I'm in shock, complete disbelief. The exit polls showed strong Kerry support, Zogby predicted a blowout, what happened? Even here, thank God we didn't go red, but from an 18 point margin in 2000 to a 9 point margin yesterday? Against the ape who ran as a "moderate" 4 years ago, who now has a record- a very ugly one?

I don't blame the undecideds so much as I blame all the brainwashed congregations of the McChurches. The freaks who want a holy war, think gays are Satan, and are positive Armageddon is coming soon. Shit, on the last one they're probably right, now.

I voted Libertarian, and while I understand the opinion that I threw my vote away, I'd like to offer an alternate view:

There's voting in order to influence the outcome. Then, there's voting because you believe in a candidate and think his ideals are worth supporting, win or lose.

I go with the latter. When women's suffrage was first an issue, only crackpots seemed to support it, but they kept at it until enough people were aware enough of the issue to finally push it through. Only a decade ago, the issue of medical marijuana was something only stoners and extremely liberal or extremely conservative people suggested. Moderates--those people who tend to represent either of the two major parties at the national level--didn't want to touch the thing. Libertarians were among those keeping the issue alive, and those who voted Libertarian helped keep it so.

My vote means that Libertarians will at least continue to have a right to be on the General ballot. If every one of the sixteen hundred Hawaii residents who voted for Michael Badnarik had seen it as a throwaway vote and then supported either Kerry or Bush, in four years there wouldn't even be a Libertarian choice. I can't think of one good reason to take that offering away; I can think of many to support keeping it alive.

Lisa, I love just about everything you write, but I am a worshipping member of a Southern Baptist church and I have never wanted a holy war; nor do I think gays are satan. My friends don't think so either. There are some intelligent Christians among us; I would just like you to be aware of that. Be encouraged by that, if possible.