that. At least this year, in my opinion anyways, voters had the opportunity to choose between two candidates worthy of the job. (Choosing the less of the two evils - Bush/Kerry or Bush/Gore - didn't entertain me so much.)

Because I don't like the divisive two-party system that this country has created, I'm almost inclined to waste a vote on a third party in hopes that it'll spice things up.

But I'm not an idiot.

Living in Virginia, I was not about to waste a vote on a small party that can't garner any publicity in the first place, especially the current ones that don't even fit my ideals. Knowing that a state like Virginia could directly influence who becomes president is empowering. It's especially empowering to know that, in my average-sized suburban voting district, it was in the ballpark of only a couple thousand votes that separated one candidate from another during the last presidential election.

Like I said, it's empowering.

Although I know that this country is naturally more moderate than most, I'm still disappointed that we have to choose between the extremes. We've got a young senator running for president with one of the more liberal track records of any current politician, and a female governor with quite the opposite reputation running for veep on the other team.

I'm naturally a moderate. I believe in equal rights for all, and even though I'm not religious I believe that the definition of "marriage" belongs to the church you belong to, not the state you live in. Regarding taxes, isn't it obvious that the majority of this country needs a breather for their wallet? Give the middle class a break, not the rich folks.

On the other side of the spectrum I believe that by all means, if I want to own a gun, I should be able to do so. Although that's not saying we shouldn't have a system for regulating this privilege. I also believe that my income and earnings belong to me, and shouldn't be taxed to share the wealth. (If you really want to share the wealth, tax the political campaigns that accept private financing, for chrissakes, not me. They interrupt my TV shows anyways.) And yeah, even though I work for a corporation, at least I'm confident that my company isn't mass outsourcing jobs for cheap labor. That is, so long as they're given to actual Americans, not illegals that have crossed the border. (They might be - under certain left-sided agendas - receiving driver's licenses soon. Now that's screwed up, no?)

Now, recognizing my own ignorance, I don't even understand why small, specific issues like abortion show up in national politics.

So whoever wins today, I'm happy.

Do you really think that either man as president would be different from the other in the way he handles the most important current issues: the economy, the war in Iraq, or the healthcare system? If you really cared that much, you'd spend more time worrying about your senators and congressmen, which in all cases are probably going to do just about the same thing.

So long as W isn't in office any more, there will be significant change. I'm confident of that, no matter who we've voted into office. So I'm content. In our country in a state of "crises," we can only go in one direction. We can only be forced to unite, to work together, to get ourselves out of the dumps and make some progress on a lot of different issues.

As much as you may want to represent your party on election day, give it up. You've had your day to mark your ballot, and over a year to voice your opinion. You are not blue or red any more. You are just American, a hybrid of many types, and today, that hybrid is a big mix of red and blue. It's purple. So shut up and be happy that you've been able to moan and complain and criticize the other party's candidate for so long now.

Just as you're entitled to your own opinion, you are now entitled to mine: it's over. Let it go. Think purple. Move along now, see you in 4 years, you partisan zealots. Leave your arrogance at the door, red. Let your inferiority complex go, blue. Enough is enough.

I truly believe that any candidate willing to take the job as President of this country during this era is a brave man (or woman). With an unpopular war and squat for economic stability or growth, the future POTUS will have their work cut out for them. And whoever it is, we can only back up our leaders and let them lead us when they need it the most. Let them unite us, because that's what we need the most.