In my view, any US citizen who does not vote is betraying the few billion human beings who don’t have the right to. As broken as our political system is, it is the only means we have to change our society. Even if your vote is only one in a hundred million at a presidential level, real change starts locally. It is in our own community where we have the privilege to get to know candidates and office-holders directly and personally. We owe it to ourselves, to our neighbors, and — ultimately — to the world to stand up and be counted.
I’m happy that Maryland affords us the right to vote at our convenience over an extended period. Just the same, I choose to go to my polling place on Election Day. My participation — along with my neighbors — energizes me, makes me feel a part of the community and of something truly important. Because I know so many neighbors and even so many candidates, showing up and waiting in line becomes a unique social experience. I wouldn’t miss it for the world, even when I’m less than thrilled about many of the choices that await me on the ballot.
Please join me tomorrow to make a small difference in our little part of the world.
Now, back to politics. . .
Must Vote-For Candidates (my favorites of my favorites)
- Brian Frosh (Attorney General)
- Jamie Raskin (D20 Senator)
- Sheila Hixson (D20 Delegate)
- Dana Beyer (D18 Senator)
- Roger Manno (D19 Senator)
- Marc Elrich (MoCo Council At-Large)
- Beth Daly (MoCo Council At-Large)
Absolutely Don’t Vote For
- Doug Gansler (Governor)
- Jon Cardin (Attorney General)
- Doug Duncan (MoCo Executive)
- Hans Riemer (MoCo Council At-Large)
- Nancy Floreen (MoCo Council At-Large)
- Chris Barclay (MoCo Council District 5)
- Duchy Trachtenberg (MoCo Council District 1)
- Ben Kramer (D19 Delegate)
- Charlotte Crutchfield (D19 Delegate)
For a summary of my endorsements.
For my fully annotated endorsements.
See Progressive Neighbors, for races I don’t cover.
PS. Thanks to all who have taken the time to read my musings this political season. From a tiny start six years ago, this blog has really taken off in 2014. By tomorrow, over 600 people will have visited my site in the past week and viewed about 1,600 pages on this site. This pales in comparison to many other blogs, but it’s plenty for me! Your interest is a big honor!
©2014 Keith Berner