Matt Brubeck

Via Netflix, Sarah and I are catching up on the past decade of television. Here are some of my impressions while watching The West Wing seasons one and two:

• Oh, so this is what fueled my more political friends' Obama fantasies.
• So many things seem bittersweet in hindsight:
  1. An administration that considers it catastrophic to have an approval rating of only 42% (in early 2000, cf. all of 2006–2009)
  2. Space Shuttle Columbia having problems that endanger its landing (in May 2000, cf. February 2003).
  3. Saying they "still don't know where bin Laden is" (in October 2000, cf. 2001–present).
• Hopefully not bittersweet in hindsight: worries throughout season one about racially-motivated assasination attempts.
• For a show that's really quite shockingly well done in almost every way, they sure do make some clumsy use of thunder and lightning when people are supposed to feel gloomy.

Eleanor heard the fireworks from her room this evening, so I let her out of her crib to see them out the window. I told her there was a new president.

I'm no Larry Lessig or even Randall Munroe, but here's my 2008 U.S. presidential endorsement, for those who care. It's the last you'll hear about it unless you ask.

I support Barack Obama for President. I don't agree with everything in his platform, and I think several other candidates are also good choices, but Obama is best because:

• He sees the influence of money on politics as a problem, not as a weapon to be seized.
• He will take a stand for gay rights, even when speaking to southern, religious voters.
• He is a strong, credible opponent of the Iraq war.

That's all. We now return to our (ir)regularly scheduled baby pictures and computer geekery.

Initiative 872 would change primary elections in Washinton to a "top-two" system. Under the new system, the two candidates with the most votes in the primary would advance to the general election, regardless of party affiliation.

Vote yes on Initiative 872. It is good for for democracy, for independent voters, and for voter choice.

( Here's why... )

Following a suggestion from the Verified Voting coordinators, I called my county elections office to ask how I might observe pre-election testing of voting machines. King County elections superintendent Bill Huennekens gave me the following information.

King County Elections Logic and Accuracy test:

• Date: Friday before the election (2004-10-29).
• Time: 1:30 pm.
• Mail Ballot Operations Satellite
  3901 First Ave S
  Seattle WA 98134

I'm planning to observe the test, and I'm also interested in maybe being a poll observer on election day. Unfortunately, 70% of ballots in Washington are cast by mail, making it impossible for observers to really verify their integrity. It sometimes seems distressingly easy for ballot fraud to succeed.

The Anti-Miscegenation Amendment:

In 1911 Rep. Seaborn Roddenberry of Georgia introduced a constitutional amendment to ban interracial marriages. In his appeal to congress, Roddenberry stated that

"Intermarriage between whites and blacks is repulsive and averse to every sentiment of pure American spirit. It is abhorrent and repugnant. It is subversive to social peace. It is destructive of moral supremacy, and ultimately this slavery to black beasts will bring this nation to a fatal conflict" (Gilmore, 1975, p.108).

(via Ernest Miller)

This morning I went to the local Democratic caucus with John and Treasa. All three of us went to support Dean. 34 people from our precinct shared the Loyal Heights Elementary cafeteria with nine or ten other precinct caucuses, which also had about 30 people each, making for a very crowded and noisy gathering.

In the initial count, our precinct had a near-even split between Kerry and Dean, plus several uncomitted votes, two Kucinich supporters, and one Clark supporter. Only Kerry and Dean had enough support to receive delegates. John and I sparred a bit with our PCO (a Kerry backer) for the support of the remaining participants.

After the final tally, we elected 2 delegates for Kerry and 2 for Dean.

( Caucus photo )

AFA representative Buddy Smith:

"It just so happens that homosexual activist groups around the country got a hold of the poll -- it was forwarded to them -- and they decided to have a little fun, and turn their organizations around the country (onto) the poll to try to cause it to represent something other than what we wanted it to. And so far, they succeeded with that."

—Wired News: Gay Marriage Poll Gets Annulled