the recent elections, or The Return of the Whig

Our local polling place wasn't open on Election Day this year. At least I don't think it was; it didn't look open when I drove by at about 7:25 AM. There was nothing for us to vote on way out here anyway. The nearest local elections were in Canton. We are Canton zip code but at least a dozen miles by road from the municipal border.

I've never liked Terry McAuliffe, at least not since I formed an opinion of him back in the 1990's. He's not a likable character. On the other hand, I would trust him to be an effective governor and if he was the Democratic candidate I'd hold my nose and vote for him - especially if his opponent was an intolerant Puritan like Ken Cuccinelli.

It is hard to believe that there are still people who claim that both parties, Democratic and Republican, are the same. Yes, they all get corporate money and that looks bad; no, none of them probably vote the way you want them to 100% of the time. But look at the way they actually vote. The parties are as different to one another as they have ever been; one could easily argue that they are further apart than they have ever been.

That reminds me, a Whig Party candidate won a local election in Philadelphia, PA this week - he has been elevated to the position of Election Inspector and will pull down a cool $100 per election day, which is generally once a year. Dang those overpaid Whig politicians.

In all seriousness, though, I hope he does well and inspires a resurgence of the Whigs. That would be easier than starting a third party from scratch, with a new name. That's been tried recently and failed. John Anderson and the Independence Party in 1980. Ross Perot and his Nutjob Parade in 1992. Nader, too many times, on one ticket or another.

But the Whigs!

History-loving Americans will read up on the Whig party and I can foresee a modern Whig resurrection, whether it is based on original Whig principles or not. It probably wouldn't be faithful to the original party. You know how those things go. The new singer just doesn't sound like John Tyler, the new bass player can't hold a candle to Millard Fillmore playing his custom fretless, and you know nobody kept a beat like William Henry Harrison on a drum set (only the good die young).