How I voted

Voted in mid-afternoon. I have no party loyalty, having always been a registered independent. However I do have loyalty to my principles.

For the first time in at least eight years, I voted for a major party candidate for an office other then President. I voted for John Spencer for Senator. Of course he’s got very long odds, with Hillary likely to crush him. It will be a symbolic victory if he gets 40-42% of the vote. I made my first financial political contribution in 14 years to his campaign (the maximum amount allowed by law) and had two lawn signs up for him, and put about ten up around town. Nine of them were ripped down, no doubt by fair and balanced Hillary-supporters. I live in a very democratic party town.

For Governor I wrote in John Broderick. John is an attorney who had agreed to run as a third party candidate on the right to life party line, except they didn’t get enough petition signatures to actually have him on the ballot. So I wrote him in. For decades John has done loads of pro bono legal work for pro-lifers and women with crisis pregnancies. I know John pretty well, and he’s a great person with a wonderful sense of humor. He has nine children.

And then I did a few other write-ins. No major party candidates.

In New York, it’s likely to be a complete democratic party sweep, with Spitzer swamping John Faso for Governor and Cuomo’s son winning the Attorney General’s race against Jeanine Pirro (a plague on both their houses!). I even think Alan Hevesi, the democratic incumbent State Controller will win, even though he’ll probably be indicted for mis-use of his office after the election.

The problem for the Republicans, is that in NY State they long ago sold out on their principles. I refuse to vote on their line – I voted for Spencer on the Conservative party line.

So there you have it. The conventional wisdom is that the dems will re-take the House but not the Senate. I hope that’s correct. I would hate to see Bush’s possible Supreme Court nominations in the next two years dead on arrival in the Senate Judiciary committee, which is what will happen if the dems win the Senate. Patrick Leahy would be head of the Judiciary Committee. The thought gives me nausea.